Supplemental transportation budget lacks commitment to new Columbia River crossing; Benton votes no

February 27, 2008

OLYMPIA…Sen. Don Benton, R-Vancouver, today voted against the 2008 supplemental transportation budget for several reasons – most notably because of the defeat of his amendment to ensure the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) continues to study a new corridor across the Columbia River for Clark County residents stuck in the current crossing’s gridlock. 

“All I asked was that this idea continue right along with the study of a new I-5 bridge,” Benton said. “If it gets shelved now, people will stop talking about it; and when people stop talking about an idea, it dies. This would be a critical mistake; we will not get meaningful congestion relief without a new crossing.” 

An amendment Benton supported that was shot down by the majority Democrats would have invested in widening a deadly highway over Stevens Pass that citizens use to get to Eastern Washington when Snoqualmie Pass is closed and to reach the winter recreation areas on the pass. 

A total of 47 people have lost their lives on this nine-mile stretch of two-lane roadway since 1999. 

“I want to make sure we understand what the amendment is before us,” Benton told his colleagues during debate. “A ‘yes’ vote means you want to spend some money to save lives on Highway 2; a ‘no’ vote means you’d rather build a siding for a railway.” 

The amendment would have provided $12.9 million toward widening U.S. 2 to four lanes between Snohomish and Monroe. The budget, as passed, leaves those funds in the multimodal account previously designated for a rail siding upgrade project in Stanwood. 

Benton also offered an amendment that would have saved state dollars needed for federal matching funds, and an amendment that would have deleted $2 million for a new WSDOT employee to study per vehicle miles traveled. 

“The average per vehicle miles traveled in the state is essentially unchanged since 1950,” Benton said. “The cumulative vehicle miles traveled has increased, yes, but that’s because our population has increased. We don’t need to spend $2 million to tell us what we already know.” 

The third amendment Benton sponsored would have eliminated the use of “toll credits” to help Kitsap County get federal matching dollars for passenger-only ferry service.

The federal Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act (SAFETEA) provides states with increased flexibility to use tolling, not only to manage congestion, but also to finance infrastructure improvements. SAFETEA permits toll credits to be earned for toll revenues

“Toll credits aren’t real money, but they act as cash to get federal grants,” Benton explained. “The state is no longer in the passenger-only ferry service. We should be saving these toll credits to get federal funds for road and bridge projects.” 

Although Benton used his vote to make points he believed needed to be made, he also knew the budget would pass. 

“Clark County road projects in the original transportation budget approved last year were never at risk,” Benton said. 

- 30 -

Additional contact: Penny Drost at (360) 786-7522 or drost.penny@leg.wa.gov