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Transportation Commission
to Discuss Mega-Projects,
20-Year Plan and Tolls
Posted 9.15.06
Transportation Commission Office - PO Box 47308 - Olympia, WA 98504-7308
(360) 705-7070
Date: September
15 , 2006
| Contacts: |
Reema Griffith, Transportation Commission
Executive Director,
360-705-7070 |
OLYMPIA – Next week
in Olympia, the Washington
State Transportation Commission
will examine the findings
of an Expert Review Panel
that looked at two of the
Puget Sound’s largest
high-cost projects, consider
adoption of the final Washington
Transportation Plan, and
adopt the final report
of their year-long study
assessing the use of tolls
in Washington. In addition,
the Commission will receive
the second interim report
on their rail study that
is underway.
The Commission team for
the Washington Transportation
Plan will hold a meeting
on Monday, Sept. 18, from
2 to 5 p.m. Then on Tuesday,
Sept. 19, the full Commission
will hold its regular monthly
meeting starting at 9 a.m.
and reconvening at 8:30 a.m.
on Wednesday, Sept. 20.
Meetings will be held at
the Transportation Building,
Commission Board Room,
310 Maple Park Avenue SE,
Olympia, and are open to
the public.
On Tuesday, the Expert
Review Panel that evaluated
the finance and implementation
plans for the Alaskan
Way Viaduct and Seawall
Replacement and SR
520 Bridge Replacement will
present their findings
to the Commission. Governor
Gregoire and the House
and Senate Transportation
Committee Chairs appointed
the eight-member panel
of experts from planning,
engineering, finance, law,
emerging transportation
technologies, geotechnical
and economic fields. Their
final report was released
on August 31.
Also on Tuesday, the Commission
will discuss the second
interim report for its
Statewide
Rail Study. The
Commission is continuing
its work developing and
refining a policy framework
and establishing specific
investment criteria for
determining if, when, and
to what degree the state
should invest in rail transportation.
The Commission’s
final report and recommendations
are due to the Legislature
in December 2006.
On Wednesday, the Commission
will consider adopting
the latest version of the
updated Washington
Transportation Plan (WTP).
During the months of July
and August, the Commission
held 15 public outreach
sessions as part of a 45-day
public comment period that
ended on Sept. 1. Commissioners
will consider revisions
made to the draft WTP based
on comments received during
this public outreach effort.
If the Commission does
not adopt a final plan
next week, it will adopt
the plan at its meeting
with local officials in
Poulsbo on Sept. 27.
Also up for adoption on
Wednesday is the final
report and recommendations
of the Commission’s
Statewide
Tolling Study.
The study will produce
a set of recommended policies
intended to guide decisions
on if, where, when and
how toll facilities should
be used in Washington.
The recommended policies
emerged from background
research and technical
analysis completed over
the past year, along with
a statewide outreach effort
that took place in June.
Related to tolling, WSDOT
staff will discuss the
latest traffic forecasts
for the Tacoma Narrows
Bridge, as well as sharing
further information on
the plan to reduce tolls
for users of the electronic
transponder, “Good
to Go!” The Commission,
as the state’s tolling
authority, is planning
to set the tolls for the
bridge early next year.
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