Senate committee hears broad support for $1.1B bond authorization and $17.5B transportation supplemental

Senate Transportation Committee staff and hundreds of witnesses spent Tuesday weighing claims and requests tied to two linked measures: a proposed substitute to SB 6,225 that would authorize $1.1 billion in general obligation transportation bonds and related authorizations, and SB 6,005, a proposed substitute supplemental transportation budget that raises the six‑year plan to $17.5 billion.

Haley Gamble, committee staff, told members the bond substitute authorizes $1,100,000,000 in general obligation bonds that would be paid first from excise and vehicle-related fees and then backed by the state’s full faith and credit. The substitute also adds $400,000,000 for completion of Move Ahead Washington projects identified on a specified list and increases toll-backed SR 520 bond authorization by $500,000,000 to $2,450,000,000. Gamble said three unused 1990s authorizations would sunset.

Gamble also summarized the transportation supplemental in SB 6,005. She said the six‑year plan totals $17,500,000,000, with this supplemental adding $1,500,000,000 to last year’s $15.5 billion; about $800,000,000 of the new total are reappropriations rolling forward unfinished capital projects. Gamble identified $537,000,000 in the current biennium for new preservation and maintenance spending and said lower revenue forecasts for the Climate Commitment Account (CCA) require spending adjustments across the plan. She told the committee the state finance committee must approve bond issuances and a budget bill must include specific appropriations for bonds.

Stakeholders from transit agencies, labor unions, ports, cities and safety advocates testified broadly in favor of the package’s emphasis on preservation and contingency bonding. Lizette (record spelling varied) of the Washington State Transit Association thanked staff for language changes and asked permission for King County Metro to reassign Move Ahead dollars between electrification base projects. Transportation Choices Coalition’s Kirk Hogan Cotter urged sustained preservation investments and new revenue to offset declining gas-tax receipts. The Associated General Contractors and labor representatives supported bonding as a way to reduce stop‑start construction and preserve industry capacity.

Local officials and project sponsors asked for targeted allocations or relief from cost overruns. Laura Lant, a Bemidji Island city council member, requested $3.5 million for the Day Road Roundabout (SR 305) and suggested moving funds between roundabout projects; George Hurst, mayor of Linwood, asked the committee to consider bonding revenue for a Poplar Way Bridge cost overrun. The Washington Public Ports Association praised a proposed $15,000,000 nonfederal match for Lower Columbia River dredging and outlined the project’s statewide economic importance.

Rail and climate advocates pressed for additional CCA‑funded rail capital. Testimony from rail advocates and coalitions asked the committee to adopt three House‑listed rail projects totaling roughly $12.2 million from the CCA to improve freight‑passenger separation and Amtrak Cascades on‑time performance.

Committee staff told members where to find the bill text (underlines indicate new supplemental changes), an all‑projects list, account fund balance summaries and a preservation comparison prepared at a member’s request. Kelly Simpson, committee staff, announced that SB 6,225 and SB 6,005 will be scheduled for executive session Thursday at 8 a.m., with amendments due to staff by noon the following day and posted by 4 p.m.

No formal votes were taken in Tuesday’s public hearing. The committee’s deliberations will continue at the announced executive session, where members may offer amendments or bring the bills to a vote.