For Immediate Release:

Tuesday, October 7, 2003

Today, Senator Murray helped celebrate the ribbon cutting for SR 519. The project is one of 15 Phase I FAST Corridor projects in the region that focuses on improving north-south rail and port access routes between the ports of Seattle, Tacoma and Everett. Senator Murray has secured over $150 million in federal funds for FAST Corridor projects in previous appropriations and in TEA-21.

Senator Murray's Remarks:

I’m proud to join with all of you this morning for this ribbon-cutting.

Today, we’re delivering the latest example of how we can improve transportation, efficiency, and public safety by working together. We’re standing at a critical intersection in our state’s transportation network.

Before we made these improvements, this was the one spot where more cars, trucks and trains physically crossed each other’s path than any other place in our state. And today, we’re taking major strides to make those crossings safer and more efficient.

The SR-519 Intermodal Access Project will greatly improve the movement of trucks and cargo to and from the Port of Seattle. By separating these forms of traffic, this new roadway will improve safety and will reduce congestion.

This project has been a partnership from the start. The state, the cities, the counties, the utilities, the railroads and the federal government have all been strong partners. You’ve explained the project’s importance, and you’ve brought the necessary public and private sector partners together to get it done. I’ve been proud to support this project in Congress. In fact, nearly half the money for this improvement came from the federal government.

This project is part of the FAST Corridor – a statewide effort to target the bottlenecks where cars and trains intersect.

I’m proud that Washington’s FAST Corridor is recognized as a national model of how to improve both safety and efficiency. Moving freight efficiently is not just a goal – it’s an economic requirement. The Ports of Seattle and Tacoma form the third-busiest container load center in the country. That commerce forms the life blood of our state’s economy – supporting nearly 1 in 3 jobs.

Moving all that freight can be a challenge because our ports are located in the middle of busy and congested metropolitan areas. That’s why we need to attack the bottlenecks through the FAST Corridor program.

Over the last 6 years, Congress and the federal government have been major partners in the FAST Corridor – providing $150 million in funding.

I’ve had the pleasure of attending four ribbon cutting ceremonies for FAST Corridor projects, and we are very close to finishing all of the 15 projects in Phase One.

In my role as the Ranking Member of the Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, I am committed to important freight mobility projects like the SR-519 Access Project and the FAST Corridor. In the future, I look forward to working with all of you to finish Phase One, and I pledge my support as we move into Phase Two.

Thank you.