After failing to pass a comprehensive transportation funding package in 2021, Washington state legislators are now mulling how they can resume the effort this year to make major investments in the state’s highways, ferries and transit.
As elected officials enter a short 60-day session, negotiating a multi-billion-dollar agreement could be a tightrope walk. The talks will unfold before the backdrop of billions in delayed maintenance projects, transit systems that are overstretched and understaffed, a highway system struggling to meet the needs of Washington residents and an election 10 months away.
Both sides of the aisle are interested in spending more on transportation. The size and scope of those investments remains a point of debate.
The Democrats who chair the House and Senate transportation committees say they’re hopeful a funding bill can survive the quick session. But unlike in 2021, top Democrats are hesitant to propose a hike in the state’s gas tax — the backbone for previous funding proposals — at a time when the state’s operating fund is exceeding expectations, families continue to struggle during the pandemic, federal money is available, and a new carbon pricing law is scheduled to take effect in 2023.