Washington State Delivering on the Stimulus Plan

Highway Project List

In February 2009, President Barack Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. WSDOT is delivering. We are using the federal dollars to put people to work in a way that stimulates our economy and also helps maintain our transportation system. In Washington, we call it “Washington Jobs Now.” Washington’s leadership in transportation and our ongoing delivery of 421 projects funded by the 2003 and 2005 state gas tax packages prepared us to translate the federal recovery funding into job creation.

In selecting projects for funding, we prioritized:

• Advancing projects and jobs that would have otherwise been delayed due to funding shortfalls;
• Advancing projects and jobs that would address high priority highway preservation needs

ARRA funds save jobs, put Washingtonians back to work
An estimated 5,704 total full-time equivalent jobs have been created or saved to date by the expended ARRA highway project dollars. A projected 323 additional jobs will be created or saved by the remaining stimulus funding dollars for a total of 6,027 estimated direct, indirect and induced jobs. Find out more by reading the WSDOT ARRA folio (744kb).

Washington recognized for excellence in ARRA performance
The Federal Highway Administration congratulated WSDOT in early August 2012 for its exemplary performance in delivering ARRA projects. At that time, Washington led the nation in the percent of ARRA projects vouchered (86.67 percent). The state has obligated 99.81 percent of its ARRA funds, got its ARRA projects under construction, has spent 94.47 percent of the funding (approximately $525 out of $555 million) it received, and is working hard to complete its remaining projects, according to the Federal Highway Administration.

How much is being invested in Washington?

The Federal Highway Administration has provided $555 million for state and local highway projects.

In addition to these funds, FHWA awarded $7.8 million in National Ferry Transportation System Grants to Washington State Ferries.

The Federal Transit Administration has provided $179 million in formula funding to Washington for transit system capital projects.

The Federal Rail Administration has allocated $766 million in funding in Washington for rail projects. 

The Federal Aviation Administration has allocated nearly $50 million in ARRA funds to Washington airports.

Accountability

The public expects that ARRA stimulus funding will result in jobs. That's why the ARRA has a number of reporting requirements built into the authorizing legislation. 

Gov. Gregoire particularly appreciates the accountability measures included in the recovery package. The state must ensure that the money provided by the federal government is going to the right projects and is used in the right way to help our residents and our economy. The Governor has issued an executive order to ensure transparency and accountability as federal funds are distributed in the state.

WSDOT is committed to reporting on the how the ARRA funds are invested in a way that is meaningful and transparent to the public, the Governor, watchdog groups and the federal government.

The ongoing delivery of 421 projects funded by the 2003 and 2005 gas tax packages has helped WSDOT develop a national model for performance management and performance reporting. Since 2002, WSDOT has published a detailed, quarterly performance report, the Gray Notebook. The 100-page report includes detailed project reporting for all of WSDOT’s construction projects. In addition, comprehensive project information is provided on individual project web pages.

Also, WSDOT remains accountable to the Governor on the project details for all projects and modes through the Government Management, Accountability and Performance program (GMAP).