This report, summarizing the currently proposed RTID projects, focused on what the King County Department of Transportation (KCDOT) believes is the right mix of projects necessary to move our region to reliable and effective transportation solutions. The department additionally supports an approach that addresses the region’s transportation needs in two phases.

As part of this review, the department conducted a technical assessment of the current $14 billion-plus list of projects being considered by the Regional Transportation Investment District (RTID). This effort resulted in a recommended list of projects that compared the current list of proposed RTID projects against a rational set of principles and criteria. This review also revealed the need for a fundamental change in the way we measure the effectiveness of our transportation system.

As a follow-up to these recommendations, the department will next conduct a similar assessment of the various taxes and fees available to the region to fund these proposed improvements. While several funding strategies have been discussed, KCDOT staff intend to weigh these financing options against a new round of rational principles and criteria. That assessment will result in an additional set of recommendations focusing on the mix of taxes and fees that can be considered to support the necessary transportation improvements that have been outlined here.

The department believes these project recommendations and the next round of financing recommendations scheduled for completion in early October, can serve as the foundation for a comprehensive package of meaningful solutions for the region. It also supports the RTID board’s preference of proposing a project package to voters sometime in 2004.

Updated: Sept. 17, 2003