Confused about Washington's federal stimulus money for highways and transit?

Here is a breakdown of federal money (Highways and Transit) allocated to Washington State and who decides how its spent.

Highways & Bridges  
Washington will receive about $493 million in  federal money for highways and bridges.

• The State Legislature will get about 67% ($330 million). Here is their Current Project List

• The regional Metropolitan Planning Organizations in Seattle, Spokane and Vancouver will get 30% ($148 million) PSRC Project List, SRTC Project List

• And 3% (15 million) will be used ...

Washington Policy Center has released the results of a recent statewide poll that asked voters about the importance of traffic relief across Washington State.

This updated survey builds upon Washington Policy Center’s first poll conducted in December 2007. In both cases, voters continue to show strong support for making traffic relief a high priority. Two-thirds of respondents still feel the state’s role in reliving traffic congestion is important, but also believe the state is performing poorly at actually doing anything about it.

This information builds on Washington Policy Center’s Five Principles of Responsible Transportation Policy:

• Tie spending to congestion ...

In 1955 a writer named Robert Ruark wrote a bestseller titled, Something of Value. It's a story of the Mau Mau uprising in Africa. It describes white settlers, intent on "civilizing" the natives by imposing their own culture, education, and government on the tribe. The settlers failed to comprehend that their actions took away the values inherent in the tribal culture. Attempts to entrench Westernized notions of law, social structure, and material culture destroyed a way of life of a thriving tribal society.

Could something similar be happening here in Washington state?

We have our own group of ...