Before the Independence Day weekend, Governor Jay Inslee issued the following statement regarding transportation:
Fellow Transportation Leaders,
I want to thank you all for your efforts to secure passage of a balanced transportation package in the recently completed legislative session. In my opening address as governor in January, I called for a transportation package as a centerpiece of our jobs and economic development agenda.
Building off the good work many of you have been engaged in for years, a solid coalition worked overtime with me these last six months to reach our shared goals. While we were ultimately successful in the House, failure of the Senate to take action on the House package—or present any alternative—was obviously disappointing to us all.
Personally, I am discouraged, but undaunted. We have too many critical safety, maintenance and freight mobility needs to allow inaction. We have tens of thousands who rely on transit service that face devastating cuts. Our kids need safe routes to schools. Businesses need certainty that people and goods can reach markets and offices without needless delays. These aren’t abstractions—these are real impacts on the lives and livelihoods of people across our state.
So let’s redouble our efforts and get this done.
I hope you will join me in an honest and important discussion about how to pass a balanced, multimodal transportation package, and how quickly we can do it. My staff will work on a date and location, but we need to get together soon to build on our momentum and finish what we started.
Thanks so much for all you have done so far—we have a great team, and the stakes are simply too high to not achieve victory for the people of Washington.
Enjoy the 4th of July holiday, and see you all soon.
Very truly yours,
Jay Inslee
Governor