With a week left in Washington’s legislative session, transportation proposals in the House and Senate remain about $4 billion apart in taxing authority for Sound Transit.
Gov. Jay Inslee joined King County Executive Dow Constantine and other leaders on Friday at University of Washington station, the region’s newest light rail stop, to make a plea for lawmakers to include the full $15 billion in funding authority.
That’s how much Sound Transit says it wants to send to voters in 2016 to fund light rail expansions through Puget Sound, building tracks to Everett, Tacoma and beyond.
But it’s a number some lawmakers are hung up on as the Legislature tries for a third year to pass a major transportation package. The Democrat-led House proposal includes the full $15 billion, but the GOP-controlled Senate proposal has $11 billion in funding authority.
Sound Transit chair Constantine says $11 billion is not enough. Washington needs light rail to ease congestion on state roads – like the backup caused by an overturned truck full of bees early Friday morning.
“Most of us have to plan for a whole bunch of extra wasted time just in case the bridge is backed up, just in case there’s an accident,” he said. “That is very bad for people’s productivity, less time with you family, less time earning money.”
Both the House and Senate have agreed on a 16-year, $15 billion transportation plan to pay for highway, road and bridge projects funded through an 11.7-cent gas tax increase over the next three years. Lawmakers have until Sunday, the last day in the regular session, to pass the plan unless there’s a special session.