Budget
In her January inaugural address, Governor Gregoire asked the Legislature to summon the courage and the spirit of sacrifice to confront the challenge of a generation, and that’s exactly what they did.
The responsible budget recently approved by the Legislature contains significant pain and sacrifice for Washingtonians. In the weeks, months and years to come, Washingtonians will feel the impacts of the hard decisions we were required to make after our mortgage and financial markets set off the deep national recession in which we find ourselves.
Even those programs and services left intact in this budget must adjust for significant reductions in “administrative” spending, which means there will be fewer people to deliver the services in their current forms.
We also prepared our state for a 21 st century economy — especially in the monumental steps we took to build a transportation system that will create thousands of jobs and help us emerge stronger from this recession. What we did is truly monumental — not just for the most-populated part of this state but for Washington’s economic future as a whole. The Legislature also moved forward on a long-range strategy to revitalize the ferry service by constructing new vessels while keeping fares affordable.
WSDOT is closely analyzing the budget to determine the reductions in service that will be required as a result of the spending reductions. We will provide this information to you as it comes available.
This year is all about austerity and sacrifice, but equally, it’s about wise and careful choices to ensure we come out of this recession strong. We appreciate your help as we work to ensure a solid foundation for our children and grandchildren.
Washington's Transportation Budget provides nearly $5.8 billion to WSDOT for the 2009-11 biennium . The budget includes a sizeable investment in transportation infrastructure during a time of immense financial challenges for our state. That funding will build much needed projects that will create and sustain jobs in the short term and help keep our people and goods moving as the economy recovers.
Program Savings and Efficiencies
The 09-11 Budget includes reductions for the department of almost $22 million. Savings highlights:
- Captures and implements line-by-line savings from the Governor-directed freezes (mostly operating programs)
- Requires that WSDOT identify operational savings and efficiencies of $6.7 million (programs I, P, H, and T)
- Additional savings assumed of about $21 million per biennium beyond the 2009-11 biennium equal to a total 5 percent reduction in operations spending
Highways
A top priority of the 09-11 budget was to maintain forward momentum
on mega projects and projects of regional significance, including:
- Tacoma I-5 HOV project
- SR 99/Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement
- SR 520 Bridge Replacement
- I-90/Snoqualmie Pass
- SR 395 North Spokane Corridor
- I-405 Corridor projects
The highway budget also addresses the highway maintenance. It' begins to restore our highway maintenance service levels in key areas like traffic sign and signals, pavements, bridges, and culverts. The budget restores funding for the low-cost enhancement projects that are delivered through our Traffic Operations programs
- Low-cost improvements made around the state
- low-cost but big impact for the travelling public
Ferries
The 09-11 budget includes funding to build four new ferry boats in the 2009-11 and 2011-13 biennia.
- First three vessels will be Island Home class (64-auto) ferry vessels
- Fourth will either be an Island Home class or a 144-auto ferry, depending on timing and availability of funds
- Budget begins funding for a fifth vessel (144-auto capacity) in subsequent biennia
The ferry system budget prioritizes vessels over terminal improvement projects. If federal funds are received, they may be used to replace the Anacortes ferry terminal. The Mukilteo terminal will be moved pending the results of environmental and archeological studies and the receipt of further federal funds.
The ferry budget provides $3.8 million to begin the process of developing and implementing a reservation system. The department will propose a system and implementation plan to the Joint Transportation Committee by November 2009.
Rail
The 09-11 budget maintains rail operating service levels. Because of a shift in bond capacity to the omnibus capital budget, the rail program is funded predominantly on a cash basis. This change requires delays in a number of projects, including:
- Kelso-Martin Bluff ($0 in 2009-11, investment begins again in 2017-19)
- Point Defiance Bypass ($0.5 million in 2009-11, investment begins again in 2013-15)
- Vancouver Rail Bypass ($40.4 million in 2009-11, $54.9 million in 2011-13)
Public Transportation
- Regional Mobility Grant program funded at $33 million. Grants help local governments fund projects that improve transit mobility, reduce congestion, and improve connectivity and efficiency.
- Para Transit and special needs - $25 million for competitive and formula grants for transportation for people with special needs.
- Rural Mobility Grants - $17 million for public transportation in and between rural communities
- Vanpool Grant Program - $7 million for vanpool grant program for public transit agencies to add vanpools or replace vans, and for incentives for employers to increase employee vanpool use
- Climate Change - $200,000 to fund one staff person to support the department’s ongoing efforts to support statewide goals to reduce greenhouse gas emission
- Transportation Demand Management – provides funding to reduce congestion, including a flexible carpooling pilot project and community-based incentives to reduce drive-alone trips.
Planning for the Future
- JTC directed to conduct a comprehensive analysis of mid-term and long-term transportation funding mechanisms
- Department directed to prepare facility-based tolling studies.
- Columbia River Crossing project and I-405 corridor studies will include a public outreach component similar to the process tolled for the SR 520 Tolling Implementation Committee.
- Tolling studies for SR 167 and SR 509 port connections will identify opportunities for tolling these corridors, recognizing their value to freight movement