Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - December 14, 1998
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Locke proposes $2.9 billion transportation budget to fight highway traffic

FEDERAL WAY— Too many working people spend far too many hours on the freeway rather than at home with their families, Gov. Gary Locke said today in a news conference here announcing his transportation budget for the 1999-2001 biennium.

In recent years, traffic problems have grown so severe in many portions of Washington that the Seattle-Everett area now has the distinction of being the highest-ranked large urban area for the number of hours commuters are delayed in traffic. Puget Sound commuters now spend almost two weeks a year stuck in traffic, while drivers in other areas of the state follow closely behind.

The governor's transportation package will focus on several key areas around the state that have significant bottlenecks, or severe stop-and-go traffic.

"My transportation plan will help move Washington drivers into the fast lane," Locke said. "With the passage of Referendum 49, we have an opportunity to address urban congestion by directing new revenues to projects that will produce benefits within the next two years."

The governor's six-year transportation plan funds a total of $1.25 billion for congestion relief corridors in the most congested urban areas, additional high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes to improve traffic flow on some of the state's busiest highways, and roving service patrols.

The governor's plan calls for $600 million for congestion relief corridors for vital urban areas and new alternative routes around choke points where additional capacity is not practical. A congestion relief account is created within the motor vehicle fund for the following projects:

* SR 18 (180th to Interstate 90) – SR 18 is a main commuter route and by-pass to I-5 in Federal Way and I-90 near North Bend. Begun in 1990, widening of the highway will continue from two to four lanes with additional funding. A median between east- and west-bound lanes is funded to increase safety. On- and off-ramps will replace intersections at 256th Avenue SE and 244th Avenue SE.

* SR 509 (I-5 to South 188th) – This project improves regional highway connections by completing the SR 509 and I-5 link in southwest King County. The project allows trucks and other traffic the option of using SR 509 instead of I-5 from downtown Seattle to the Midway area, alleviating much of the congestion in the Southcenter area. The project also enhances southern access to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

* SR 525 (I-5 to Paine Field Boulevard) – To better accommodate traffic demands caused by population and employment growth, this project widens SR 525 and constructs an interchange at SR 99. Adding capacity on the Mukilteo Speedway enhances access to the ferry terminal and the Boeing Paine Field complex.

* SR 522 (SR 9 to SR 2) – To improve capacity and decrease the accident rate on SR 522, this project will widen SR 522 from a two-lane undivided highway to a four-lane divided highway from the SR 9 interchange to Monroe. This project provides a link from the Seattle area to SR 2, a major east-west corridor that provides access to the North Central region of Washington, bypassing I-5 North to Everett.

* SR 395 (North Spokane Freeway) – The North Spokane Freeway project completes a critical link from 1-90 to US 395. The improvements provide a limited access highway, unimpeded by stoplights, that provides access to US 395, the major Eastern Washington border crossing into Canada.

* SR 539 (Horton to International Boundary) – SR 539, the Guide Meridian Highway, runs due north 15 miles from Bellingham through the city of Lynden to the Canadian border. This project widens almost 10 miles of SR 539 to a four-lane highway, creating a reasonable alternative to the already overcrowded crossing in Blaine.

Locke's proposal provides $650 million over the next six years to increase carrying capacity by constructing additional HOV lanes on some of the state's busiest highways. This funding is critical for the success of Sound Transit's Regional Express bus component, which will benefit from 100 near-continuous miles of HOV lanes on the state system. Additionally, Sound Transit is partnering with the state to fund direct access ramps to these lanes, which will ensure reliable trip times for transit commuters.

Because disabled cars exacerbate peak hour traffic, the governor's plan also provides funding for roving service patrols. These roving patrols will respond quickly to highway incidents and will remove disabled vehicles that disrupt traffic.

In addition to funding aimed at relieving congestion, $340 million is provided for freight mobility projects, which will ensure efficient movement of agricultural commodities to ports.

Because transportation infrastructure is key to attracting and maintaining businesses in rural areas, the governor provides $30 million from federal transportation dollars for transportation improvements to support rural economic development.

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