An estimated 250 citizens attended last night's Senate Transportation Committee listening session in Tacoma, helping to amplify the importance of completing State Route 167. 75 individuals had the opportunity testify, two-thirds of which expressed support for completing SR-167 and/or the Puget Sound Gateway.

The evening started well when lawmakers introduced themselves. Senators Dammeier and Becker and representatives Morell, Zeiger and Seaquist all expressed support for the project, prompting cheers and applause from the audience. Senator Tracey Eide said it best when she noted, "My pet project is 167/509. We know how important our ports are and we want to make sure they are successful."

Senator Steve O'Ban acknowledged the huge turnout of SR-167 supporters when he noted, "I knew there were going to be a lot of these white buttons here tonight."

The near unanimous support for the project could certainly be felt in the room. "State Route 167 is critical for the economy on the state," said Pierce County Executive Pat McCarthy. "Tonight we are speaking with one voice-- business, labor, local governments, tribes, ports and environmentalists."

Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce President Tom Pierson agreed. "SR 167 had done something that the federal government doesn't seem to be able to do," he said. "It has brought people together. It has brought management and labor together; it has brought Democrats and Republicans together; it has brought eastern and western Washington together; it has brought business and environmentalists together."

Bill Anderson with Citizens for a Healthy Bay spoke on the part of the environmental community when he said, "There would be substantially more efficient movement of people and cargo through a finished SR-167. This will reduce air emissions."

Many of the speakers focused on the economic impacts associated with completing State Route 167. "Globally competitive regions have great infrastructure," explained Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland. "If you want jobs you will fully fund SR 167."

Puyallup Tribal Councilman David Bean agreed: "Our economic development at the Port of Tacoma is dependent on road investments. Completion of 167 will create thousands of jobs that would benefit our 25,000 tribal members."

"We are asking you to use jobs and economic development as a the filter for deciding what to fund," said Catherine Rudolph of the Tacoma Pierce County Association of REALTORS®. "This is why you should support SR 167."

Real estate agent Same Pace pointed out that SR 167 means more than just construction jobs, as valuable as those are themselves. "As a realtor, I've learned that those pesky banks only give home loans to people who have jobs. SR 167 will create those jobs."

Auburn Mayor Pete Lewis focused on the importance SR 167 plays in the global competitiveness of the Port of Tacoma. "I sit in the center of the fourth largest industrial center in the U.S.," he explained. "Steamships are making decisions on where they will call right now. Other ports are investing billions to get that business."

Former Congressman Norm Dicks was more direct: "Our two ports are under attack by the Canadians who are making investments," he said. "These projects (167/509) need to be built."

Fife City Councilman provided a practical example of the impact the unfinished highway has on freight mobility. "I am here to talk about thirteen traffic lights in Fife. These traffic lights today serve as the last mile of 167. These lights add 45 minutes to the drive for trucks trying to get to the port."

Art Stippin, a trucking business owner from SeaTac who testified to the urgent need for both 509 and 167, shared that for his drivers, a minute of waiting time ends up costing him $19/minute – a data point “you folks don’t hear about but I think about every day.”

"I don't know of any decision that you could make that would have a bigger impact on business, labor and the port than completing SR 167," said Brian Haynes of Rainier Connect.

Scott Jones of Newland Communities helped lawmakers understand the interconnectedness of local roadways and the need to treat them as part of a larger system "A transportation network is like a tree with a trunk and branches," he explained. "For Pierce County, SR 167 is our trunk, with other critical roadways branching from it."

Another theme of the evening was the frustration over the state's lack of progress in completing the highway. "I am the mayor of Puyallup, the 40-plus-year terminus of State Route 167-- and counting!" said Rick Hansen. "Without a completed 167, my town gets a disproportionate impact of cars coming onto our local roads and it puts the port at a competitive disadvantage."

"We've spent years buying right-of-way for SR 167," said Pierce County Councilwoman Joyce McDonald. "Let finish what we started."

Matt Hamilton, a citizen of Graham summed it up best. "It [SR-167] always ended in that cow patch, and we waited 40 years for that road to be extended. Now, in Pierce County we’re really good at waiting, but we’re not that good. Trust me, if there’s a gas tax increase and we don’t get that road right away, there’s going to be absolutely furor."

Check out the Tacoma News Tribune and the Tacoma Weekly coverage of last night's event.