Opinion: Our Transportation System Needs Investment NOW

This Op-Ed piece was written by Mayor John Marchione and OneRedmond President Dr. Eric Scroggins. 

Our City and region are poised for economic recovery and growth, but one critical piece of the puzzle is missing.  Our transportation system needs investment and it needs investment NOW.  Our state highways, county roads, city streets, bridges and public transportation network are rapidly deteriorating and our economy depends on a transportation system that works. This year we have a real opportunity to improve the transportation system we all depend on and expect.

A broad coalition of stakeholders, including business leaders, labor, environmentalists, and local elected leaders have been working together and all agree that action is needed NOW.  The Governor and State legislative leaders from both parties have developed a proposal that addresses some of these most pressing challenges. Their priority is to better maintain the transportation infrastructure we have, grow our economy and jobs, and support local transportation efforts and transit.

Improvements along State Route (SR) 520 are needed to fix clogged and congested interchanges at 148th and 124th Streets and support critical job expansion and economic redevelopment in the “Bel-Red Corridor” and Overlake areas.  But this redevelopment and job expansion is at risk if there is no new revenue for highways, roads and public transportation to support this growth.

Major transportation projects such as replacement of the SR 520 Bridge are under construction but are still only partially funded.  Long overdue projects aimed at easing traffic congestion and moving freight through the state remain on the drawing board due to a lack of funding.  Bridges, as we saw dramatically in the news, are structurally deficient and in need of repair.  

King County METRO and other transit agencies in the region have already cut bus service and additional large cuts are looming, impacting those dependent on public transportation for jobs, education, and medical services.  Missing or unsafe sidewalks and bicycle lanes make it difficult for children to get to school safely and bicyclists to commute to work.  

The $9.5 billion, 12-year Transportation Investment Package proposed by House Transportation Chair Judy Clibborn makes a significant down payment to address this growing problem.  For Redmond, this package is absolutely necessary and worthy of support.  We are working with lawmakers to ensure investments in SR 520 east of Interstate 405 are part of the package so that traffic can move freely along this corridor and through major interchanges.  Redmond would receive more than $2.2 million over 12 years to help maintain our roads and bridges.  Local jurisdictions would be able to generate revenue to avert significant transit service cuts that will happen in 2014 without additional funding. 

Our transportation system is the lifeblood of our economy.  We must make a down payment today to maintain and repair critical infrastructure, move people and goods, grow jobs and the economy, and retain the quality of life that makes our region such a special place to live. 

We are counting on our elected officials in Olympia to choose to act NOW, in this Special Session of the Legislature, to adopt a Transportation Investment Package.  Please urge your legislator to invest in our transportation system NOW.

Let’s get this done.