HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES 4379 CITY OF RENTON, WASHINGTON
RESOLUTION NO. 4379
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF RENTON, WASHINGTON, SUPPORTING THE
SENATE TRANSPORTATION NEW-REVENUE PACKAGE (SSB 5970/SSB 5971/SB
5972).
WHEREAS, a local, regional, and statewide transportation network is the most visible
infrastructure investment that government can make—and perhaps the most critical one; and
WHEREAS, transportation systems hold the key to moving and linking people to their
families, jobs, and schools; freight-haulers to their first- and last-mile destinations; transit users
to their appointments and places of employment; and pedestrians and bicyclists to their trails
and sidewalks; and
WHEREAS, in order to be effective, a transportation system must be safe, well-
maintained, well-connected, and multi-modal; and
WHEREAS, in Renton and throughout the Central Puget Sound, significant population and
employment growth has put an ongoing strain on our transportation system, and corridors such
as Interstate 405 have become congested and clogged throughout the work day and into the
evening; and
WHEREAS, Renton has experienced some of the most significant growth of any city in King
County, with the community's population more than doubling since the year 2000 and with
nearly 60,000 people calling Renton their place of employment; and
WHEREAS, after Seattle and Bellevue, Renton has been designated by the Puget Sound
Regional Council as the City that will accept the most additional population growth over the next
20 years; and
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RESOLUTION NO. 4379
WHEREAS, in the face of that growth,transportation and traffic challenges have only been
exacerbated, even with the Legislature's passage four years ago of the 2015 "Connecting
Washington" package; and
WHEREAS, the federal government has been only a bit player in sharing the costs of
transportation infrastructure, with a federal gas tax that has stayed static since 1993; and
WHEREAS,the Washington State Department of Transportation has identified $9.4 billion
in maintenance and operations needs on the state system, and another$9.1 billion in short-term
capacity needs, and $3.1 billion in costs to remove fish-passage barriers — not to mention the
additional challenge of addressing fish-passage barrier removals at the local level; and
WHEREAS,to take on these challenges, Senate Transportation Chairman Steve Hobbs (D-
Lake Stevens/44th Dist.) has rolled out a 10-year, $16 billion transportation new-revenue
package comprised of Substitute Senate Bill ("SSB") 5970, Substitute Senate Bill 5971, and Senate
Bill ("SB") 5972 (the "Forward Washington" package); and
WHEREAS, Senator Hobbs has worked with his committee and his vice-chair whose
District includes Renton, Sen. Rebecca Saldana (D-Seattle/37th Dist.), to move this package
forward,to invest in Interstate 405 corridor capacity improvements,to authorize the Express Toll
Lanes that are vital to accommodating Sound Transit's Bus Rapid Transit service by 2024; and
WHEREAS, the Forward Washington package also includes funding for the North 8th
Direct Access Ramp in Renton which is so vital to helping communities of color; employees of
SECO Development, PACCAR, the Boeing Co., and the Renton Airport; and visitors to destination
locations such as The Landing have a place to access the Express Toll Lanes without placing
disproportionate traffic impacts on the rest of the community;
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RESOLUTION NO. 4379
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RENTON, WASHINGTON, DO
RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION I. The Renton City Council hereby expresses its strong support for Forward
Washington and the SSB 5970, SSB 5971, and SB 5972 bills which comprise this new-revenue
package.
SECTION II. The Renton City Council further expresses its appreciation to Chairman
Hobbs, Vice-Chair Saldana, and all the Members of the Senate Transportation Committee for
shepherding this package forward.
SECTION III. The Renton City Council urges the Legislature to keep this package moving,
and to keep the 405 capacity, Express Toll Lane, and North 8th Direct Access Ramp investments
incorporated in it.
SECTION IV. The Renton City Council pledges to do whatever it can to assist the Senate
and the full Legislature to keep this package moving toward enactment during the 2019 Session.
PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL this 1st day of April, 2019.
Jason A. Seth, C y Clerk
APPROVED BY THE MAYOR this 1st day of April, 2019.
Denis Law, Mayor
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RESOLUTION NO. 4379
Approved as to form:
Shane Moloney, City Attorney _ .fir
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