One of Opportunity Washington’s three guiding priorities is Connect:
CONNECT: Create an efficient, multimodal transportation system that links Washington’s communities to each other and the world.
• Invest in the preservation and maintenance of Washington’s road and bridge networks and make improvements in key economic corridors.
• Improve freight mobility and connections between roads, rail, and ports.
• Provide options for regions to plan, prioritize, and fund local transportation needs.
The next few weeks in Olympia will be critical to achieving that goal. In addition to meeting with hundreds of civic and business leaders over the last year – who were unanimous in their judgment that increased transportation investment was long overdue, that further delays put safety and commerce at risk – we reviewed research done for the Washington Roundtable by the Boston Consulting Group. The table below identifies the $42 billion benefits that would come from a $7 billion transportation investment.
These are tangible benefits that we can begin realizing immediately. We know the costs of not investing. The 2015 Legislature has an opportunity to act now. We cannot afford further delay.
