Washington voters will not be asked to raise gas taxes or any other tax related to roads this fall. The House Transportation Committee agreed yesterday that there’d be no ballot measure sent to voters asking for a tax increase to pay for more road projects this year.
The proposed House Transportation budget includes $72 million over the next two years for the North Spokane Corridor, $12 million to replace the Keller Ferry, plus money for a variety of projects such as Havana Street, Bigelow Gulch Road, the Geiger Spur rail project and for six bicycle and pedestrian safety projects around Spokane.
The Spokesman-Review has more on the proposed budget.
8 comments:
So for the NSC...$72 million a year for two years makes $36 million a year. For ease of calculation, the project will cost somewhere around $3.6 billion. That means we are funding 1% of the project per year. Assuming we have one quarter of the project done at this point and projecting that we will maintain the same level of funding, it will take us 75 years to finish it. Ribbon cutting in 2086. Shucks, I'll be dead by then.
Well... I guess that COULD happen but not very likely. Area senators and representatives have committed to securing funds for this, local transportation agencies have agreed this is a 'priority' project (meaning it will get funding before projects not considered a priority), and a recent statistically valid telephone survey we commissioned came back saying the public also considers the NSC a priority and would be willing to be taxed more or pay higher fees for transportation projects if they knew the money would stay in the region.
That's not a guarantee of any kind by any means, but it shows a commitment to making this happen. Sure, it will be several more years before the NSC is complete, but I think we'll get there long before 2086. Heck, I hope to be using by personal jet pack by at least 2040 so we may not even need roads then :)
Here's more info @Anonymous that Jeff Selle in our office just sent me: WSDOT is listing 2017 as their year of completion for the NSC. Here's a link to the phases of the project and what years they're supposed to be complete, plus how much each is expected to cost: http://www.transinfo.state.wa.us/Projects/frmProjectDetail.asp?projectdescid=28377011
Thanks, this supports my point. It only shows $600 million of the (according to wsdot) $2.8-3.0 billion total project cost. Where is the other 80% of the money to finish the project?
The $2.8 billion didn't sound like the most recent number so I called up Bob Westby at the WSDOT, who is second in command on that project. He said the new number (in 2010 dollars) is $1.3 billion and they're on a 20 year plan to finish the project completely. So if you can hang on until 2033 @Anonymous, you can accompany me to the ribbon cutting. If I also make it that long, that is.
Ill be in the ground by then so i wont join you but even if that is true. BIG if, because they have spent half that money, aren't half way done, and have by far the most expensive pieces remaining (crossing the river and connecting to I-90). They should update their website and explain how they shaved $1.5 billion off of their estimate from 2 years ago and how they are going to get the other $700 million that wasn't included in that chart you posted. I'm not trying to be a pain in the rear, I am just trying to understand.
You're not a pain. Sounds like you know more about it than I do though :) I've been split between so many projects over the past couple years I haven't had much contact with the NSC. I'll ask the 'big guns' and see what I can get back to you with.
Okay, just hear back from my 'contact' at WSDOT. He acknowledged that the WSDOT NSC webpage is out of date and said this:
"When we spoke yesterday I said the current cost in 2010 dollars is 1.3 billion and we have a 20 year buildout plan, I didn’t tell you that the $ 1.3 billion cost over 20 years is $1.96 billion. We use a risk based estimating process and utilize independent industry experts to develop a project estimate every two years. Several things changed between the 2008 and 2010 study. We have re-designed the section of the project from the Spokane River to Francis Ave for an estimated savings of $300 million and we have also seen real estate costs drop. These are the primary factors in the savings your blogger has noticed."
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