Democrats In WA Legislature Seal Deal For Big New Transportation Package
Listen
Read
Democrats who control the Washington Legislature have sealed a deal to raise and spend nearly $17 billion over the next 16 years on transportation projects. This steers money into everything from highway widening, transit and new ferries, to high speed rail and bike trails.
Democratic Washington legislators variously called the big new transportation infrastructure package “landmark” and “transformative.” Without Republican input, they stitched together new money coming from the feds, new fees on industry for climate pollution, higher fees for vehicle and driver licensing, and grabbed some of the surplus in the state’s general treasury. Prime author Sen. Marco Liias says it’s also noteworthy what’s not on the list.
“I made a promise to my constituents that we weren’t going to raise gas taxes in this difficult moment,” Liias said.
The biggest single highway project on the spending list is one billion dollars for Washington’s share of a replacement Interstate 5 bridge over the Columbia River into Portland. The package also allows youth under 18 to ride buses, trains and ferries fare free statewide.
Related Stories:
Feds update Columbia River Treaty flood risk management
Grand Coulee Dam in eastern Washington. Changes to the Columbia River Treaty could mean more flood risk management is controlled at the dam. (Credit: Shutterbug Fotos / Flickr Creative Commons)
Tri-Cities forum draws support for Lower Snake River dams
At a Lower Snake River dams forum in the Tri-Cities, Chuck Bender, who said his family members are tugboat operators, fell to his knees in front of U.S. Rep. Dan
A Journey Delayed — Sea-Tac airport flights delayed, canceled after 737 MAX 9 grounding
The ticketing counter, bag drop, and agent stations for Alaska Airlines at Sea-Tac International Airport were busy but not crowded late Tuesday morning. Some passengers moved through the lines and onto security, others stood against the wall opposite Alaska’s blue and green signs, with their bags sitting closely next to them, scrolling through phones, waiting for a journey, delayed.
On Tuesday, FlightAware reported over 60 cancellations and over 140 delays at the airport, the majority of which were Alaska Airlines flights.
