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

Voters Deserve the Light Rail Vote They Were Promised

May 1, 2012 in Publications
By

Michael Ennis, Director, Center for Transportation

, April, 2012

The Columbian published this column on April 29, 2012.

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.

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.

Voters deserve the light-rail vote they were promised

April 30, 2012 in In the News
The Columbian (Vancouver)
Source: 
The Columbian (Vancouver)
Date: 
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Link: 
http://www.columbian.com/news/2012/apr/29/voters-deserve-the-light-rail-vote-they-were-promi/

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.