OLYMPIA — The state Senate has given the green light to a slim transportation budget that would plug big spending gaps but keep money flowing for more than 400 road and bridge projects.
The vote was a lopsided 39-10, following a fierce debate over whether lawmakers are doing enough to fix U.S. 2, the so-called “killer highway” on which 47 people have died in crashes since 1999 between Everett and Stevens Pass.
Critics say the new budget gives only lip service to the idea of making the Stevens Pass highway a four-lane road, with pullout lanes and other safety improvements.
But Transportation Chairwoman Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island, says the full project has a billion-dollar price tag, and no tax money is available.
The approved Senate budget includes $4 million for rumble strips and another $5 million for adding a passing lane in the westbound direction west of Sultan. Both of these items are in the proposed transportation budget passed last week by the House of Representatives.
The Senate spending plan, of which Haugen is the chief architect, also includes a directive to the Washington State Patrol to assign six additional troopers to U.S. 2. House Democrats are expected to endorse the idea, too.
Wednesday’s debate featured two attempts by Sens. Val Stevens, R-Arlington, and Steve Hobbs, D-Lake Stevens, to amend the budget proposal to increase spending on U.S. 2.
Stevens said she was “very grateful” for the $9 million but the sum is so small compared with the need that it’s “like taking a teaspoon of water to put out a forest fire.”
One of the attempts would have added $12.9 million in funding by stripping that amount from a planned rail station project in Haugen’s legislative district. Another would have created a new account to be filled with revenues diverted from other projects.
“This is about lives,” Hobbs said to his colleagues. “People are dying on this highway. Help us save the lives of our citizens in our district.”
Haugen was clearly miffed at attempts to take money from the rail project and assertions that more troopers would do little to improve safety.
“I care about these people,” she said. “If you tell me troopers don’t work, you’re wrong. We will get to Highway 2 but not until we get major new money.”
Wednesday’s debate also included an attempt by Sen. Mike Carrell, R-Lakewood, to return to Pierce County the Steilacoom II car ferry under lease to the state for use on Keystone-Port Townsend route.
“This ferry I believe is going to be ruined by what’s going on up north,” he said. “We want our ferry back.”
His amendment failed.
Among other local items in the Senate budget:
n Increasing holding space for cars at the Mukilteo ferry terminal. Haugen said the plan is for property on which the Buzz Inn now sits to be cleared and leased to the state.
n Improving traffic flow on 164th Street SE by redoing signals at its intersections with Mill Creek Boulevard and Highway 527.
n Removing the Unocal pier at the Edmonds ferry terminal.
n Money for the Department of Transportation to plan for the disposal or sale of the four Steel Electric-class ferries. Details are due to legislators by July 1.
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