The Washington state Senate is to be commended for advancing a bipartisan transportation package that makes significant improvements to our freight and commerce infrastructure.
As the country’s most trade-dependent state, Washington’s prosperity depends upon our continuing to invest deeply in transportation infrastructure that keeps our freight and commerce flowing and our travelers safe.
The Senate rose to the occasion by proposing the largest transportation initiative in our state’s history. The 16-year, $15 billion initiative is funded by a proposed 11.7-cent fuel tax and user fees. It also proposes certain reforms, including deterring the Governor from making unilateral decisions on climate and carbon and eliminating sales tax on state-funded construction projects.
The House is now picking up the conversation with late-March hearings. We encourage our local delegation in the House to embrace this discussion in the same bipartisan manner.
Deliberation is far from complete, but Southwest Washington has fared well so far. Setting aside a handful of megaprojects with far reaching impact, Southwest Washington stands to benefit from more than 10 percent of the $1.5 billion in additional projects specifically listed for funding. By comparison, Southwest Washington comprises less than 10 percent of the state’s population.
Projects included in the Senate package improve freight and commerce corridors and open additional land for jobs and industry throughout Southwest Washington. This includes vital access in and out of the region’s three ports in Vancouver, Ridgefield and Camas-Washougal, along with improving traffic flow along high-traffic corridors of Interstate 5 and State Route 14.
Our regional projects have been vetted thoroughly by the Regional Transportation Council and other authorities. They are among the priorities of the Clark County Transportation Alliance, a coalition of agencies, governments and organizations. And, they are all considered priorities of the Southwest Freight and Commerce Task Force (SW FACT), a coalition of private companies and organizations advocating for improved freight and commerce mobility.
Infrastructure that improves freight and commerce flow and access to industrial development doesn’t cost – it pays. That’s why transportation improvements commonly earn broad bipartisan support.
What about the I-5 Bridge?
Certainly, the decrepit Interstate Bridge is our region’s most problematic transportation bottleneck.
We remain hopeful that the final transportation package will include language that begins a new discussion with the state of Oregon about replacing the I-5 Bridge – a critical link in our transportation system and central to our economic vitality.
To be sure, much was invested and much was learned from work on the Columbia River Crossing that will inform future planning. Nevertheless, a new conversation is necessary because projects of this magnitude require broad regional consensus among our elected officials through negotiations and compromises. It won’t happen any other way.
A new path forward will require conversation with no preconceived outcomes. It will require involvement with our neighbors south of the river. Most importantly, it will take political courage and commitment to rise above the bitter recent past. Business and community leaders should expect nothing less from each member of our political delegation.
The transportation package currently under consideration should not be viewed as the last transportation package we’ll experience over its 16-year life. Future transportation packages almost assuredly will be required for additional capacity and maintenance. They may, however, be funded with a different approach such as vehicle miles traveled instead of a gas tax. We welcome such possibilities.
For now, we implore our regional delegation to embrace the proposed transportation package and press hard for critically important projects in Southwest Washington. Meanwhile, let’s see to it that our elected officials achieve a consensus plan for a practical I-5 Bridge replacement the next time a transportation initiative arises.
John McKibbin is the executive director for Identity Clark County. Ron Arp is a coordinator for the Southwest Washington Freight and Commerce Task Force.
