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Home My WebLink About04-Annoucement Handout Entp.rp.d into Record at Cnllncil/f:mvOevCms Mtg: ~~ Hilda Item t-{ - ~.--_._. -,- - --_.._---......---~'" 3 /]./ /05 !II ASSOCIATION Of WASHINGTON CITIES h~ City Clerk/COC Secy City of Sail Bernardino Washington's deteriorating city streets and bridges threaten our economic future and quality of life Jf' .#' Acti. . now to reverse the stea(ry';~~~lu1 will save taxpayers ffiHN8m 6'f" , . c-A=<3:r. o:.w in g Tr an s po r tat ion Seattle has increased general fund spending on transportation by 66% over the past I 0 years, but still faces a $500M maintenance backlog.' . MountVernon, with I a small annual budget and $62 million in transportation project needs, will require state and federal grants. Five cities and King County are investing over $100 million on capacity and . HOV improvements on 15+ miles of Pacific High- way (SR-99), a state facility. WSDOT's investment on this state highway is limited to minor pavement overlay expenditures. Vancouver, a regional hub, has an annual average of $30M in transportation investments over the past four years. Despite this large investment, they face an annual deficit of $14M . . I In transportation costs. Redmond: Microsoft employment has gone from less than 4,000 in 1990 to more than 25,000 today, resulting in massive maintenance issues. City funds cannot keep pace. ! _1 University Place lost 30% of its general fund to 1-695. With only $300,000 available for street improvements, the city faces a backlog of $63 M for arterial street improvement alone. Crisis Issaquah: Severe congestion on 1-90 means that its streets have seen unprecedented wear and tear with no funding solution. Spokane has a $200M backlog in street repairs, and an annual street repair deficit of $13.2M. Wenatchee has only 35% of the funds it needs to pave its streets, creating a big maintenance backlog. Pullman's street maintenance reserves are depleted, with the city unable to budget even half of what's needed for street repair. Yakima has a $2.8M annual shortfall for street maintenance. The city is using cash reserves to fund critical maintenance projects, but will run out of money by 2005. Pasco subsidizes its street fund yearly with $300,000 from the city's general fund. The city faces major capital project needs on arterial streets exceed- ing $18M with no defined revenue funding source. .:..Growing c~eeds: :.Ever:y City Affected, Regardless cof Size or_ Location: City population has grown 43% since 1990, compared to 3.5% in unincorporated areas. Washington's cities are home to nearly two-thirds of the state's population. Despite this, transportation funding is increasingly focused on state needs, while neglecting city streets. Eastern Washington cities face freeze/ thaw cycles that accelerate street deterioration. Streets in newly incorporated and annexed cities need major investments to meet urban standards. Nearly 90% of the state GDP is generated in the state's top 9 metropolitan areas, yet funding to support transportation in these employment centers continues to decline. Larger economic centers need major improvements for congestion relief, freight mobility, and earthquake protection -requiring a level of investment that local resources alone cannot meet. Many intermediate and smaller cities serve as a through corridor for commuting workers, resulting in extraordinary congestion. Small rural communities are unable to fund the most basic resurfacing projects and cannot afford even modest improvements to their streets. cWe:~eed-to Act, & Act Now. The cost of inaction is high. As our city streets and arterials deteriorate, the cost to repair or replace them doubles every 10 to 15 years. :ion of Gas Tax v. Population ~~ 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 er--Capita Distribution of Gas Tax in 1991 Dollars Very Poor III >.. lC III ~ .!: "C III lC Co o aI ...a: ........ o 0 C aI .2 E .. .- 'SI- c .. o lC U Poor Fair Good /- $1 To Rep Very Good . ~ -~ - .~~~.