During a recent meeting of the Joint Transportation Committee (JTC), government officials and advocates highlighted a continuing crisis in Washington’s road maintenance. The state’s cities face a $1 billion annual shortfall in road preservation, an issue spotlighted nearly two years ago and still unresolved.
Washington’s 281 cities, home to 65 percent of the state’s population, manage 25,000 miles of roads and 750 bridges, accounting for 26 percent of all statewide travel lanes. Funding for road maintenance and improvements predominantly comes from local sources, which provide 79 percent of city transportation spending, supplemented by 13 percent from the state and eight percent from federal funds.
City officials are advocating for expanded local revenue options and additional state funding through a new transportation package. Candice Bock, Government Relations Director at the Association of Washington Cities, emphasized the difficulty of funding transportation due to competing budget needs.
She noted that maintaining infrastructure to keep pace with population growth intensifies the challenge, as costs skyrocket in urban areas due to associated utility infrastructure needs.
Local Efforts and Statewide Implications
Tacoma City Councilmember Kristina Walker pointed out that Tacoma alone has a $348 million shortfall in deferred road maintenance. She described the $17.5 million generated locally for transportation as “a drop in the bucket” compared to the actual needs. Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle expressed similar concerns, citing a backlog exacerbated by funding uncertainties during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cities like Vancouver fund local transportation through various means, including state real estate excise taxes, transportation benefit districts, impact fees, and business license surcharges. However, even with these sources, significant projects like expanding Tacoma’s local multimodal system could take up to 140 years at the current funding rate.
Legislative Response and Future Prospects
The discussion also touched on recent legislative efforts, such as HB 2804, which aimed to increase state contributions to the Local Revitalization Financing program but failed to pass. In contrast, HB 1137, promoting resilience in state transportation policy goals, was successfully signed into law by Governor Jay Inslee.
As Washington looks forward to a new transportation package, local leaders hope it will include dedicated funding for maintenance and address major projects like replacing the I-5 Bridge connecting Vancouver to Portland. This package is crucial for meeting both local priorities and improving the state’s transportation infrastructure resilience.