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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What's New

Facts show public transit is not underfunded

February 7, 2012 in Blog

Erica Barnett from Publicola, who ignored the release of my original report until the Transportation Choices Coalition (TCC) responded to it, plugs the TCC rebuttal in her own post. Despite the obvious mistakes made by TCC, she buys their rebuttal, and adds a few of her own.

The facts continue to show public transit is not underfunded in Washington State.

Public Transit funding is over $2 billion per year, yet only carries 2.4% of all trips

February 7, 2012 in Blog

Andrew Austin at the Transportation Choices Coalition responds to my recent study that shows public transit is not underfunded in Washington State. Austin takes the opposite approach and claims transit is underfunded and that agencies need even MORE public subsidies, this time from the state.

WPC’s Recommendations on the State’s 2012 Transportation Tax Package, Part III

February 6, 2012 in Publications
By

Michael Ennis, Director, Center for Transportation

, February, 2012

This is part three of a five-part series of Legislative Memos that Washington Policy Center offers for lawmakers to consider before preparing a statewide transportation tax increase in 2012. The five recommendations are:

Time to Make Sound Transit Officials Accountable through a Directly Elected Board of Directors

February 6, 2012 in Blog
Do you know who runs Sound Transit?
Sound Transit officials spend about $1 million per day in public money, yet their leadership is not accountable to the public because they are not directly elected to their positions. They are appointed.

Time to make Sound Transit officials accountable through elected board

February 3, 2012 in In the News
Auburn Reporter
Source: 
Auburn Reporter
Date: 
Friday, February 3, 2012
Link: 
http://www.auburn-reporter.com/opinion/138659754.html

Time to Make Sound Transit Officials Accountable through a Directly Elected Board of Directors

February 3, 2012 in Publications
By

Michael Ennis, Director, Center for Transportation

, February, 2012

Do you know who runs Sound Transit?

Sound Transit officials spend about $1 million per day in public money, yet their leadership is not accountable to the public because they are not directly elected to their positions. They are appointed.

Sound Transit is led by an 18-member board of directors. They include local and state officials and, with the exception of the Washington State Department of Transportation Secretary, they are all elected to offices from other local governments like cities and counties.

$1.50 Oil Barrel Tax probably dead

February 2, 2012 in Blog

Is the Governor’s proposed oil barrel tax dead? Senator Mary Margaret Haugen, Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee thinks it is.

During her remarks this morning at the Washington State Good Roads and Transportation Association in Olympia, Sen. Haugen bucked most in her party who think the charge is a fee and said she believes it is actually a tax.

She also said it will be challenged on the floor and based on Lt. Governor Brad Owen’s past rulings on tax vs. fee issues, he will likely also rule the $1.50 charge is a tax.

Public Transit is not underfunded in Washington

January 31, 2012 in Blog

The following are the key findings in our latest study, and the most recent report in WPC’s five part series looking at the 2012 transportation funding plan.

WPC’s Recommendations on the State’s 2012 Transportation Tax Package, Part II

January 30, 2012 in Publications
By

Michael Ennis, Director, Center for Transportation

, January, 2012

This is part two of a five-part series of Legislative Memos that Washington Policy Center offers for lawmakers to consider before preparing a statewide transportation tax increase in 2012. The five recommendations are:

Sound Transit performance audit awarded to TKW

January 26, 2012 in Blog

The State Auditor's Office has selected Talbot, Korvola & Warwick, LLP (TKW), in conjunction with Delcan Corporation to conduct the performance audit of Sound Transit.

In its proposal, the company says its approach will include the following scope of questions:

1. Has Sound Transit implemented the State Auditor’s recommendations from the prior performance audit in time to benefit Sound Transit 2, which was approved by voters on November 4, 2008? If not, how was ST2 affected?