Proposals in the Washington legislature could finally give the Puget Sound area the kind of government that has long helped Portland and Vancouver meet regional transportation needs.
The legislation, based on recommendations late last year by a study group, would create a new board with authority to prioritize, plan and finance transportation projects in four counties. Best of all, the proposals would make someone accountable for transportation plans in an area where six agencies currently overlap.
Streamlining transportation planning shouldn't interrupt the series of projects currently in the pipeline, such as the package of roads and extending light rail that will be on the ballot in November. It's worth noting that there is a lot of transportation work being done in the area -- despite criticism from the right. Unfortunately it's not bearing results fast enough because there's little coordination with development patterns.
The proposal doesn't mean that a new regional government body should force projects on neighborhoods. Accountability is a key gripe with the system in Vancouver, where proposals for a planning agency covering a larger area are criticized for overlooking local concerns. A regional approach also definitely doesn't mean Seattle should be forced to accept a new elevated freeway, editorials in the Seattle Times to the contrary.
The devil is in the details, of course. The version passed in the Senate would create an 8-member board (with 8 elected) and begin operation this year, raising questions about how existing projects would continue. A House version would study how to implement a regional transportation body this year. While neither is perfect, a compromise could be a step in the right direction.
The fact is the Seattle area needs far more transportation projects than it can pay for with taxes, tolls or congestion pricing. In order to keep the region functioning, someone needs to set priorities to develop a more efficient system.