State Legislators Weigh Support For Light Rail

The concept of light rail in Spokane is getting mixed support from state and federal lawmakers.

While a federal budget committee currently proposes spending millions of dollars on the project’s design, Washington legislators are reconsidering their commitment to the high-speed rail lines run by electricity.

As currently proposed, Spokane’s light rail system would run from downtown to Liberty Lake, largely along old railroad right of way just south of Sprague.

Rep. George Nethercutt announced last week that the House Appropriations Committee set aside $7 million for Spokane’s proposed light rail system. If the dollars are approved by the full House and Senate, the money likely would be used to help design the $300 million project, said Glenn Miles, manager of the Spokane Regional Transportation Council.

While the federal government considers pouring millions into the project, state funding of light rail is in limbo, Miles said. Prior to passage of Initiative 695, the state set aside $2 million for design of Spokane’s project. But after voters passed the measure that slashed motor vehicle excise taxes, legislators scaled back the light-rail figure to about $300,000.

The future of state money for light rail rests with a statewide committee studying how transportation projects should be financed and prioritized.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what the Blue Ribbon Transportation Commission comes up with,” Miles said. “That will set the stage for how public transportation will be dealt with in the state.”

Much of the land needed for the project already is publicly owned. Spokane Transit Authority has set aside $1 million to buy 14 acres near the Interstate Fairgrounds. The transit authority is currently condemning that land.

If state funding for light rail dries up, local transportation officials including STA and SRTC board members would need to decide how to pay for the light rail, Miles said.

The two boards plan to have a joint meeting next month to discuss the project.

Other Spokane projects in the House Appropriations Committee budget include:

$500,000 to buy right of way and start construction of the North Spokane freeway.

$750,000 to install video cameras along arterials and highways that help alert travelers to driving conditions.

$2 million for the Washington state Work First Transportation initiative to help solve transportation problems for low-income people.

Reader question

What does Spokane County plan to do with Park Road now that the state Department of Transportation has built a new, five-lane Park Road bridge across Interstate 90?

Answer

The county asked the state Legislature this year for money to widen Park to four lanes with a turn lane from I-90 to Trent Road, said Ross Kelley, assistant county engineer. The proposal also included separating the railroad tracks from the road with an underpass or overpass, similar to the Argonne train crossing. “We didn’t get the funding,” Kelley said, adding the county intends to ask again next year.

The county has no plans to widen Park north of Trent, he said.

Open house

The state DOT will hold an open house to discuss revisions and updates regarding the North Spokane Freeway project Wednesday from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Rogers High School cafeteria, 1622 E. Wellesley.

Hot spots

Euclid and Market: Traffic is reduced to one lane in each direction of the intersection while crews install concrete.

Argonne at Interstate 90: The eastbound Argonne off-ramp is closed until June 4. Drivers should use the eastbound Broadway off-ramp as a detour.

Sprague Avenue at I-90: There may be daily eastbound land restrictions from Havana to Sprague so that concrete trucks can reach the median.

Ray Street remains closed from 29th to 37th Street.