For Immediate Release

June 22, 1999

TRANSPORTATION SPENDING BILL
INCLUDES FUNDING FOR STATE PROJECTS

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House today passed a transportation appropriations bill for the next fiscal year that includes funding to begin work on the Puget Sound area’s new light rail system and to continue the Tacoma-to-Seattle commuter rail project, U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.) said Wednesday.

          The House was nearly unanimous in voting 429-to-3 today to approve the bill, which appropriates $12 million for further work on the commuter rail link between Tacoma and Seattle – the first stage of the area’s overall transportation improvement plan. The so-called "Sounder" train will ultimately supplant the very successful commuter bus service that currently operates between the two cities.

          The bill also contains $2 million to initiate federal funding of the "Link" light rail program in the Seattle area, which will connect the urban and suburban areas of Seattle utilizing newly constructed light rail tracks.

         The transportation bill also provides annual funding for transit projects, and Rep. Dicks noted that continued funding for three important transit projects in his congressional district were included: $1.5 million for continued work at the Tacoma Dome Station; $1.5 million for the Bremerton Transportation Center and $1 million for a transfer center in Sequim. Funds for replacement of 6 buses for Grays Harbor Transit were also added as part of a statewide effort to assist transit authorities in smaller communities, he said.

         Finally, the bill authorizes $5.7 million for the development of a "Smart Card" concept that would allow Puget Sound area commuters to take advantage of various modes of transportation – buses, rail, and ferries – through one unified payment card.

        Rep. Dicks, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, noted that additional expenditures would likely be authorized for transportation projects in Washington State following work in a House-Senate conference committee.

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