Rep. Jessyn Farrell, D-Seattle, who represents Kenmore from the 46th District, has issued the following statement regarding the transportation revenue bill that passed out of the legislature early this morning:

“Since being elected three years ago I have been working hard to help build a transportation package that can bring our transportation infrastructure into the 21st century. I am pleased that after a decade without significant investment in transportation, I was able to vote yes to pass a transportation revenue package out of the legislature. This measure will keep Washington moving forward.

The transportation package will help maintain our roads and bridges and make investments in multimodal and transit infrastructure. The package will inject over $16 billion in our transportation system, creating jobs and helping to grow our economy. Additionally, the measure gives Sound Transit authority to ask voters to approve $15 billion for much needed transit for the Puget Sound Region. I was successful in fighting to make sure that the additional $500 million in taxes that Sound Transit would pay under this plan will be reinvested back in the Puget Sound area.

The measure implements great reforms that will improve the efficiency of our transportation system. Transit agencies throughout the Puget Sound region will have incentives to coordinate their efforts, providing better service for users and saving tax payer dollars in the process. Requiring that the Washington State Department of Transportation apply practical design standards for projects will make sure that roads are designed with the needs of the community in mind.

The “poison pill” that prevents the Governor from enacting a low-carbon fuel standard remains in the final negotiated agreement. This anti-environmental policy is offensive and doesn’t belong in a transportation budget. I will continue to work with my colleagues and the Governor’s office to establish a low-carbon fuel standard and to take other actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Washington.

Important transportation investments will be made in the 46th district including $16 million for Burke-Gilman Trail Transit Access, Safety, and Efficiency Improvements; $10 million for the Northgate Ped/Bike Bridge; $12 million for the final segment of SR 522 in Kenmore; $8 million for the Sammamish River Bridge replacement in Kenmore; and $875,000 for the Lyon Creek Culvert in Lake Forest Park.”