Our biggest concern with I-1125 is the provision that requires the state Legislature to set toll rates. While that sounds appropriate, state Treasurer Jim McIntire says no other state in the union vests the Legislature with toll-setting authority for good reason.
Bonding companies prefer an independent toll authority with predictability. Bonding companies would be reluctant to finance projects where funding is set by the whims of the Legislature.
McIntire says that bonding companies would simply refuse to issue bonds for toll projects backed by toll revenue. He says the mandate to have lawmakers set toll fees is a “killer” because it would threaten the construction of the 520 bridge in Seattle, Highway 509 between Seattle and Tacoma, Highway 167 in Pierce County and every other project where tolls are anticipated. Without bonds, backed by independently set toll commissions, Washington’s projects would be jeopardized. It would likely lead to higher gasoline taxes.
McIntire puts it succinctly when he says, “We simply cannot sell toll-backed bonds if the Legislature is the toll-setting authority.” That’s a recipe for gridlock and that fact alone should persuade voters to cast ballots against I-1125.
A reliable transportation system with much-needed road and bridge improvements, is key to a growing Washington economy. A failing transportation infrastructure would cripple this state – from the ability of farmers in Eastern Washington to get their products to the Port of Seattle to the ability of commuters along the Interstate 5 corridor to get to and from work.
We prefer today’s existing toll-setting system where the independent, state Transportation Commission sets the rates after relying on recommendations forwarded by a local citizens advisory committee.
In the case of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, the nine-member advisory committee is composed of permanent residents living in the vicinity of the bridge. They meet and hold public hearings every time a toll increase is proposed. These are neighbors and fellow bridge users working together to set reasonable rates. The decisions are made locally, and are not subject to political gamesmanship under the Capitol dome.
There are other reasons to vote against Eyman’s measure.
For example, I-1125 overrules the will of the electorate when it comes to extending light rail on Interstate 90. The initiative says: “State government, the department of transportation, and other agencies may not transfer or use gas-tax-funded or toll-funded lanes on state highways for non-highway purposes.”
The initiative would prevent Sound Transit, the regional light rail system, from replacing the center lanes on I-90 with light rail. Voters in Sound Transit’s district boundaries have already approved light rail across the I-90 bridge, so Eyman’s initiative would overrule that public vote.
Isn’t he the one who is always crying when the Legislature overrules public votes on tax issues? Apparently it’s OK for Eyman’s initiative to torpedo a public vote, but sinister when lawmakers do the same thing in a budget emergency.
There are other problems with the initiative as it is drafted.
It eliminates congestion pricing, which is a tool to ease gridlock, by charging a higher fee at peak commuter times. Congestion pricing benefits drivers and businesses by reducing delays and stress, by increasing the predictability of trip times, and by providing state officials with additional revenue to cover project costs.
Additionally, I-1125 says that tolls must end once the state has finished paying off the bonds for the construction project. Opponents note that our roadways require ongoing maintenance. The bonds for the 520 bridge won’t be paid off for 40 years, McIntire said. At that point, the bridge will likely need additional maintenance or expansion. If the tolls continue, the state can use those dollars for maintenance or future construction.
An example might be the tolls that were put in place for the construction of the first Tacoma Narrows bridge. When the 1940 Narrows Bridge opened, the traveling public paid 50 cents a car and 10 cents per passenger. The average toll was 83 cents. Had that toll been continued, imagine the pot of money that would have been available to offset the $735 million cost to build the second Tacoma Narrows Bridge in 2007. Today that eastbound span, the first toll in Western Washington in more than two decades, is $4. This is a typical Eyman initiative that overreaches and attempts to tackle multiple issues with a single initiative. By cluttering I-1125 with multiple requirements, Eyman has torpedoed his own effort. Toll rates should be set as close to the users as possible, not by lawmakers trading political favors in Olympia. That’s why voters should reject Initiative 1125 on Nov. 8.
