Roads and Transit Plan

03/12/2007

Despite all the chattering over the viaduct, there’s a much bigger transportation issue looming on the horizon. Tonight (Monday) King County Councilmembers and the public will get a preview of a multibillion dollar Roads and Transit Plan (RTID). The three county RTID plan is expected to be on the fall ballot. KUOW’s Jamala Henderson has more.

THE ROADS AND TRANSIT PLAN WOULD INCLUDE FUNDING FOR FREEWAYS, LIGHT AND COMMUTER RAIL. IT WILL ALSO FUND EXPRESS AND LOCAL BUS SERVICE. TONIGHT’S TOWN HALL WILL FOCUS ON MOVING PEOPLE FROM SOUTH PUGET SOUND TO SEATTLE AND BELLEVUE MORE QUICKLY.

KRIS LUND IS DIRECTOR OF THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION INVESTMENT DISTRICT.

LUND: "We have many people coming from the south. From pierce county even from Thurston county to find jobs in Bellevue and Seattle. We used to always think of people coming to Seattle for the jobs, but now they are starting to commute to Bellevue as much as Seattle."

RTID AND SOUND TRANSIT OFFICIALS WILL DISCUSS HOW THE PLAN WILL IMPACT KING COUNTY. METRO TRANSIT OFFICIALS WILL EXPLAIN HOW PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION WILL FIT INTO THE OVERALL PICTURE.

THE FINAL PLAN WILL NEED APPROVAL FROM THE KING, PIERCE AND SNOHOMISH COUNTY COUNCILS IN ORDER TO MAKE THE BALLOT THIS FALL.

THE TOWN HALL WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE SPIRIT OF WASHINGTON EVENT CENTER IN RENTON, TONIGHT (MONDAY) AT 6:30 P.M. JAMALA HENDERSON, KUOW NEWS.

© Copyright 2007, KUOW