As I read Connie Niva’s column on Referendum 51, (“R-51 improves traffic mess and includes accountability”) I found myself agreeing with her on a central point: Washington has a transportation problem that must be addressed.
On just about everything else, she’s completely off the mark.
Our state faces a watershed decision this fall with R-51. And a $7.8 billion tax increase that funds a staggering array of highway pork from Aberdeen to Walla Walla, while not providing enough money to finish any of it, is not the way to go.
A review of the Department of Transportation’s R-51 project list shows that the bulk of the money goes to highway expansion, not safety and maintenance as the slick Yes on 51 campaign would have you believe. Bigger highways don’t solve gridlock; they just fill up with new drivers.
There is a better way for Washington’s future. It calls for a reprioritization at the Department of Transportation that truly focuses on safety and maintenance and puts scarce construction money where it’s needed most: on bottlenecks and design flaws that cause most of our congestion. Further, we must genuinely balance our transportation system by aggressively funding trip reduction programs (telecommuting, flexible working hours, van pools) and expanded transit service.
Washington voters should reject this waste of money and demand a more enlightened vision from our leaders.
Snohomish-Skagit Initiative
1000 Friends of Washington
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