Traffic
Posted by: Bob Ross | 05/04/2008 4:24 PM
On November 5, 2008 another Tim Eyman sponsored initiative will be on the ballot.
In my judgment, Initiative 985-Reduce Traffic Congestion has less to do with concrete plans to mitigate traffic than to address the culture of our state government. Taxpayers must liberate themselves from bureaucratic gridlock before they can travel from Federal Way to Seattle in less than 30 minutes at more than 40 miles per hour.
Traffic congestion is a huge and complex problem that cannot be resolved with standard government solutions. Taking pragmatic and manageable steps forward can be the first step towards traffic relief. In Olympia 128 government agencies have been involved in planning the war on traffic. In 2002, the voters rejected referendum 51 that would impose a $7.8 billion "fix" that would start projects without any firm completion date(s). This is the same Department of Transportation that oversees the inefficient State ferry system, which has shown total disregard for internal fiscal accountability for 19 consecutive years.
The question posed to voters is as follows:
In order to prevent an all-day rush hour in the Puget Sound region will you give career politicians and unelected bureaucrats a blank check?
Or, is there a fiscally sane, responsible and manageable approach to this chaotic situation?
Our transportation system is multi-modal and the solutions should be multi-modal as well. Initiative 985 implements the independent audit conducted by Talbot, Korvola and Warwick, L.L.P. and presented to the legislature in October 2007. By using traffic reduction as the #1 public priority, while maximizing existing resources, the following recommendations are expected to reduce traffic congestion 15%-20% over 5 years. These are not mega-projects but will show immediate relief to the grid locked commuter. Under this legislative act, revenue deposited into a "Reduce Traffic Congestion" account will be used to:
To those who adhere to the 'we've gotta do something' syndrome these strategies that maximize current resources without raising additional taxes, may seem minor, but they are significant. Sometimes an honest, simple and manageable plan is the best solution to a long-term crisis.
In my judgment, Initiative 985-Reduce Traffic Congestion has less to do with concrete plans to mitigate traffic than to address the culture of our state government. Taxpayers must liberate themselves from bureaucratic gridlock before they can travel from Federal Way to Seattle in less than 30 minutes at more than 40 miles per hour.
Traffic congestion is a huge and complex problem that cannot be resolved with standard government solutions. Taking pragmatic and manageable steps forward can be the first step towards traffic relief. In Olympia 128 government agencies have been involved in planning the war on traffic. In 2002, the voters rejected referendum 51 that would impose a $7.8 billion "fix" that would start projects without any firm completion date(s). This is the same Department of Transportation that oversees the inefficient State ferry system, which has shown total disregard for internal fiscal accountability for 19 consecutive years.
The question posed to voters is as follows:
In order to prevent an all-day rush hour in the Puget Sound region will you give career politicians and unelected bureaucrats a blank check?
Or, is there a fiscally sane, responsible and manageable approach to this chaotic situation?
Our transportation system is multi-modal and the solutions should be multi-modal as well. Initiative 985 implements the independent audit conducted by Talbot, Korvola and Warwick, L.L.P. and presented to the legislature in October 2007. By using traffic reduction as the #1 public priority, while maximizing existing resources, the following recommendations are expected to reduce traffic congestion 15%-20% over 5 years. These are not mega-projects but will show immediate relief to the grid locked commuter. Under this legislative act, revenue deposited into a "Reduce Traffic Congestion" account will be used to:
- Open carpool lanes during non-peak hours
- Optimize traffic flow thru synchronization of traffic lights
- Provide a more rapid response to roadside emergencies and accidents
- Construction and operation of high occupancy toll lanes and more HOV lanes to reduce congestion
- Installation of photo enforcement traffic cameras. However, local jurisdictions oppose that revenue generated from traffic infractions will be deposited into a State dedicated Reduce Traffic Congestion account.
To those who adhere to the 'we've gotta do something' syndrome these strategies that maximize current resources without raising additional taxes, may seem minor, but they are significant. Sometimes an honest, simple and manageable plan is the best solution to a long-term crisis.
