The Regional Transportation Investment District’s (RTID) Executive Board today approved a plan for major road and bridge improvements in the most congested corridors in Pierce, King and Snohomish counties.

If approved by voters in November, the Roads & Transit plan would make the most significant regional transportation investments since the freeway system was built 50 years ago.

For years the citizens of this region have asked for one thing when it comes to transportation: They have said ‘show us a plan, that is integrated, that makes getting around this region easier and tell us how much it will cost and what the benefits are.’

They have said ‘we are tired of band aids and quick fixes, we want a vision for how the Puget Sound region is going to make real improvements to its transportation system.’

The Roads and Transit plan is a comprehensive approach to transportation that will make it easier for millions of people to move around this region whether you are in a bus, a train, a car pool, on a bike or driving alone. This is the plan voters have been demanding.

Whether you live in South King County, or Seattle or Everett or University Place, this plan will improve your commute and give you more options so you can get to school, work and home more reliably.

This plan is built on years of public input. Input from local elected leaders, business leaders and leaders from the environmental and labor communities. It has evolved significantly over the years. At one point in time a draft $13 billion road plan was considered. It was too big, and it was not integrated with transit investments.

While some interests want to continue to pit roads against transit and vice versa, we know that an overwhelming majority of citizens want both road AND transit improvements. This plan invests in both and puts an end to the destructive war between road and transit investments that has held our region back.

• The Roads and Transit plan will replace the 520 bridge. Without this plan, there is no alternative proposal on the table today for how to replace this failing bridge.

• The Roads and Transit plan will finally connect SR 509 all the way to I-5 and take thousands of trucks off I-5 every day.

• It will close the gaps in our HOV system on 167 and fix the worst chokepoints on this important roadway that connects affordable housing to our major job centers.

• It will improve the dangerous interchange at Hwy 18 and I-5 and eliminate the weaving that takes place today.

• It will make it easier for buses to enter and exit our freeway system.

• It will improve the worst commute in the state of WA between Renton and Bellevue.

• And it will provide important transit mitigation to keep people moving while our roads are under construction.

It is time for our region to come together and give voters the opportunity to consider these important investments.

While this plan is built around a 20 year construction schedule – these projects and these investments will provide benefits well beyond 20 years. These projects will deliver benefit in 2030, in 2040, 2050 and beyond. We are making a 75 plus year investment.

In 1968 in King County, the plan to construct a rapid transit system fell short of the 60 percent required for approval. That plan would have been completely paid for by now and would have been up and running decades ago. We can’t go back to 1968 and we can’t go to Atlanta to get back the federal funds that would have come our way if the plan was approved. But we can make the investments in the road and transit projects we know our region will need to thrive for the next 40 years.

That is the decision that is before our region and I am very pleased to have had the opportunity today to move this plan one step closer to voter consideration in November.