Dear Colleagues:

During the past two years, transportation has dominated public discussion as the number one issue in Snohomish County and the region.  Each of us knows of traffic problems in our community as we commute to work, run errands and enjoy our quality of life.  As County Council Chair and County Executive, we wanted to give you an update on important recent developments.

At the March 2002, SCT Steering Committee meeting, we first made a presentation to you on the state's transportation legislation.  As we told you at that time, the Washington State Legislature passed two separate bills intended to address both statewide (Senate Bill 6347) and regional (Senate Bill 6140) transportation problems.  The statewide package, on the ballot this November as Referendum 51, will provide important funding for many critical projects in Snohomish County, but by itself, it cannot meet our needs.  The other tool adopted by the legislature authorizes the creation of a Regional Transportation Investment District (RTID), whereby Snohomish County can partner with King and Pierce counties to more completely address our regional needs.

The RTID as an additional funding tool can potentially bring needed resources to the major highways and other transportation systems of our region to reduce congestion and enhance mobility.  The executives and transportation staff of Snohomish, King and Pierce Counties have spent two months working to craft a range of options that could be delivered by an RTID.  The three county councils, which are the decision makers under the RTID legislation, will build on the work in cooperation with all the stakeholders from the region. 

At the March 2002 SCT meeting we said we would share the work on the regional package with you when a draft was ready.  Attached is the present status of the work, along with an explanatory letter from the three county executives.  The project lists in Snohomish County have been built on the work that resulted in the Snohomish County Unified List of Critical Transportation Projects, as briefly described at the same March SCT meeting.  We both believe it is a good start.  Your involvement will be critical to our success.  Please review the materials-we look forward to any questions, comments or concerns you might have.  You can contact Council Chair Nelson's office at 425-388-3494, or Executive Drewel's office at 425-388-3460.

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