Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation Horizon 2050 topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
SRTC's Horizon 2050 forecasts $16.1 billion for regional transportation through 2050 and flags major preservation shortfall
Summary
Jason Lane of the Spokane Regional Transportation Council presented the draft Horizon 2050 plan, projecting roughly $16.1 billion in reasonably expected transportation revenue through 2050 while identifying a multi-billion-dollar gap to preserve the existing system; the draft was released in October and the SRTC board is scheduled to vote Dec. 11.
Jason Lane, planning manager with the Spokane Regional Transportation Council, told the Plan Commission that Horizon 2050 is a fiscally constrained long-range transportation plan for Spokane County that bundles projects, programs and a 25-year financial forecast. "Horizon 2050...is the long range transportation plan for the region," Lane said, and the draft has been publicly available since early October.
Lane said the plan reflects three consistent public and technical priorities: maintenance and preservation of the existing system, safety (with a high-injury network identified in the regional safety action plan), and an emphasis on multimodal projects including active transportation, transit and freight. Outreach included an online survey and a series of workshops and events that generated slightly more than 300 survey responses and poster exercises; maintenance and preservation received the strongest public preference.
The plan presents regional forecasts and modeling that assume baseline conditions from 2022, account for external trips (including commuters from North Idaho) and incorporate near-term regionally significant projects such as completion of the North Spokane Corridor and Division bus rapid transit. Lane summarized growth projections of roughly 120,000 new residents by 2050 (bringing the region to about 670,000 people) and approximately 75,000 new jobs.
On funding, Lane said the plan conservatively extrapolates historical funding trends and projects around $16.1 billion reasonably expected for transportation through 2050. He warned of a large preservation gap: a high-level estimate to keep the system in a state of good repair approaches or exceeds $12 billion, compared with roughly $4.5 billion budgeted in the plan for preservation. "Most of the funding is allocated towards maintenance, operations and preservation," he said, but "we also understand that that's not really meeting the need." The shortfall prompts consideration of additional revenue strategies and a planned transportation funding study.
Commissioners pressed Lane on modeling assumptions, corridor prioritization and possible funding mechanisms, asking whether congestion in 2050 is inherently bad and how much of the forecast relies on stable federal and state support. Lane said the forecast is conservative but imperfect and noted that large swings are possible depending on future federal bills and local revenue choices. He also said SRTC will conduct an I-90 corridor study to investigate sources of severe delay identified in the model.
Next steps: Lane said the draft comment period closed Nov. 10 and SRTC staff will take updates to committees ahead of a Dec. 11 SRTC board vote on final approval.
