Transportation Building

310 Maple Park Avenue S.E.

P.O. Box 47300
  Paula J. Hammond Olympia, WA 98504-7300
Secretary of Transportation
360-705-7000
TTY: 1-800-833-6388
www.wsdot.wa.gov
November 13, 2009

The Honorable Jim Oberstar

United States Congress
Chair, Transportation and Infrastructure
Committee
2165 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Representative Oberstar:

Thank you for your continued efforts to pass an appropriately funded, multi-year surface
transportation bill. We appreciate the challenges Congress faces on this issue, and other
issues competing for your attention and federal funding.

Washington State, like the rest of the nation, has a large backlog of multi-modal projects that
will increase mobility and safety, improve our climate, and boost employment and economic
recovery. Advancing the projects that deliver those benefits to our communities is greatly
hampered by the lack of a long-term federal transportation bill and uncertain funding.

In our state there are 148 state and local agency projects, worth $751 million, which can be
obligated within 120 days of enacting a multi-year bill. Design work for these projects is
either complete or nearly complete. While we haven’t estimated the specific employment
impact of those projects, clearly there would be an immediate and positive impact on
creating or preserving jobs.

WSDOT’s highway preservation program is particularly impacted negatively by a short term

extension. Federal funds provide the ongoing financial support for our highway and bridge
preservation activities. A short term extension, especially at FFY 2009 enacted funding
levels, inhibits our ability to address current preservation needs and planned reductions to
the backlog of pavement and bridge preservation projects.

A delayed multi-year bill will also hamper our ability to deliver our Strategic Highway
Safety Plan and projects in our Bridge Replacement, Transportation Enhancements, and Safe
Routes to Schools programs.

We are hopeful that a multi-year bill can be approved before December 18th. If agreement
cannot be reached, however, we urge you to support at least a six-month extension of
SAFETEA-LU, funded at the original authorized levels, instead of a shorter length extension
funded at the FFY 2009 level after rescissions. A longer-term extension will enable us to
plan and deliver our projects more efficiently, and prepare adequately for the upcoming
construction season.
November 13, 2009
Page 2

We are providing this letter to Representatives Mica, DeFazio, and Duncan; Senators Boxer
and Inhofe, USDOT Secretary LaHood, and our state's Congressional delegation. We will
also be asking transportation stakeholders in our state to contact you.

A long-term bill is important to efficient multi-year planning, programming and project

delivery in all transportation modes. Please let us know how we can further help you with
these issues.

Paula J. ammond, P.E.

Secretary of Transportation

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