The phrase,'Unsound Transit', was coined by the Wall Street Journal to describe Seattle where,"Light Rail Madness eats billions that could otherwise be devoted to truly efficient transportation technologies." The Puget Sound's traffic congestion is a growing cancer on the region's prosperity. This website, captures news and expert opinion about ways to address the crisis. This is not a blog, but a knowledge base, which collects the best articles and presents them in a searchable format. My goal is to arm residents with knowledge so they can champion fact-based, rather than emotional, solutions.

Transportation

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Chambers but not business Leaders support prop 1

Business Leaders from Tacoma , Seattle , Bellevue and Everett Support Roads & Transit

Chambers of Commerce/Downtown Associations throughout the Region back plan to improve freight mobility, expand light rail and provide congestion relief

For Immediate Release: October 11, 2007

Media Contact: Aaron Toso , Yes on Roads and Transit Campaign - cell: 206.859.3328 toso@yesonroadsandtransit.org

Seattle – Today, business leaders from Tacoma to Everett and points in between came together to encourage voters to support Proposition 1, the Roads & Transit plan.

Across the region, Roads & Transit's light rail expansion and freight mobility projects in and out of the Port of Seattle and Port of Tacoma will help keep our local economy strong and competitive.

"Transportation is a fundamental business issue," said Steve Leahy, President & CEO of the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce . "A safe, efficient, and reliable transportation network is directly linked to our current and future economic competitiveness. What we consistently hear from our members is that the status quo simply does not work anymore for them as business leaders, or as residents of the Puget Sound region. Roads and Transit is a comprehensive, balanced approach and with it, we can create a multi-modal transportation system that works for our region."

Both the Downtown Seattle Association and the Bellevue Downtown Association see the important link between investing in transportation infrastructure and a positive economic environment.

"The Roads & Transit plan offers a balanced, multi-modal approach to improving our regional highways and transit system,” said Leslie Lloyd, President, Bellevue Downtown Association . “Downtown Bellevue is growing and evolving at a rapid clip. These investments will play a vital role in sustaining our thriving city as an attractive, competitive cultural and economic center for the region.”

“Our region's future safety and economic health is fundamentally linked to an efficient transportation infrastructure, and the ability to move people and goods must be enhanced if our region and Downtown Seattle is to be competitive,” said Kate Joncas, President of the Downtown Seattle Association .

Snohomish County will see funding for projects that are long overdue. Expansion of Rte. 9 and funding of the first phase of the US 2 bypass around Monroe are important projects to keep the economy in Snohomish County moving forward.

“We feel the impact of heavy congestion here in Snohomish County everyday as it greatly affects our employers and the citizens of our communities, costing them added time and energy,” Louise Stanton-Masten, President and CEO, Everett Area Chamber of Commerce . “ The projects outlined in the Roads and Transit package, including the various ones in Snohomish County are an important step to improving mobility throughout the region. Only by working together, can we solve our collective congestion issue. We stand beside other organizations in saying YES to Roads and Transit.”

With the Port of Tacoma scheduled to double in the next 10 years and population growth projected throughout Pierce County , extension of SR 167 from Puyallup to the Port of Tacoma and bringing light rail to Tacoma are vital projects to keep Pierce County 's economy moving forward.

“ Tacoma and Pierce County need and want critical road and transit infrastructure to serve the booming population of our area and to fully participate in the region's economy,” said David Graybill, President and CEO, Tacoma-Pierce Chamber of Commerce . “Proposition 1 addresses key projects to put an end to the chokepoints and get moving.”

Here is a listing of businesses and business organizations who have endorsed the Yes on Roads & Transit campaign:

Business

American Council of Engineering Companies – Washington
Architects and Engineers Legislative Council
Associated General Contractors of Washington
Auburn Chamber of Commerce
Bayliss Architects
Bellevue Chamber of Commerce
Bellevue Downtown Association
The Boeing Company
Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA)
Carter & Burgess
CH2M Hill
Covington Chamber of Commerce
David Evans and Associates, Inc.
Downtown Seattle Association
Everett Area Chamber of Commerce
Federal Way Chamber of Commerce
Fife Area Chamber of Commerce
GeoEngineers
Greater Redmond Chamber of Commerce
Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce

Hal Real Estate Investments, Inc.
Hatch Mott MacDonald, LLC
INCA Engineers, Inc.
Issaquah Chamber of Commerce
Jacobs Engineering Group
Kent Chamber of Commerce
Kirkland Chamber of Commerce
Marysville-Tulalip Chamber of Commerce
Mercer Island Chamber of Commerce
Microsoft
Mirai Associates, Inc.

Monroe Chamber of Commerce
National Association of Industrial Office Properties (NAIOP)
PEMCO Financial Services
Perteet, Inc.
Pierce County Association of Master Builders
Puget Sound Energy
Puyallup/Sumner Chamber of Commerce
Renton Chamber of Commerce
South Snohomish County Chamber of Commerce
South Sound Chambers of Commerce Legislative Committee
Southwest King County Chamber of Commerce
Tacoma/Pierce County Chamber of Commerce

Tacoma/Pierce County Association of Realtors
Washington Association of Realtors
Washington Mutual
Washington Roundtable

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