Transportation: Is everything really on the table???

On January 30 of this year, Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Mary Margaret Haugen said that cuts in the transportation budget would be required due to the passage of I-695 and that the choices would be difficult. She developed several principles to guide the discussion, one of which is: "Everything is on the table—every item in the transportation budget will be reviewed."

Senator Haugen also said that her watchwords for every suggestion would be "safety, efficiency, cost savings, privatization, and accountability." But with only a few weeks left in the session, the table has grown very small, and most of the alternatives are now on the floor next to the table waiting for review until after this legislative session has concluded.

A table isn’t even needed for Governor Locke’s suggestions for our transportation troubles. His plan, so far, consists of some funding in the supplemental budget, attached to a few generalities, but no written plan.

Our state must remain economically competitive in the national and international marketplace. This requires a high quality transportation system that, in turn, demands a vastly improved transportation infrastructure.

It is always helpful to review what other states have done in similar circumstances. With the permission of our colleagues in Virginia, the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy, we are reprinting several of their recommendations for Virginia, with comments of our own about how we might adapt the ideas to our situation.

1. Privatization: The privatization of transportation planning, design, and construction and maintenance will enhance the efficiencies and effectiveness of the government-sponsored transportation system. This can be accomplished through innovative financing mechanisms, particularly the development of public-private partnerships and privatization incentives that move the financial burden away from sole dependence on government to a sharing of financial responsibility between the government and the private sector.

   EFF’s comments: Our state’s prohibition on contracting out jobs and services must be removed. Opportunities for contracting out services include maintenance functions such as snow removal pothole repair, landscaping and roadside cleanup. The competitive bidding process also needs to be improved. Successful examples elsewhere in the nation need to be studied and replicated such as the California Private Transportation Company that built a four-lane highway in Orange County used by 24,000 commuters daily. In our state we can look at the examples of the DOT/ Weyerhaeuser Dupont interchange and the collaboration between DOT and Weyerhaeuser on rebuilding the Spirit Lake Highway after the Mt. St. Helens eruption.

2. Deregulation. To enhance productivity, regulatory and administrative barriers that contribute to the inefficient operations of transportation systems should be removed. Except where the safety of the traveling public is an overriding concern, state regulatory requirements should not exceed those of the federal government.

3. Market Orientation. A market-based approach to the provision of mobility must be developed. This approach would use the marketplace to determine what transportation investments will be made. This method will allow for decisions to be measured in terms of the potential for economic development, the reduction in congestion costs, the improvement in mobility and the long-term viability of the project. An example of this approach is the Dulles/Greenway project [in Virginia]. The private sector determined a need for the facility, projected the impact on potential economic vitality, and justified the cost by the rate of return expected over 30 years. This project is an example of the market-oriented transportation approaches that need to be encouraged in order to provide the most efficient transportation system possible.

4. Technological Leadership and Safety. To improve the productivity, quality of service and to reduce costs, state-of-the-art technology must be utilized. The emphasis of "intelligent transportation systems" must move from the research area into actual use. This technology would include: ramp-metering; real-time traffic monitoring using satellite technology; vehicle tracking using geo-positioning satellite technology; and vehicle computer systems that provide drivers with information on road conditions, alternative routes, and special services such as ATM machines, restaurants, shopping, etc.

5. Intermodalism. The old way of viewing the transportation system as separate modal entities is no longer valid. Improvements in the connectivity of different modes will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the transportation system. A full range of modal alternatives for passengers and freight should be developed.

6. Planning and research. A key role...in facilitating the changes necessary to move forward is to provide funding for research and planning the new transportation system. This should include investments from the private sector that match and supplement the investment made by the public sector. The economic benefit to both the public and private sector should be carefully studied and [should] become a major element in determining the projects that will be funded.

   EFF’s comments: We believe the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Transportation, the DOT, the governor, and the legislature should review this framework to develop a truly integrated and technologically advanced transportation system to enhance this region’s economic prosperity and the quality of our lives.

For further information on the proposals forwarded by the Thomas Jefferson Institute, contact:

Thomas Jefferson Institute
Attn: Michael Thompson
9035 Golden Sunset Lane
Springfield, VA 22153
(703) 446-9447

Prepared by Bob Williams, Senior Research Analyst, (360) 956-3482 or effwa@effwa.org

Evergreen Freedom Foundation P.O. Box 552, Olympia, WA 98507 Phone: (360) 956-3482, Fax: (360) 352-1874 Email: effwa@effwa.org