Regional Transportation Reform
#2157: Regional Transportation Reform (2005)
Regional transportation reform.
Supported by Sierra Club (2 points).
Passed House, died in Senate.
Several years ago, the legislature authorized larger counties to develop their own regional transportation projects and to raise the revenue to pay for them. In the past couple of years, King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties have tried to put together a regional transportation package that would go to the ballot for voters' consideration. They were unsuccessful, in large part because the enabling legislation forced a heavy reliance on new highways. House Bill 2157 would have given local governments the flexibility they needed (and requested) to develop a more balanced regional package focused on moving people and goods, not just cars.
The bill had strong bipartisan support in the House, but ran into trouble in the Senate where some key suburban Republicans cling to the notion that regional transportation packages should focus on new road construction. That idea is a holdover from former Sen. Jim Horn. Sen. Horn was an architect of the original regional bill when he chaired the Senate Highways and Transportation Committee until he lost his re-election bid in 2004.
This bill was also less of a priority for the Senate in general, as they focused on passing the transportation revenue package.
Representatives Murray and Simpson.
Senator Esser actively worked against it, helping prevent it from coming up for a vote.