First, I feel that this particular survey was manipulative in that we all know it is not a question of either/or in funding mechanism. The WSTC and WA State Legislature need to figure out a formulae that will 1) continue the gas tax at a certain level, and 2) add a use tax that allows for an incentive for efficient vehicles. It is your job to do this. How many surveys do you need? I hope you are not thinking that this is a form of public education. Find another venue for that. Second, I risk my life every work day riding my bicycle across the Ballard Bridge to work. This infrastructure, and others like it in Washington State, represent key strategic opportunities to massively increase bicycle ridership and decrease the choke hold of our reliance on single occupancy vehicles. Ballard has received a massive amount of urban growth. Developers have not put forth requisite dollars to help with infrastructure. Our transportation funding has not kept up at all. It is dangerous for trucks, cars, bicyclists and pedestrians. WSTC can help by partnering with local jurisdictions on these types of strategic urban choke points and working with SDOT etc to find other (federal/grants) funding sources to apply to these multi-billion dollar improvements. Our local jurisdictions cannot do it alone. I speak for more than Seattle. Its true in the cities of Puget Sound, for Vancouver, WA, Blaine and Bellingham, Wenachee and Ellensburg, Spokane and Pullman. We all need the State to hone in on strategic, big ticket improvements that will help us in our ability to become better cities with lower carbon footprints and strong economic engines. Be of service as a partnering entity this way, please. Finally, I fully expect you to exert your leadership and come out with a reasonable funding plan that uses both gas and use tax. You know what you need to do. Your technical people are right. Just do it.
Posted on: Sat, 08 Nov 2014 16:20:55 +0000
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