AASHTO Journal, 15 August 2014
The Washington State Transportation Commission is taking to the road with the draft 2035 transportation plan to find out what the state’s residents want to see in their transportation future.
According to the Transportation Commission, “The draft WTP 2035 is the result of close collaboration and input between the Washington State Department of Transportation and Regional Transportation Planning Organization, an advisory group made up of a diverse set of key stakeholders including representatives from cities, counties, ports, transit and organizations representing business and environmental perspectives throughout Washington state.”
The 2035 draft plan identifies four trends that are expected to influence transportation policy decisions.
- Demographic changes, primarily that Washington’s population is growing and aging.
- Changing preferences toward driving less, especially in urban areas where more people are biking, walking and using public transit.
- Aging infrastructure reflected in the state’s moderate declines in roadway conditions in the five years since the last statewide plan. The Transportation Commission reports that across modes, maintenance and preservation needs remain unmatched by transportation revenues.
- Shift in funding away from federal funds. The Transportation Commission reports that state and local governments are shouldering an increasing proportion of transportation expenditures previously funded by other means.
For more on the Washington State draft transportation plan, visit www.wtp2035.com.