Greetings Friends,
As advertised, I held a town hall in Enumclaw this past Monday with my House seatmates to discuss transportation improvements in the area. The state Department of Transportation gave a great presentation about some of the challenges and possible solutions. It was a very well-attended event with many great questions about how we can work together to put projects online that will alleviate serious congestion through Buckley and Enumclaw.
In the 2017-19 state transportation budget, I secured funding for a study of the entire State Route 410 corridor, and the results are largely what we discussed at the town hall. While I’ve been in favor of moving up a bridge replacement to deal with detours and issues of closures for emergencies, it was great to see so many in the community come to a consensus based on the data on a direction forward. I was honored to have the Mayor of Buckley attend and provide her insights on the city’s plans and needs.
The consensus is that I work to fund the initial phase of traffic improvements that the study looked at. That means securing about $3 million to start seven roundabouts that the study showed will have a positive impact on traffic flow in the near term. If I can secure full funding, these projects could be underway in a couple years.
I told those in attendance when the meeting started that I am your chief negotiator. You elected me to represent the best interests of our district and to make sure we get what we need. As a member of the Senate Transportation Committee, I can go to my colleagues and advocate for these needed projects.
You can see the presentation by clicking here. Be mindful that some of these projects are already planned for but those in the study are not. That’s where my seatmates and I come in. We will be fighting to garner funding so that these projects are more than just conversation pieces.
I also mentioned a couple of transportation-related items in the works. First, my plan to fund transportation in our state. Right now, the state is heavily reliant on gas tax money. To address future needs, one of the ideas under consideration is an intrusive and costly mileage tax (oops) I mean Road Usage Charge. I happen to serve on the steering committee for the pilot program as one of the only critical opponents of the program.
The reality is that this scheme won’t solve our traffic problems and hits rural and suburban residents the hardest. Gas tax revenues are flat or declining, so we need an alternative. I’m proposing an inflation-linked and fair funding plan that uses the existing sales tax on motor vehicles. Please take a moment to read my economic analysis that has charts and further explanation. I’m pursuing this plan because I think you’re taxed enough. The proposal to tax how much you drive won’t solve the problem and charges you for something you’ve already paid for.
If you were not able to attend but would still like to let me know your priorities on what I should be working on next session take this survey.
I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas season and Happy New Year.
It is an honor serving as your state senator. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any concerns you have about your state government.
Sincerely,
Phil Fortunato,
Your 31st District State Senator
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