On March 23, the House and Senate Transportation Chairs released their respective budgets shortly after the March 17 revenue forecast which showed the devastating impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the transportation sector. Both proposals incorporate $1 billion in federal funds from the recently passed American Rescue Plan Act to backfill what would otherwise have been a significant shortfall.

Senate Transportation Committee Chair Steve Hobbs’ (D–Lake Stevens) proposal totals just over $11.7 billion in appropriation authority and includes $5.8 billion for capital programs and $5.9 billion in operating expenditures. Notable appropriations include:

• Substantial investments with federal recovery and relief funds, including:
  • $1 billion from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to partially backfill revenue losses from the pandemic and address water infrastructure investments to remove state fish barriers;
  • $142 million from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act to help fund the removal of fish barriers; and
  • $124 million from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act to offset a shortfall of ferry fare revenue.
• Significant funding to address the state’s responsibility under the fish passage barrier removal injunction:
  • $400 million from the federal American Rescue Plan Act and an additional $726 million; and
  • Budget proviso maintains strong directive to use a watershed approach to include local culverts.
• Increased funding availability for the Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board from prior biennia; and
• Provides roughly $224 million for Transportation Improvement Board (TIB), including a designated $2.5 million for Relight WA assessment.

House Transportation Committee Chair Jake Fey’s (D–Tacoma) proposal totals nearly $11 billion and reflects a number of new legislative and governor priorities and emerging themes of diversity, equity, and green transportation investments. These appropriations include:

• Green transportation investments, including:
  • $12 million for WSDOT’s Innovative Partnership Program for alternative fuel vehicle charging infrastructure grants to expand access to electric vehicle charging and refueling infrastructure;
  • $133,000 to provide an assessment of options for a publicly available mapping and forecasting tool to provide locations and essential information on charging and refueling infrastructure; and
  • $15 million for green transportation capital grants, provided to transit agencies to fund capital projects that reduce the carbon intensity of the state transportation system.
• Significant funding to address the state’s responsibility under the fish passage barrier removal injunction:
  • $340 million from the federal American Rescue Plan Act and an additional $386 million;
  • Budget proviso maintains strong directive to use a watershed approach to include local culverts; and
  • An additional $400,000 to complete the city culvert inventory.
• Direct appropriation of $29 million to backfill revenue losses experienced by TIB; and
• Provides roughly $224 million for TIB, including a designated $7.5 million for Relight WA assessment. This includes an additional $5 million specifically for cities with assessed values over $2 billion.

Rep. Fey’s budget also priorities a number of transportation-related studies and pilot programs that may have some level of city nexus:

• City transportation equity study: Provides information on the impacts of current and historical city transportation investments on communities of color, low-income households, vulnerable populations, and displaced communities. The report must include recommendations for cities to develop best practices to improve, diversify, and expand city transportation investments.
• Truck parking action plan: Provides truck parking action plan for immediate next steps to address availability of trucking parking for commercial vehicles both in the near- and long-term.
• Road usage charge policy development: Provides road usage charge research in key policy areas related to the program, including assessing impacts of future mobility shifts on road usage charge revenues and conducting an equity analysis.

For more information regarding the proposed transportation budgets, see our transportation budget matrix.

Dates to remember

Sen. Hobbs’ transportation budget, SB 5165, was heard in the Senate Transportation Committee on March 23 and reviewed in executive session on March 25.

Rep. Fey’s transportation budget, HB 1135, was heard in the House Transportation Committee on March 23 and reviewed in executive session on March 25.