Resolution 5229 - Laserfiche WebLink

WHEREAS, given this growing level of traffic backup—particularly in Everett, Snohomish County,the Puget Sound region as a whole,and the state overall—a significant commitment to capital investment by the state is clearly necessary; and WHEREAS,the need for state investment was borne out by the two-year review of a Blue Ribbon Commission on Transportation,that identified between$50 billion and $150 billion in unfunded transportation needs in the State of Washington that cannot be addressed without new state revenue; and WHEREAS,desjpite the growing capital needs, state revenues for transportation have either remained stagnant or in some cases decreased, as illustrated by a state gas tax that has stayed at 23 cents for more than a decade and a Motor Vehicle Excise Tax(MVET)that was reduced by $750 million a year by recent voter-approved initiatives;and WHEREAS,Everett partnered in 2002 with Snohomish County,the private-sector Snohomish County Committee for Improved Transportation(SCCIT),The Boeing Co.,other business organizations, labor groups,environmental groups,other governmental agencies, and interested citizens, in urging the Legislature to take bold action to tackle the transportation crisis in the Puget Sound region and across the state; and WHEREAS,Everett requested any state transportation package include project funding for the following: I-5 HOV lane improvements,I-5 auxiliary lanes between 41s`St and SR 2, and I- 5/41S` Street interchange upgrades;Bothell-Everett Highway improvements between 112th and 132nd streets; freight mobility enhancements to the 41s`Overcrossing/Lowell Neighborhood Bypass and East Marine View Drive projects; commuter rail track improvements between Seattle and Everett; assistance for transit; State Route 96(1286/132"d Street) improvements in Snohomish County just outside of Everett; and programmatic funding for a)cities and counties to receive a local share of new gas tax revenue;b)the Transportation Improvement Board; and c) the Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board;and WHEREAS,Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6347,the transportation budget and investment package passed by the Legislature and placed on the November 5 general election ballot as Referendum Bill No. 51, includes funding for all of the aforementioned Everett and Snohomish County project and program priorities; and WHEREAS,Referendum Bill No. 51 further contains efficiencies, reforms, and accountability measures, in an effort to respond to the public's legitimate concern that taxpayer money should be wisely spent,tracked, and responsibly measured over time for results; and WHEREAS,Referendum Bill No. 51 is largely financed through user fees,meaning those who drive cars and trucks on the system, and those who buy new or used automobiles that add to the number of vehicles on our roads and highways,are the ones who pay for the improvements through gas taxes,a gross-weight fee on trucks and large vehicles,and an auto sales tax surcharge; and WHEREAS,the Referendum Bill No. 51 is a$7.8 billion down-payment on traffic congestion problems, bottlenecks, and transportation infrastructure that is more expensive to our region NOT to make than it is to go ahead with its implementation. 2