Washington's transportation system needs an upgrade declared the Washington State Labor Council's Jeff Johnson Transportation Choices Coalition's Rob Johnson and Washington Roundtable's Steve Mullin.

"Some signs of the problem are obvious: traffic snarls that frustrate commuters and cost local employers millions of dollars in unnecessary expense," they wrote in an op-ed for the Seattle Times. "Other symptoms may be less obvious: deteriorating pavement and bridges, aging ferries and reduced bus service."

This same sentiment was echoed by over seventy stakeholders representing a broad coalition of business, labor, environmental and local government groups in a letter to House and Senate Transportation leaders in Olympia. They specifically called on the state's transportation budget writers to "work with your fellow legislators and with Governor Inslee to develop and pass during the 2013 legislative session a comprehensive statewide transportation investment and funding package that makes a signficant down-payment on the $50 billion need identified by the Connecting Washington Task Force." Port of Tacoma CEO John Wolfe signed the letter, noting that SR-167 was one of the projects identified by Connecting Washington as critical investment for promoting economic development in Washington state.