The Washington Roundtable, whose board of directors includes representatives of some of the state's top companies, released a new benchmarking study this week. The study compares Washington's business climate with other states in a variety of categories.

Of note was the continued low grades for Washington's transportation system. Washington is:

• 38th in commuting time
• 36th in road conditions and getting worse
• 41st in bridge conditions.

The policy choice for lawmakers: step up to the challenge now or wait for things to get worse (and more expensive).