On the 2008 ballot in Washington State, 10% of car sales tax into a fund to reduce traffic congestion
Newest Eyman initiative aims to soothe WA traffic jams
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Initiative activist Tim Eyman’s newest target could bring hallelujahs from frustrated commuters: a special state bank account dedicated to smoothing out traffic jams.
Eyman unveiled his 2008 ballot measure on Wednesday, calling it a follow-up to 2005’s government performance audits and a wake-up call for cautious politicians.
“This is a big, big problem,” Eyman said. “And I think there is a tendency in Olympia to say, ‘Well, it’s an election year, it’s too tough, it’s controversial, and we’re just going to wait a year.’”
If qualified for the ballot and approved by voters this fall, the initiative would divert 10 percent of vehicle sales taxes to a new “Reduce Traffic Congestion Account.” Eyman said that would amount to about $85 million per year.
Lawmakers would decide how to divide the spending among three top priorities: opening up car pool lanes during off-peak travel times, synchronizing traffic lights on heavily traveled arterials and boosting roadside assistance crews.
If the state starts collecting tolls for single drivers using car pool lanes during peak hours, that money also would be deposited in the traffic congestion account. So would the percentage of spending on public-works projects that presently is earmarked for art purchases.
The initiative also would require local governments to spend money collected through red-light violation cameras on local traffic congestion projects.
Eyman plans to officially file the initiative on Friday - that’s when it’s assigned a number - and immediately begin his paid signature-gathering efforts. Organizers need to collect about 225,000 voter signatures by July to make the ballot.
Eyman, who makes a living promoting his anti-tax and government performance ballot measures, said he was spurred to tackle the topic by state Auditor Brian Sonntag’s October audit of the state’s approach to reducing traffic congestion.
In short, Sonntag’s report said the public was fired up about traffic tie-ups and the state wasn’t doing enough to solve the problem.
Lawmakers realize the electorate is frustrated by traffic problems, said House Transportation Committee Chairwoman Judy Clibborn, D-Mercer Island. But the state’s long-term highway plans also have to tackle safety and maintenance worries.
“I think we’re as interested in getting congestion relief as anybody is,” Clibborn said. “I don’t think we’re ignoring things. It’s just that we have emergencies and safety issues that take precedence.”
And even though safety concerns might give a particular highway project greater priority, those fixes will help ease congestion too, Clibborn said.
But Sonntag, also a Democrat, said lawmakers still haven’t made traffic relief the high priority that Washingtonians are asking for. “Maybe the filing of this initiative gets the Legislature’s attention that this indeed is a big deal to citizens out there,” he said.