Yesterday, with a bipartisan 20-10 vote, the
House Transportation Committee passed their budget that was rolled
out late last week.
The $8.4 billion budget allocates $4.9 billion for existing capital projects, and $3.5 billion for operating programs. The sum
represents a decline of about $1.4 billion from the previous biennial
transportation budget, primarily due to declining revenue from the state’s gas
tax.
Some highlights include: stabilizing the Washington State
Patrol, Washington Ferry System, and Department of Transportation budgets;
funding the continued construction of the SR 99 Tunnel, 520 floating bridge,
I-90 improvements and North Spokane Corridor expansion; and implementing
efficiencies to make transportation dollars go further. A full summary is
available here.
House Democrats acknowledge that this budget is only a
stopgap measure to fund our transportation system for the next two years. Both
Transportation Chair Judy Clibborn and Vice-Chair Marko Liias
pointed out that additional revenue will be necessary before the
next biennial budget in order to prevent gridlock and agency shortfalls.
The budget, House
Bill 1864, will go to the Rules Committee and then proceed to the floor of
the House for a vote by the full chamber. The Senate has released their own
version, but the differences are small and are expected to be resolved when the
two bodies conference.
