I am almost at a loss for words after reading the article in the May 7 Herald (“How to pay for U.S. 2 trestle project is topic for $350K study”) regarding the cost for U.S. 2 improvements.
So, spend even more, $350,000, to “study” an improvement project that could cost as much as $1 billion, just for the westbound span! This only serves to highlight a continual problem in this state — the endless projects the taxpayers are supposed to fund, with no visibility of where the funds are going.
It’s clear our current “president” is going to play favorites and refuse to release funds for those states that didn’t vote for him. But putting that aside, New York and New Jersey have nothing on Washington for the ability to make transportation funds disappear. U.S. 2 is in dire need of improvements, the most important of which is widening it to two lanes in both directions from Everett to at least as far as Leavenworth, and putting up a separation barrier between the eastbound and westbound lanes.
And how about making available the breakdown of actual costs, item by item, on the state Department of Transportation website or a billboard or somewhere? The information currently available on the DOT website states the 2017-19 Highway Improvements Program budget is over $2 billion, “with $206.6 million from federal sources. The 2017-19 biennial proposed budget accounts for 58 percent of the department’s 2017-19 capital budget request.” There is also a pie chart graphic showing sources and uses of dollars, but none of these offer a breakdown of actual dollars to actual uses such as materials, equipment, labor and administrative costs.
I for one would like to see that. A lot can be hidden in total amounts. I don’t mind paying for needed improvements, but I would like to know the breakdown of actual costs and how the money is spent!
Susan Swayzee
Everett
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