State Transportation Commission to discuss long-term ferry funding and performance audits
Posted
7.11.08
Transportation Commission
Office - PO Box 47308 -
Olympia, WA 98504-7308
(360) 705-7070
Date: July 10, 2008
| Contact: |
Reema
Griffith, Transportation
Commission Executive
Director, 360-705-7070 |
| |
E-mail: transc@wsdot.wa.gov |
OLYMPIA – Performance audits, the Columbia River Crossing project and a new transportation revenue forecast are among the topics of discussion when the Washington State Transportation Commission meets next week in Olympia. Commissioners will also hold a workshop to produce a short list of funding options for ferries as part of their Ferry Funding Study.
The meeting starts at 9 a.m., Tuesday, July 15, at the Transportation Building, Commission Boardroom, 310 Maple Park Avenue SE, in Olympia. It will continue at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, July 16, in the same location. Commission meetings are open to the public and persons wishing to address the Commission may do so during the public comment period scheduled on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.
On Tuesday, the State Auditor’s Office will present an overview of the final reports of recent performance audits of the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). Performance audits were conducted on different aspects of WSDOT’s operations including Washington State Ferries, congestion management in the Puget Sound area, administration and overhead, and highway maintenance and construction management. WSDOT staff will report on the status of activities related to the audit findings.
The Commission will discuss the Columbia River Crossing project, a bridge, transit and highway improvement project. The project is designed to reduce congestion and improve safety on a five-mile segment of Interstate 5 between Vancouver, WA, and Portland, OR. WSDOT’s Southwest Region Administrator Don Wagner will describe how the bi-state project is being managed and coordinated through environmental permitting, tolling discussions, and designing and building processes.
Also on Tuesday, WSDOT staff will present the June 2008 Transportation Revenue Forecast which projects revenues in the current two-year budget period at $4.18 billion compared to February’s projection of $4.21 billion, a two percent reduction. The projections are the result of higher actual and projected fuel prices and a slowing in the projected growth of real personal income. WSDOT is in the process of building its 2009-2011 biennial budget request and will need to consider these reductions when developing its new two-year budget and expenditure plan.
On Wednesday, Commissioners will hold a workshop to examine a list of possible revenue options identified in the Long-Term Ferry Funding Study to assess those which may be viable revenue sources. Once a short list is developed, those sources will be tested and modeled to determine how much revenue could be generated by each source. The Commission is considering possible taxes, ferry user-fees and other fees, such as vehicle and license fees. The study is being conducted by the Commission’s consultant, Cambridge Systematics.
Commission members on Tuesday will honor retiring Commissioner Dale Stedman, Spokane, whose term expired on June 30, 2008. Stedman was appointed by Gov. Gary Locke. The Commission is a seven member body of citizens appointed by the Governor for six-year terms.
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