The Joint Transportation Committee (JTC) recently released its Statewide Transportation Needs Assessment report, providing a comprehensive analysis of transportation funding mechanisms necessary to address critical transportation needs and local priorities.

In 2019, the Legislature requested a study to assess statewide transportation needs and priorities from 2022-2031. The report is the first of a multi-phased analysis of Washington’s transportation system and considers the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the consequences of Initiative 976.

The JTC’s report presents a ten-year needs assessment, with categorical estimates of critical funding needs. The findings suggest that in the next decade, cities will face:

• $3.3 billion – $4 billion in administration and operation programmatic costs
• $5.9 billion – $7.2 billion in maintenance needs
• $7.3 billion – $12 billion in system preservation costs
• $3.1 billion – $4.1 billion in system improvements

This ten-year cost estimates for city transportation needs exceed $20 billion – in fact, JTC estimates city needs could reach as high as $28 billion. No other local government in the state requires such a significant estimate.

Unfortunately, the above number does not include other critical city transportation investments, such as:

• ADA investments
• Pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure
• Safety enhancements
• Fish passage barrier removal
• Deferred maintenance

JTC’s report asserts that the current funding for each jurisdiction is less than half of what is needed, without considering catch-up on deferred maintenance and preservation. If the report is accurate, cities face a more than $8 billion funding gap within the next ten years.

To view the full report, including a detailed menu of funding options and potential impacts from I-976 and COVID-19, click here.