UPDATE: House of Transportation Committee passed Amendment 643 that will reinstate $5.7 million in the budget for Commute Trip Reduction & Regional Mobility Grants. Thank you Representative Fey for your support in passing this amendment.

As the Washington State Legislature works to finalize its transportation budget, Move Redmond is sounding the alarm on key threats in both the House and Senate budget proposals. Alongside our partners at Commute Seattle and Downtown On the Go, we’ve been advocating for a more sustainable, people-focused approach to transportation investments. Today, we sent two letters to legislators—one to the Senate Transportation Committee and one jointly signed by over 60 organizations and individuals—urging lawmakers to reject harmful cuts and taxes and protect the programs that move people, not just cars.

In partnership with our fellow Transportation Management Associations (TMAs), Commute Seattle and Downtown on the Go, we’ve been hard at work advocating for a more safe, sustainable, and equitable approach to investments in transportation. 

Today, we sent two letters- one to the Senate Transportation Committee, and one jointly signed by over 60 organizations and individuals- urging lawmakers to reject harmful cuts and taxes to the programs that move people, not just cars. 

What’s Happening With the State Budget?

Washington is facing a large transportation budget shortfall. A decline in gas tax revenue, combined with ballooning highway project costs and backlogged maintenance has left our elected leaders with tough choices. Unfortunately, some of the proposed solutions in the House and Senate budgets would set us back instead of moving us forward. 

The House transportation budget would cut funding to the State’s Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) budget by two-thirds, and completely eliminate funding to its Regional Mobility Grant (RMG) and ridesharing programs. The Senate proposal would maintain funding for CTR and RMGs, but introduces harmful new taxes, including a 10% surcharge on electric bicycles and taxes on transit, effectively penalizing sustainable transportation options that people from all walks of life and every corner of Washington rely on to get around. 

These proposals come at a time when Washingtonians have made their values clear. Our recent defeat of Initiative 2117 shows broad public support for investments in climate resiliency and a more balanced transportation system. Now is not the time to tax the tools proven to reduce emissions, increase access, and save money.

Our Response

In our letters, we urged lawmakers to reject harmful cuts and taxes to the programs that move people, not just cars. We opposed the surcharge on e-bikes (“An electric bicycle is not so much a “luxury” bicycle, as it is a replacement for a car.”), taxes to transit agencies (“The increased burden on transit will be felt most by public agencies and those that depend on their services- many of whom already face barriers to mobility.”), cuts to CTR funding, and the elimination of funding to ridesharing programs and Regional Mobility Grants.

How to Take Action

You can read our letter to the Senate Transportation Committee and the joint sign-on letter to the House Transportation Committee we submitted today. And we urge you to join us and our partners in fighting these cuts:

• Participate in Transportation Choices Coalition’s action alert by sending a letter to legislators today asking them to oppose these taxes.
• Sign on to the joint letter to House of Transportation Committee Here 
• Share this with your friends, colleagues, partners, and organizations who care about safe, sustainable transportation.

Washington has an opportunity to chart a more sustainable path- but only if we speak up! Let’s protect the programs that work and push back on taxes that would move us in the wrong direction.

Stay tuned for updates as we continue this fight alongside you.

— Move Redmond