ROADS & TRANSIT
THE NEWS TRIBUNE
Transportation budget: There is a $500 million shortfall in the 2009-11 budget, and several projects in Pierce County are at risk of being delayed to death, including car-pool lanes on Interstate 5 from the Tacoma Mall to Fife and property purchases for the eventual extension of Highway 167 from the Port of Tacoma to Puyallup. Part of budget discussion.
Toll surcharge: SB 5556 would prohibit District Court from reducing any of the $12 surcharge that is part of the $52 ticket for failing to pay a toll to cross the Tacoma Narrows bridge because the surcharge goes to help pay off the bridge. Senate passed, 42-3.
Vancouver-Portland transit: SB 5540 would allow Clark County and Vancouver to create a high-capacity transit taxing district similar to Sound Transit and impose a sales tax of 0.9 percent to help pay for light rail or buses over the Columbia River to Portland. Senate passed, 30-17.
Tacoma car-pool lanes: The governor delayed many of the car-pool lane projects on Interstate 5 between the Tacoma Mall and Fife in her transportation budget proposal, and they might not be built. The Pierce County delegation is trying to get some projects restored to their original timetable. Part of budget discussions.
Nalley Valley Viaduct: The governor signed into law HB 1978, the 2007-09 supplemental transportation budget that includes $70 million to put construction of the eastbound portion of the viaduct back on schedule in 2011-13, instead of being delayed by two years.
Narrows Bridge tolls: No decision has yet been made by the state transportation commission on whether to increase tolls or leave them at $2.75 for transponders and $4 for tollbooth for one more year. The Legislature has final say, anyway. Part of budget discussions.
Murray Morgan Bridge: Tacoma is trying to get the state to pony up an additional $25 million to the $40 million the state already has committed to replacing the bridge on East 11th Street. Part of budget discussions.
Tolls on Highway 167: The Port of Tacoma wants money to study the feasibility of collecting tolls to help pay for a future extension of Highway 167 from the port to the Puyallup River Bridge at Meridian, although tolling could be done all the way north to Interstate 405. Part of budget discussions.
Alaskan Way Viaduct: SB 5768 would authorize the state to pay $2.4 billion to bore a 1.7-mile tunnel under downtown Seattle to replace the elevated structure, part of a total $4.24 billion project that obliges Seattle to pay for seawall replacement and relocation of utilities. The bill also authorizes a study to see if tolling can raise an additional $400 million. Senate passed, 43-6.
Studded tire ban: SB 6066 would have banned the sale of all studded tires on Jan. 1, 2010, and banned their use by Jan. 1, 2014. Died in Senate Transportation Committee.
Narrows Bridge: SB 5795 would give the state Transportation Commission the authority to make sure toll money collected from bridge commuters is spent only on expenses directly related to bridge operations. Senate passed, 45-0.
Tolls on 520 and I-90 bridges: HB 2211 would impose a one-way toll on the Highway 520 bridge of no more than $3.25 before the new bridge is built and $3.80 afterward. It’s possible the I-90 bridge across Lake Washington could be tolled. If the state puts tolls on Highway 520 by October, the federal government is likely to pay for installation of tolling equipment. Part of transportation budget discussion.
Electric cars: HB 1481 would: give a sales tax break on the sale of electric vehicles, batteries and installation of infrastructure, such as charging outlets; tell the state to install charging stations at rest areas and fleet maintenance yards by the end of 2015; set a goal of 40 percent electric or biofuel vehicles in fleets for state and local governments by mid-2013; and have Pierce, King and Snohomish counties study how to set up a network for plug-in outlets in the region. House passed, 71-23.
new Narrows Bridge: HB 1463 would forgive the $40 million in sales tax that is owed on construction of the new bridge, slightly slowing the growth of tolls on the Tacoma bridge. House passed, 96-0, but not likely to win approval in the Senate.
Regional transportation: SB 6064 would allow creation of a board of elected officials in Pierce, King, Snohomish and Kitsap counties to made decisions on transportation projects in the Puget Sound region. Probably won’t advance beyond the hearing it got in Senate Transportation Committee, but you never know.
