transportation

Because we expect to be stuck in traffic for at least a few more years, here are a few rules of the road. Helpful hints to make the commute a little easier. At least until we get both a light rail and more roads.

Eyman is maximizing free press to mobilize the surprising number of people who still think he’s a good idea. Famous for being famous, for wearing silly costumes, for ruining serious news coverage and for misdirecting the state economy, Tim Eyman is our very own Paris Hilton. Only not as pretty.

Dino Rossi took questions on KUOW's "The Conversation" radio show this afternoon in Seattle. The main focus of his time was spent talking about his transportation plan, where he reiterated his message that his plan would provide more choices for commuters while his opponent Governor Chris Gregoire, refused to take a stand. Rossi also defended his plan's numbers and maintained that providing for alternate methods of transportation were not under the jurisdiction of the governor.

He was also asked by callers about his position on abortion rights and whether or not he would renounce the support of the Building Industry Association of Washington in response to their repeatedly controversial positions and comments.

Brian Sonntag still lacks an opponent as he runs for his fifth term as State Auditor, but his record shows he cribbed from the Heritage Foundation, is consistently late in delivering audits and overpayed contractors. No wonder Tim Eyman likes him.

Sen. Chris MarrState Sen. Chris Marr (D-Spokane) wrote an op-ed for Spokane's Inlander Wednesday criticizing Dino Rossi's transportation plan. Marr admits that Rossi's plan seems too good to be true for the many folks stuck on clogged roads twice a day, five days a week, and he tries to show that it is too good to be true.

"Watching Dino Rossi roll out his $15.5 billion transportation plan in Spokane last month, it would have been hard for the average commuter to resist the temptation to join Representatives John Ahern and Lynn Schindler, Spokane County Commissioner Todd Mielke and local city officials such as Nancy McLaughlin and Diana Wilhite in singing its praises," Marr said in his editorial.

But Marr claims the plan is built upon a "$10 billion raid on the general fund" that "that steals scarce dollars from schools, health care and our prison system and continues lopsided funding for Seattle area projects."

Washington begins an effort to relegate traffic to the working poor when High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes open Saturday on SR 167. For some extra cash, anywhere up to $9, single-occupancy cars can pay extra to ride in the carpool lane, and to avoid the annoyance of carpooling.

When Republican gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi unveiled his $15 billion transportation plan last week, it did not go unnoticed by the critics People from the media, the opposition and engineering and policy think tanks all weighed in with their two cents, often at the expense of the Republican's cost estimates.    read more »

The Washington State Democratic Party has released a youtube video ridiculing Dino Rossi and his transportation plan as "fantasy". The video, seen below, shows clips from local newscasts and editorials questioning whether or not his figures were accurate while Heart's "Magic Man" plays in the background.

Get this man some Sudafed. Dino Rossi promises to make “congestion relief” the number one priority. He even held his finger in the air for emphasis, “number one.” Congestion used to be known as “traffic,” but it’s evolved from a situation into a disease.  read more »

SULTAN - Unlike his earlier stop in Bellevue that was heavy on the press and the details, Dino Rossi's visit to Sultan this afternoon had the feeling of a small town campaign meet and greet despite the fact that it was stop two on his three-city transportation plan kickoff.