I went to Olympia with the purpose of ensuring that our community remains one of opportunity for all by working to make sure there is access to quality education, good-paying jobs and affordable health care for everyone in our state, especially in our region. If we are stuck in traffic going home, to school, to work, or to health care appointments and cannot rely on our transportation system to reliably get us where we need to be, the foundation and future of our community is threatened.
The Senate’s Majority Coalition Caucus recently unveiled a transportation package that would leave Clark County behind and out of a 12-year transportation package. Not one of our projects is currently included in the proposed package. In addition to the high-profile transportation project to replace the Interstate 5 Bridge that failed to gain funding this year for various reasons, we have other critical transportation infrastructure needs that, if addressed, would promote public safety, ease congestion and enhance freight mobility throughout the region, which is badly needed.
The benefits we would see from the completion of these transportation projects would help our region recover from the great recession much faster and spur the kind of economic growth our businesses need to thrive. Improvements to the Mill Plain and Port of Vancouver interchanges on I-5 would increase businesses opportunities in the downtown core, at the port and in future projects such as the waterfront redevelopment at the old Boise Cascade site along the Columbia River.
Redevelopment of the existing waterfront would become the largest waterfront redevelopment in the history of Southwest Washington; accordingly, we need a transportation system that will be able to handle increased capacities on our roadways. The business, housing and recreational activities that will open up will help connect and launch our community into the future. We cannot advance if we are unable to move our people and our goods effectively and efficiently.
Investing in transportation infrastructure is the single most important means we have of spurring economic development and making sure we continue to be a community that is moving forward. Clark County and Vancouver need the investment to jump start our moving recovery efforts – we have been a donor county for the rest of the state for too long.
I am committed to fighting for our fair share of any transportation revenue package. I am hopeful that significant Clark County projects will be included in the transportation package, investments that will allow us to use the present to make wise decisions for the future – a future that I know will keep Southwest Washington moving forward with the times and the traffic.
Sen. Annette Cleveland, D-Vancouver, represents the 49th Legislative District in the Washington State Senate. She is currently a member of three Senate committees: K-12 Education, Energy, Environment & Telecommunications and Health Care.
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