Freedom of Movement

Freedom of Movement

Congestion relief is not a priority in Washington state.  This was confirmed by the Washington State Auditor and other studies show traffic will double in the next twenty years. This should concern every working mom and dad who worries about being home in time for dinner, for Boeing executives who need to move airplane parts around the region, and for the freight industry that needs to get goods to market.

The Center for Transportation at Washington Policy Center researches and analyzes the best practices for relieving traffic congestion by recapturing a vision of a system based on freedom of movement. It provides policymakers, citizens and the media with access to current research on transportation issues through in-depth studies, regular op-eds, issue forums and legislative testimony. It has been featured in numerous news outlets around the state and across the country, including The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg News, Investor’s Business Daily and CNN.  Please join our mailing list or consider supporting Washington Policy Center to help us deliver more research and more outreach.

Featured Transportation Articles

Accountability

More fallout from the SAO audit of Sound Transit
In more fallout from the State Auditor's decision to investigate Sound Transit, Federal Way Mayor Skip Priest issued a press release applauding the audit and asking his own questions.
more...
State Auditor agrees to investigate Sound Transit’s (problematic) forecasts
In 2010, I wrote how the Puget Sound Regional Council’s (PSRC) Transportation 2040 plan estimated passenger rail would carry half of what Sound Transit officials promised voters in their 2008 ballot...
more...
Half way through 2011, light rail ridership is only 35% of annual projection
Sound Transit officials just released their 2nd Quarter Ridership Report and once again, fewer people are using light rail than what officials estimated.  Officials projected Central Link Light...
more...

Mobility

Seattle is the Most Congested City in America
Puget Sound Business Journal published this op-ed on March 5, 2010. In a recent study released by a national company that uses travel and speed data from its GPS customers to measure traffic, Seattle...
more...
Over objections from Port and Mariners, Seattle poised for MOU on new arena
City officials are moving forward with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on building the arena at the SODO location, prior to any analysis being completed. By contrast, the Mariners were required...
more...
Senate Transportation leaders move to add congestion relief as a goal in Washington
The idea that congestion relief is not a goal in Washington state is absurd but it may soon change.  In a significant development, Senate transportation leaders have proposed an amendment to HB...
more...

Priorities

How Public Officials Spend Our Transportation Taxes: Distribution of Road and Transit Taxes Collected in the Central Puget Sound Region
Have you ever wondered how much of your transportation tax money pays for that Metro bus you always see on the road? Or how much of it funds light rail as opposed to roads and bridges? New research...
more...
Fixing transportation: Pimp my bus with 'wood grain panels, rims and a hot driver'
For an uninspiring look at how some of our “local transportation thinkers“ would spend a blank check, read this Seattle Magazine article, which asks: “If money were no object, what single thing would...
more...
Public Transit is not underfunded in Washington
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.
more...

Solutions

5 Principles of Responsible Transportation Policy (2009)
Washington Policy Center encourages five principles of responsible transportation policy to help guide policymakers in returning to a system that provides for people’s freedom of movement.
more...
A Roadmap for Mobility: Recommendations On a Responsible Transportation Funding Plan for Washington State
Taxes and fees paid by drivers should not subsidize other modes of transportation Do not create a state-level tax or fee to fund local transit agencies Stop diverting existing transportation taxes...
more...
Remember Seattle, Cars are not the problem
There is a fascinating post on the Capitol Hill Seattle Blog that looks at when and where electric car charging stations are popping up in Seattle. It is defined by the number of charger permits...
more...