This week, the state Senate passed a $15.1 billion transportation package that includes projects affecting Redmond and the greater Eastside.
Included in the package, which passed with a 41-8 bipartisan vote, was a plan for an exit off of State-Route 520 into the Overlake area, connecting to 152nd Avenue Northeast.
Redmond City Council member Hank Myers said, the ramp will be beneficial for Redmond as it would give drivers another route option while in Overlake. The exit will also give drivers direct access to Overlake Village, the planned development at the former Group Health Cooperative campus, as well as a more direct route into the Microsoft campus, Myers said.
In addition, he said the new exit will generate new business and development in the area, ensuring the state a return on its investment.
The transportation package also includes a funding for widening Interstate 405 and completing the west side of the State Route 520 floating bridge.
King County Executive Dow Constantine said he is encouraged by the Senate passing a transportation package.
“The Senate bill includes many of the important elements that our King County coalition has sought all along: preservation and maintenance of our deteriorating roads and highways, investments in cities and counties, and increasing transportation options,” he said.
In addition to the plans for these projects, the transportation package also includes an 11.7-cent-per-gallon gas tax increase.
“Obviously, without the financing plan, the projects won’t get built,” Myers said.
This funding bill was passed by a 27-22 margin. Myers said the bill needed 25 yes votes to pass, but it needed 30 yes votes to give the state the authority to sell bonds for the proposed projects. He said this would give the state money up front to pay for the projects. Whereas with the alternative — not selling bonds — the state would be on a “pay-as-you-go” basis with its projects.
Sen. Cyrus Habib, D-Kirkland, was one of the 22 senators to vote against the gas-tax increase.
As previously reported, he said he approved most of the projects and revenue sources identified in the $15.1 billion package, including the gas-tax increase.
“I think that the revenue source is fine, and I like the spending in general, with some exceptions,” he said.
However, Habib joined a number of Democrats on the transportation committee in voting against sending the package to the floor due to a Republican-led policy — or a “poison pill” — that would divert transit, pedestrian, bike path, state patrol and local-improvement monies in the package to roads, should Gov. Jay Inslee issue an executive order setting low-carbon fuel standards.
Myers said according to Washington’s constitution, revenue from gas taxes must be used for roads. However with this package, a compromise was struck so that 20 percent of the revenue raised would go to multi-modal transportation projects such as buses and light rail.
Myers said Inslee has an important decision to make, but added that there is still one more month left in the legislative session and anything can happen in the meantime.
Brandon Macz of the Bellevue Reporter contributed to this article.