- ~- ~.... ,:,--;.,::'=.: . . .' . ....... $1 ctb~e:8:o1(Jtion To solve these problems,Washington cities need an injection of direct state dollars and new local funding options. The last such action by the State Legislature was in 1990 - when Governor Booth Gardner was still in office. I I State legislative actions should include: . At least 5 cents of new gas tax distributions. Even with this addition, it would take 6 yea~s to return state baseline investment'to 1991 levels. I . Future gas tax distributions that ensure a fairer return to cities, which handle a disproportionate amount of the state's employment and commuter traffic. . A fund to provide pavement assistance for 178 cities under 5,000. Currently, it would take decades for these smaller cities to fund a major transportation project. . Increase funds for the Transportation Improvement Board (TIB), a key city transportation funding partner. . Dedicated funding for freight mobility--critical to keeping our State competitive in the global economy. . Reinstating the Corridor Program to assist with multi-jurisdictional corridor needs. Additionally, cities need new local trans- portation funding options to meet urgent and growing needs. These could include: . Re-enactment of the $15 vehicle license fee . Local option gas tax for cities (if counties and RTIDs do not utilize) . Street utility authority . Other locally implemented options, including Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) charge, weight-based fees, etc. Cost of Repair OverTime Will Cost $4 to $5 Here r Here $3 Dollar Cost of Repairs - $4 "Our cities are where most of our jobs are. As cities collaborate to grow prosperity in every region of au.' state, their ability to take care of transportation basics is challenged as never before. Investment in basic city infrastructure is a requirement for our state to be as competitive as it can be." :; Drewe/. Executive Director. ..ugetSound Regional Council " 'the State is working to rob/ems on our state face an equally serious city streets. Freight 'both a strong lacal road goad highway network roducts to market, get our ;~rk and stay competitive. ~'the system doesn't network begins . Executive Vice shingt~n Trucking .. nd roads need help "state highways. ew(uhding for local ;;;..";:>,; 'on.projects, maintenance ntinue to grow and the roads will fall further $5 rA::Transp:ortation Crisis for aWasbil1gtOl1_ Cities: Washington cities are falling dangerously behind in maintaining city streets and bridges and meeting growing capacity and mobility needs. Significant cuts in state funding, coupled with the loss of revenue sources, have created a crisis for our local transportation systems. In 2002, cities invested $936 million on transportation -- $200 million for street Dtow.:Did We Biet:l::fere? Drastic transportation funding cuts from statewide initiatives, with city losses projected at $1.2 billion by 2007. . Discontinuation of the Small City Paving Program, which funded 157 cities and paved 160 miles of streets. . Transportation Investment Board revenues are limited - only $1 is granted for every $8 requested. . A 2003 Nickel Package with no new gas tax distributions for cities, a departure from past legislative practice. . Loss of the Street Utility Fee, Vehicle Licensing Fee and dedicated freight mobility funds. . When a state highway runs through a city of 22,500 and over, state mandates require the city to assume costs for maintenance, signalization, ADA and most traffic control. . A 40% decrease in per capita state gas tax distributions, requiring significant increases in city transportation spending. maintenance alone. Yet this covers only one-third of ongoing needs and does not address a critical maintenance backlog. A 1998 legislative study showed Washington cities facing a $2.42 billion shortfall in transportation infrastructure funding. And the problem has grown steadily worse. '.;".'-if-,. . . '''Iegislature, cities and to have a reasonable providing local On funding options." "One in four jobs in Washington is dependent upon trade. More than I 00,000 agricultural jobs depend on the ability to move products efficiently to our ports from other parts of the state. We can't build a first rate economy on second rate roads." '!:IIle Dinsmore, Chief Executive <JOfflcer, Port of Seattle , every trip in this state begins on a city street. If we continue rther and further behind in the . , ,p,~eep of our local roads and e ;.oLr citizens and our economy 'l!;> a heavy price for decades to City Per-Capita Oistribu $24.54 Washington's fixed gas tax distribution is applied to a growin .. 1991 1992 1993 c => ~ (in millions) 1994 1995 1996 ~ I:. 1~ r , ~ I For more information, contact: Ashley Probart Transportation Coordinator Association of Washington Cities 360-753-4137 ashleyp@awcnet.org AWC thanks the cities of Bellevue, Everett, Fe'deral Way, Kent, Seattle and Tacoma for helping make this brochure possible through their generous contributions. ASSOCIATION Of WASHINGTON CITIES