Stop the Puget Sound Gateway Boondoggle

It's time to shift Washington’s transportation priorities

These days, more and more of us are moving off the roads. Across the country, and here in Washington, people are driving less on average than we have in years past. Driving peaked in America in 2007. Since then, the Millennial Generation has led the way, with more people walking, biking and taking transit. In fact, in 2014 more people rode public transportation than had in 57 years! Meanwhile, new technologies and other options, such as bike sharing, are making it easier for people to rely less on cars.

Yet, despite these well-documented changes in transportation trends, our decision makers continue to prioritize new roads and wasteful highway expansions. Meanwhile, other needs — from expanding public transportation to critical bridge repairs — go unmet. At a time when one in nine bridges in America are considered “structurally deficient,” these confused priorities put millions of Americans in danger every single day. 

The Puget Sound Gateway Boondoggle

In Washington, the state government is proposing to spend between 2.8 and 3 billion dollars on a wasteful highway expansion that connects State Routes 509 and 167 and Interstate 5, collectively known as the Puget Sound Gateway project. The plan includes adding up to 2 additional lanes of travel in each direction along both state routes, and additional 1-2 lanes of tolling along all three routes.

This unnecessary and wasteful expansion is based on designs first conceived of more than 60 years ago. This, at a time when the state has declared driving is likely to stagnate for decades. What’s more, according to the state’s own data, toll revenue would only account for a small part of the total cost of completed construction. 

While supporters claim the project is necessary to better connect the state’s ports with its highways, there are far more effective ways to invest our transportation dollars. 

Ultimately, there are more pressing and sustainable transportation issues that limited state funds should be spent on instead – such as the 372 structurally deficient bridges in the state. Moreover, investments in the bus system, light rail in Seattle, and high-speed rail between Spokane and Seattle could create a higher quality of living for everyone. 

Moving Washington forward 

We need your help. Tell the governor to invest in sustainable alternatives and already existing infrastructure rather than waste up to 3 billion dollars in needless highway expansion. We deserve to have a safe, reliable transportation system that offers real options for however people might want to get around. Stopping this highway boondoggles is an important first step for getting us there.