Transporation

Transportation plays a crucial role in our everyday lives. Our ability to get to work, take our kids to school, move our goods and services to market, visit our local businesses, experience our amazing natural resources, and spend time with our friends and family depends on our ability to get from one place to another in a safe and timely way. That's why I am a passionate advocate for great transportation solutions for Washington State and the 41st District.

As Chair of the House Transportation Committee I have brought major regional projects to our district that benefit our entire state. We are moving forward the largest construction package in the history of Washington. Guiding an 8.5 billion dollar budget has been and will continue to be a great challenge and I am exhilarated that we are getting results: completing projects under budget and on time. Mega projects like the Alaska Way Viaduct that have been stalled for years are getting under way are being funded. The 520 floating bridge, a crucial part of our transportation system on the Eastside, is already underway with the building of pontoons in Grays Harbor. Agreement on the configuration of the 520 bridge means we will be seeing construction on the Eastside in the next year and on the Westside soon after that. New ferries are being built and will be on the water in August of this year. Projects that connect products to ports and people to their communities are being built all over the state, helping our big industries and small businesses recover and begin to thrive again.

While new construction is essential to our growth and success as a state, we also have a responsibility to maintain the facilities that we have. Interstates and residential streets all need to be safe and drivable. Using your hard-earned tax dollars responsibly means we need to keep funds set aside to maintain the infrastructure we have, and to keep traffic moving across our state and through our neighborhoods.

I am proud of the transportation accomplishments we've made under my watch and will continue to find new multi-model solutions for mobility in our future. Transit, freight, Amtrak, ferries, roads and bridges are all a part of a transportation plan that works well for our citizens, so that they can work to make a better life for their family.