Transportation

Because being there is what's most important, WPC's Center for Transportation researches and analyzes the best practices for relieving traffic congestion by recapturing a vision of a system based on freedom of movement.

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Transportation Blog

Washington's support of Amtrak is unfair and harms private intercity transit companies

May 1, 2012 in Blog

Yet another reason why high-speed rail and Amtrak should not receive public subsidies...with BoltBus, a private intercity charter bus company, Washington's public subsidies to Amtrak create an unlevel playing field and place private companies that provide the same service at a competitive disadvantage.

According to the Seattle Times,

Vancouver voters deserve the light-rail vote they were promised

April 30, 2012 in Blog

If anyone had any doubt why light rail to Vancouver is so controversial, look no further than what the city of Vancouver tried to do.

In November 2011, voters approved Proposition 1, which raised the sales tax rate in the Clark County region by 0.2 percent. C-Tran officials promised voters then that the new revenue would raise between $8 million and $9 million per year, and they would use this new money to preserve the existing bus system and prevent further service cuts.

State lawmakers raise more fees paid by drivers

April 24, 2012 in Blog

The legislature did not pass a comprehensive transportation funding package this year, but they did approve two bills that raise several transportation-related fees, SB 6150 and HB 2660. The new fees are listed below. Notice the fees are paid by a single user group, drivers. In fact, drivers fund most of Washington's entire transportation budget. 

Metro officials may go back on their promise to eliminate ride-free zone

April 12, 2012 in Blog

Last year, King County Councilmembers raised car tab taxes by $20 per vehicle to further subsidize mass transit. In exchange, officials promised to eliminate the ride-free program in downtown Seattle. This program cost taxpayers about $2 million per year.

WA public transit agencies spent $12.6 billion in last five years

April 12, 2012 in Blog

King County Executive Dow Constantine wants drivers to pay even higher taxes and fees to not only reinvest in the roads they drive on, but to also subsidize mass transit.

In a statement released yesterday, Constantine says the following,

"Despite having the votes and bipartisan support for 'local-option' bills to allow counties to ask voters for desperately-needed transit and road revenues, lawmakers failed to bring those bills to the floor.

First Hill Streetcar more expensive than buses

April 11, 2012 in Blog

Seattle Times reporter Mike Lindblom has a good article today about Seattle's First Hill Streetcar. It is worth reading for the history on how Sound Transit officials first promised voters in 1996 to connect the area with light rail. Then cancelled the deal in 2005, offered a streetcar line instead, and funded it a second time through Sound Transit's expansion measure in 2008. Read the full article here.

Seattle Mayor: Traffic is a 'fact of life' and it is 'a good thing'

April 5, 2012 in Blog

The Seattle Mariners are a major employer in downtown and they put city officials on notice that their customers’ #1 complaint is traffic jams.  But the mayor seems indifferent to it all. In an interview yesterday on the 710 KIRO’s Kevin Calabro show, Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn made the following comment,

Seattle's war on cars forces Mariners to speak out

April 4, 2012 in Blog

The Seattle Mariners and the Port of Seattle recently sent letters to the City of Seattle expressing parking and traffic concerns about locating a new sports arena south of downtown (SODO). The Seattle Times has links to both letters in a recent article here.

This morning, Mariners' President and CEO Chuck Armstrong spoke at a breakfast and KIRO Radio played a segment where he said, (KIRO Radio, about 31 min. mark):

WPC's Transportation Lunch set for May 3rd, featuring presentations on Smart Growth and 520 tolls

April 4, 2012 in Blog

Wendell Cox will keynote WPC's 2012 Transportation Lunch in Bellevue. Cox is an internationally recognized expert specializing in land use, transportation and urban policies. His presentation will focus on the role that "smart growth" policies play in affordable housing, traffic congestion, land use, mobility and transportation planning.

The lunch program will also include a quantitative update from WSDOT Tolling Division Manager Craig Stone, on SR-520 performance and driver behavior since tolling began in January.

Criticizing Sound Transit or light rail is not the same as criticizing voters

April 3, 2012 in Blog

It is easy to criticize Sound Transit officials because their record of performance on light rail is so poor. But does opposition to light rail disparage voters because voters have twice approved Sound Transit’s plans?

Former Congressman Jay Inslee thinks it does and recently criticized Attorney General Rob McKenna (both are candidates for Governor) over remarks Mckenna made expressing his long held skepticism over Sound Transit’s light rail plans.