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Eastside state representatives vote no on 520 tolling legislation
Reps. Eddy and Hunter say legislation does not address key issues related to funding, process or Eastside projects For immediate release April 17, 2009 OLYMPIA – The Legislature today narrowly approved HB 2211 which authorizes early tolls to finance the SR 520 floating bridge and gives the Washington State Department of Transportation authority to spend…
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Sad duty
This week all six legislators from the 45th and 48th districts sent a formal letter to the chair of the Transportation Commission asking that the NE 116th Street Bridge over Interstate 405 be renamed the “Kollin Nielson Memorial Bridge.” Kollin Nielson was a Project Engineer with the Kiewit Pacific Construction Company when he tragically lost…
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Tolling 520
One of the issues that must be resolved this year is a plan to generate enough money to pay for the SR 520 bridge replacement project. There is no way to do this without tolling the 520 bridge. I am unhappy about this, but it is a reality we must deal with. It’s a complex…
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WSDOT Awards SR 520 Widening Contract in Redmond!
Here’s a press release from WSDOT on the 520 project in Redmond. This is a great thing, as is the inclusion of the 36th street bridge over 520 in Redmond, adding another crossing and exit off the freeway, further reducing traffic congestion in Redmond. REDMOND — Relief is in sight for commuters stuck in daily…
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Urban Legends – Emissions based on engine displacement
In 2006 a senator introduced a bill (SB 6900) that would have charged a vehicle registration fee every year based on the size of your engine and not on the use of the vehicle. The bill did not receive a hearing, did not come up for a vote, and never passed. It does not even…
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Viaduct Proposal – Deep Bored Tunnel
Governor Gregoire announced a proposed solution to the viaduct problem today, and I think she’s got the best of a bad bunch. Click here for her press release. She proposes building a “deep-bored” tunnel under Seattle. I’ve tried to stay out of Seattle’s design decisions because that keeps their members from messing around in Eastside…
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2009 Legislative Agenda
This year will be particularly difficult due to the national economic disaster. Unlike the federal government, Washington is required to have a balanced budget. Our budget situation is dire, and will require dramatic measures. I try to be organized about how I approach a legislative session, particularly one as difficult as this is likely to…