business backgrounder | transportation
“ Today a dream has come true,” Smith said, as Gov. Jay Inslee, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, and legislative leaders listened closely.“ It’ s a day to look forward and a day to be inspired.”
The new bridge, which features wide lanes and shoulders, plus a dedicated pedestrian and bike path, opened to vehicles a few weeks later. Eventually the old bridge, which opened in 1963 and has been showing its age in more ways than one, will be decommissioned and disassembled.
Meanwhile, the last leg of the 520 bridge corridor— the“ Rest of the West” connection with Interstate 5 and Seattle proper— will be completed thanks to $ 1.64 billion in funding in the Connecting Washington package.
And it’ s not the only project on the way. Not by a long shot.
real projects, close to home
For cities, highways and bridges around the state, real traffic improvements are coming. Connecting Washington includes projects in every corner of the state. The biggest in the package include the North Spokane
Corridor, the 167 / 509 Gateway Project and the widening of Interstate 5 at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
And for the first time, the package includes money dedicated for maintenance and preservation of the state’ s highway system— $ 1.4 billion. Money to keep our system in good shape was an AWB priority as we gave our input and support for the package.
Infrastructure investments have a real return on investment for businesses. Employers need three things from a transportation system:
• An efficient supply chain to get products to market and onto the shelves;
• Customers to be able to access those goods; and
• Employees who can get to work.
“ Without these things, business does not exist,” said Mike Ennis, AWB government affairs director for transportation,“ and the more efficient the mobility system, the better businesses do.”
leading the package to success
AWB was among the strongest supporters of the years-long effort to bring all sides together in support of the 2015 bipartisan transportation funding and reform package that became known as Connecting Washington. The work began before the 2013 legislative session, with many versions of the bill discussed and revised over three years of negotiations.
Momentum grew last year, with AWB bringing employers to Olympia to emphasize the need for the state’ s first transportation package in a decade.
Kristal Fiser, director of state government affairs for UPS, said her company has had plenty of firsthand experience with the challenges facing Washington’ s transportation infrastructure— and the critical need for an efficient, integrated, multimodal system in order for the state to stay competitive.
“ Urban congestion, freight mobility bottlenecks, bridge and intermodal connections in disrepair can result in operational inefficiency, increased cost for consumers and air quality degradation,” Fiser testified during debate on the package.“ UPS understands in practical terms what is at stake. Congestion and lack of investment has broad implications for the ability of UPS to provide service to our customers, our quality of life, and the state’ s economic competitiveness.”
To emphasize that message, members of AWB’ s new Grassroots Alliance came from the Tri-Cities, Vancouver and beyond to testify in support of the package that helps connect all corners of Washington.
Maud Doudon, president of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, was one of the business leaders emphasizing that the ability to move goods, services and people is key to the region’ s economic success.
“ The more efficient the mobility system, the better businesses do.”
— Mike Ennis, AWB government affairs director for transportation
at a glance
The 2015 Connecting Washington package is a $ 16 billion, 16-year investment funded in part by an 11.9-cent gas tax increase. The package allocates $ 9.4 billion for highways and roads and $ 1.4 billion for highway maintenance, plus funding for multi-modal projects, ferries, terminals, and other work. Major projects include:
• Funding the last piece of the Highway 520 corridor— the connection between the bridge and I-5— $ 1.6 billion
• The State Route 167 / 509 Puget Sound Gateway, connecting the Port of Tacoma with Highway 167, and improving the highway system between the ports of Tacoma and Seattle— $ 1.9 billion
• I-405 improvements from Lynnwood to Bellevue— $ 1.3 billion
• U. S. 395 North Spokane Corridor— $ 879 million
• Joint Base Lewis-McChord congestion relief— $ 494 million summer 2016 41