MUNICIPAL LEAGUE OF KING COUNTY
Initiative 985
Reduce Traffic Congestion
November 4, 2008 General Election Ballot

The Initiative requires the State Auditor to monitor the implementation of I-985’s policies by establishing congestion relief performance benchmarks and providing updates to the public.

The State’s Office of Financial Management has estimated that a total of $620 million would be redirected from state and local general and transportation funds over five years to congestion relief activities.  The impact to the state general fund would be $574 million (93% of the total) over five years.

The Municipal League of King County is on record as supporting the use of toll revenues for construction, operation and maintenance of roads and bridges, as well as for transit and other transportation purposes of the future.

ARGUMENTS FOR I-985:

Initiative proponents make the following arguments for I-985:

• Taxpayers are sick and tired of tax increases and of politicians refusing to fix public policy problems because they say we’re not paying enough.  We’re already paying more than our fair share – the problem is politicians aren’t spending our tax dollars effectively.

• State Auditor Brian Sonntag’s performance audit on transportation exposed WSDOT weaknesses and his audit recommendations form the basis for I-985’s policies.

• So far, the State Auditor has done nine audit reports and made 434 recommendations, totaling $3.2 billion in potential tax savings.  Olympia has implemented none of his recommendations.

• I-985 reflects the public’s priorities by redirecting existing motor vehicle-related funds toward reducing congestion.

• The initiative takes a common-sense approach to using our existing roadway capacity more effectively by opening carpool lanes to all vehicles outside of the peak periods of 6 to 9 in the morning and 3 to 6 in the afternoon.

• Instead of spending transportation funds on public art, funds would go to congestion relief.

• I-985 institutes critical taxpayer protections on future tolls.

• I-985’s passage would tell politicians that voters demand that Olympia start implementing the Auditor’s performance audit recommendations under the authority that voters granted him.

• In other words, I-985 is a no-new-taxes transportation proposal that also reinforces the power and effect of I-900, the performance audit initiative.

ARGUMENTS AGAINST I-985:

Opponents make these arguments:

• I-985 would make traffic congestion worse, not better, because carpool lane restrictions would force more cars into key chokepoints, causing greater backups.

• Opening Puget Sound’s carpool lanes to all motorists would bring buses and vanpools to a standstill, paralyzing our transit system and putting more cars back on the highways.

• I-985 would take over half a billion dollars away from our state’s general fund over the next five years and use it to build highways at the expense of schools, healthcare, and law enforcement.

• The Initiative would also prohibit the money from tolls from being spent on public safety, bicycle paths, light rail, heavy rail, buses, park and rides, or even ferries.

• The Initiative proponents are setting themselves up as transportation management experts, but traffic engineers say they are misinformed.  For one, I-985’s definition of “peak hours” is inadequate.  Rush hour lasts longer and varies by roadway: on some roads it now lasts all day.

• The Initiative offers “one size fits all” solutions for the whole state.  It dictates congestion relief as the highest priority for every state highway, county road and city street, even in communities where public safety or snow removal are much bigger problems.

• I-985 makes our state budget woes worse.  Already facing a budget deficit, this would require tax increases or cuts to other general fund priorities.

• The State Auditor’s WSDOT congestion audit did not recommend opening carpool lanes.

• The State Department of Transportation must balance resources and priorities among safety improvements, roadway preservation and repairs, and congestion relief.  These priorities are developed by professionals using public input and legislative policy guidance.

• The Initiative implies that governments are doing nothing in the areas of congestion reduction, traffic synchronization and emergency roadside assistance to clear backups.  On the contrary, Washington is already at the forefront of these strategies.

• I-985 is a misuse of the initiative process to allow statewide voters to make policy for the Puget Sound region, the region primarily affected by congestion.

RECOMMENDATION and RATIONALE

The Municipal League recommends voting NO for Initiative 985.

Traffic congestion is a complex problem that must be addressed by professional engineers guided by thoughtful policy making and priority setting.  We emphatically oppose the use of the initiative process to offer simplistic solutions intended to treat all roads and all communities the same.  We do not believe that the public wishes to set congestion relief as a higher priority than education or public safety by redirecting state general funds.  Additionally, the Municipal League is on record as supporting the use of tolls for broad transportation purposes to replace narrowly restricted and declining revenue sources.  Transportation policies of the future must be multi-modal and broadly flexible to offer mobility in the most efficient ways.  Initiative 985 would create obstacles to mobility, flexibility and efficient use of resources.