Fragile economy can’t afford legislative inaction this year

Published 12:25 pm Friday, February 24, 2012

For Washington’s economy to bounce back, it needs to get moving.

Literally.

That means a transportation system that works for everyone. Businesses need to be able to get their goods to market. Employees need to be able to get to their jobs.

Unfortunately, Washington is a state filled with crumbling roads, unsafe bridges and overcrowded buses. Recently, a governor’s task force made up of members from across the state, including business, labor and environmental leaders, identified more than $21 billion in needed investments over the next decade to address our transportation crisis.

Despite how large the need is for investment and how critical transportation is to a healthy economy and the creation of jobs, there does not seem to be the will in Olympia this year to tackle it with a comprehensive funding plan.

While disappointing, the fact remains that we still have a fragile economy that is predicated on our ability to move people and goods efficiently.

For the health of our economy, inaction on transportation this year is not an option.

Too many jobs in our state depend on a functional transportation system. Now is the time to invest in our roads and transit service, not abandon them.

It’s not too late. Two proposals that are still alive in Olympia can at least serve as a down payment on our transportation needs to help preserve and maintain the system.

The first proposal is focused on funding preservation and maintenance needs statewide. The legislation would raise a number of transportation user fees to pay for basic operations such as road safety and maintenance, ferry operations, some transit and the state patrol. The revenue sources being proposed are existing fees that haven’t kept up with inflation. For some of them, they haven’t been raised in over 30 years. Without this funding, we’ll be leaving more bridges and highways in disrepair. Our ferry system will continue losing money, likely leading to more cuts and higher fares.

In the end, without adequate funding for basic maintenance, we’ll lose jobs. Making critical transportation investments today will create jobs. Whether it’s repairing bridges or making safety improvements on U.S. 2, these projects create good-paying jobs here in the community.

A second bill moving through the Legislature will address many of our most immediate local transportation needs, including helping to save our struggling transit agencies by providing local jurisdictions more stable funding options for local transportation needs.

Transit is critical to keeping our economy running. Transit carries workers to their jobs and at the same time takes thousands of cars off the road, helping everyone by easing congestion. For thousands of seniors, the disabled, students, and low-income families, transit is the only way they are able to get around.

In Snohomish County, with the expansion and improving health of the aerospace industry, demand for transit is growing. In fact, Community Transit carries thousands of Boeing employees to work every day. These routes are some of CT’s most most utilized and productive routes. Yet, because of our bus system’s dependence on the volatile sales tax, Community Transit has had to cut service by 37 percent, including the elimination of all Sunday bus service. These cuts are leaving thousands stranded at the curb or forced onto our already gridlocked roads.

What’s more, providing local funding options for cities and counties will help us repair crumbling roads, provide safe routes to schools and fill potholes.

To build a truly balanced transportation system that works for everyone, it’s important we not delay. Local options to fund transit and local road maintenance this year are necessary this year.

These two proposals can put us in a position to plan and adequately fund the long-term transportation projects necessary to keep our economy moving. It’s great news that we look like we are finally on a path to economic recovery, but it’s still fragile. Lawmakers in Olympia need to take positive action to get our economy moving, and a well-maintained and balanced transportation system does that.

Barbara Wright is board president of the Transportation Choices Coalition. Reid Shockey is president of the Snohomish County Committee for Improved Transportation.