Highways

Declining state transportation revenue and increased project costs are on a collision course. Long-promised highway projects, court-ordered fish culvert removal, and badly needed investments in transit, active transportation, and traffic safety are all fighting for a shrinking pie.

Washington State could be set to pay a significant price for decades of underinvesting in basic maintenance of the state transportation system, outgoing WSDOT head Roger Millar said.

Washington State's transportation chief Roger Millar is out after eight years, as Governor-elect Bob Ferguson prepares to take office. Widely recognized as a leader in progressive transportation policy, Millar will be tough to replace.

Proponents of a $7.5 billion project to widen I-5 and replace the Columbia River bridge are ignoring induced demand, creating faulty traffic models that obscure its real environmental impact.

The yearslong project to transform the area around SR 520 in Montlake is finally set to open this fall, including several exciting bike and pedestrian facilities.

WSDOT Secretary Roger Millar is asking for a dedicated funding source to fix the most dangerous state highways in Washington, laying down a $150 million per year benchmark.

SDOT seems to assume Aurora Avenue cannot accommodate pedestrians, bicyclists, transit, cars, and freight simultaneously, but this design proposal that will do just that. In the process, it'd make the deadly corridor much safer for all users.

A citywide coalition has proposed a $40 million package to advance ongoing projects like designing I-5 lids in multiple neighborhoods (supporting new street connections, parks, and affordable housing), remaking Aurora Avenue for safer crossings, and reconnecting the Duwamish Valley community around SR 99.