The Senate Transportation Committee kicked off its statewide listening session to a packed house at Stevenson Elementary in Bellevue tonight. Several hundred folks from a broad range of interest groups showed up to express their support for a transportation revenue package. So many people showed up in fact, that not everyone had an opportunity to testify. 
What was striking, however, was the near universal support for a transportation revenue package. In the three hours of citizen testimony, only one individual expressed concerns about new taxes.
As expected, most of the comments centered on East King County transportation priorities like I-405. However, quite a few folks raised the importance of completing the Puget Sound Gateway-- the combined completion of state route 167 and 509. Kicking things off was WSDOT Secretary Lynn Peterson, who detailed the various needs throughout the state. In particular she noted, "We have a long list of projects we need to finish including...the Puget Sound Gateway."
King County Executive Dow Constantine discussed the importance of the projects to the competitiveness of the state's Ports: "Our ports combined are the third largest gateway in the United States. For them to compete, we need to finish 167 and 509."
Port of Seattle Commissioner John Creighton agreed. "Finishing the Puget Sound Gateway is critical to the growth plans for the ports
of Tacoma and Seattle," he said.
The economic importance of passing a transportation revenue package was raised by a member of Transportation for America, who noted, "States across America want to eat your lunch. They are investing in infrastructure to attract your companies away from your state."
"SR 167 and SR 509 are not just transportation projects," explained Dan McKisson from ILWU Local 19. "They are job generators."
Elizabeth Albertson from the Kent City Council discussed the Puget Sound Gateways importance to the regional economy: "The Kent Valley is the largest distribution center network in the state and home to 1/8 of the state's GDP. We have to complete the SR 167/SR 509 Puget Sound Gateway Project to ensure this region remains economically successful." She went onto note that the state has started several projects around the state, like SR-167, that they have never finished. "You need to finish what you started."
Algona Mayor Dave Hill agreed. "We need to finish regionally significant roads like SR 167 and SR 509," he said.
As mentioned above, not everyone had an opportunity to speak. The Senators ran out of time before a representative from the Port of Tacoma had a chance to speak. Here is a copy of the Port of Tacoma's prepared remarks we had hoped to deliver at tonight's Senate Transportation Committee listening session:
As many of you may know, the completion of State Route 167 is the Port of Tacoma’s top transportation priority.
I understand that you have a listening session schedule for Tacoma on October 9. Out of respect for your time this evening, we’ll wait until then before we really go into detail about this project that WSDOT believes could result in 80,000 long-term permanent jobs.
I did, however, want to provide you with a sense of how SR-167 is important not just to Pierce County, but to companies and farmers throughout the state.
I have provided staff a 1-pager that gives you an example of some of the companies located in King County that ship product through the Port of Tacoma. Companies for whom a completed SR-167 will serve as the first or last mile for products being delivered to market.
Examples include Starbucks, Weyerhaeuser, REI, Genie, Costco, and Trident Seafoods.
As you work to develop a transportation package, the Port of Tacoma would respectfully ask that you ensure State Route 167 is completed. It is truly a highway of statewide significance.
