Meeting Minutes from InspireSeattle Social on May 12, 2012
Transportation Issues in the Greater Seattle Region
Tom Rasmussen has been a member of the Seattle City Council for nine years and for the last three
years he has chaired the transportation committee.
Seattle faces many challenges with the growth of population and increasing congestion.
One complication comes from the fact that the responsibilities for safe, efficient transportation
are split among the federal, state and local levels of government. The federal government
government will need to approve any future tolling on I-90 or I-5 (i.e., interstate highways).
In Washington State the legislative majority required to raise new taxes has been increased
as we face another budget that carries a deficit and this has already affected funding for transportation.
A “Bridging the Budget Gap” levy was approved in 2006 but it was based on property taxes and was followed
by a drop in real estate values. As a result it has fallen short of its funding goal of $365 million.
In the last election the state also lost revenue from the $60 car tab fee. As a result, our current
funding for transportation remains dependent on an antiquated model of gas taxes. However, Seattle
and other cities continue to work with Olympia to expand our funding options. At this point there is
a $1.8 billion backlog of road maintenance opportunities that lack funding. Overall funding of
transportation by the state is down by 24%.
Part of Seattle’s job going forward is to educate other parts of Washington why more state funding
needs to go to Seattle. Up to now transportation funding has been divided among regions of the
state by a fixed formula rather than apportioning those funds according to need. Poor road
conditions and congestion in our city not only affect Seattle but every other region of the
state that must reach our ports.
Over the next few years Seattle’s aging electric trolleys will be replaced with 160 new ones.
There is also a lot of work being done to understand how tolling will affect traffic and which
routes (I-90 and I-5 in particular) will be impacted.
We had a very lively and informative discussion. Thank you Tom for taking the time to come talk with us!
Guest Speaker:
Tom Rasmussen: First elected to Seattle City Council in 2004, Tom’s current Council term runs through 2015.
Tom began his public service in Seattle as legislative aide to former Seattle city councilmember Jeanette Williams.
Transportation issues were a primary focus of Tom's work within the City Council. During that time he also protected
and improved Seattle's environment by successfully organizing the support to save Seattle's greenbelts and open
spaces and acquiring historic Kubota Gardens.
As a community leader, Tom chaired the Parks Committee of the Queen Anne Community Council. He led the acquisition
of property resulting in the development of one of the largest new parks on Queen Anne. A long time advocate for
human rights and social justice locally and nationally, Tom served on the national board of Lambda Legal Defense
and Education Fund. He was a founder and first co-chair of the Privacy Fund the state-wide organization in Washington
created to work for the rights of gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgendered people.
Tom is a member of the Washington State Bar Association. He is a former Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for Yakima County
and continues to work for victims of crime and neglect.
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Previous meeting minutes
- June 3, 2017, Immigration Workshop
- February 19, 2017, Action Against Trump
- December 4, 2016, Transforming Anger
- July 9, 2016, Growth in West Seattle
- May 7, 2016, Trans-Pacific Partnership
- March 5, 2016, Hidden Half of Nature
- November 15, 2015, Nick Licata: ALEC
- October 3, 2015, City Council Forum
- May 30, 2015, Income Inequality
- April 25, 2015, Ending the War on Drugs
- March 14, 2015, Consequences of Energy
- February 7, 2015, Fighting Hunger
- November 15, 2014, Restoring Democracy
- October 4, 2014, The Political Mind
- May 31, 2014, Obamacare
- May 3, 2014, Surveillance Technology
- March 8, 2014, Sexual Abuse in the Military
- January 25, 2014, No New Jim Crow
- November 16, 2013, WAmend: SuperPacs
- October 19, 2013, Earthquake Risk
- September 7, 2013, Wiring the Brain
- June 8, 2013, Who are the Moochers?
- April 27, 2013, Port of Seattle
- March 23, 2013, Electing by District
- February 23, 2013, Beyond Coal
- January 12, 2013, Saving Our Forests
- October 20, 2012, Climate Change
- September 15, 2012, Initiative Process
- June 16, 2012, J Street
- May 12, 2012, Transportation in Seattle
- March 31, 2012, Death Penalty
- February 25, 2012, Duwamish River
- January 21, 2012, Bob Ferguson
- November 19, 2011, Immigration Policy
- October 15, 2011, Inequality
- June 18, 2011, Social Justice Issues
- May 21, 2011, Washington Investment Trust
- April 23, 2011, Panel: Community Needs
- February 26, 2011, Sustainability
- January 22, 2011, Social Security
- November 6, 2010, Health Care Reform
- October 2, 2010, Charter Schools
- June 26, 2010, Sustainable Biofuels
- May 22, 2010, Education in Afghanistan
- March 20, 2010, Debt Relief
- January 23, 2010, Recycling
- November 7, 2009, Genetically Engineered Foods
- October 10, 2009, Homelessnesss
- September 19, 2009, Population
- June 13, 2009, Racism
- May 16, 2009, Nuclear Energy
- April 11, 2009, Affluenza
- March 7, 2009, Education
- January 10, 2009, Iraqi Refugees
- November 8, 2008, Palestine
- October 11, 2008, Corporate Responsibility
- September 13, 2008, Sally Clark
- June 21, 2008, U.N. Millenium Goals Project
- May 16, 2008, Evangelicalism
- March 29, 2008, Media
- February 23, 2008, Niger Delta
- January 19, 2008, Environmental Issues in Washington State
- Nov. 17, 2007, Affordable Housing
- Oct. 13, 2007, Health vs. Healthcare
- Sept. 8, 2007, Nick Licata
- June 23, 2007, Local Transportation
- May 5, 2007, Global Warming
- Mar. 31, 2007, Publicly Financing Campaigns & Impeachment
- Feb. 09, 2007, Family Planning and Population
- Jan. 6, 2007, Peak Oil
- Oct. 20, 2006, Upcoming Election, David Goldstein
- Sept. 17, 2006, Initiative Process
- July 22, 2006, Women in Politics
- June 10, 2006, Local Transportation
- April 22, 2006, Language in Politics
- Feb. 25, 2006, War in Iraq
- Jan. 14, 2006, Eric Oemig
Previous IAN Events
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