Staff Editorial: The pervasive problem of transportation

Seattle is Washington's largest city, situated in the most populous county in the state. King County is also one of America's wealthiest.

However, its residents seem to be adamantly opposed to spending any of that money to improve the region's transportation system. Rather than passing initiatives to increase the state's transportation budget, the voters pass initiatives like I-695.

Sure, residents now have $30 flat fees for their license tabs, but the roads they drive on are deteriorating as a direct result. Funding for the Department of Transportation has been cut, and new forms of transportation, such as light rail, aren't available.

Seattle also has the highest retail sales tax in America. We even give a third of a cent from every dollar spent in King County to funding the construction of Safeco Field and the new football stadium. Transportation gets only twice that. It's doubtful that Safeco Field is as vital to anyone's life as roads are -- unless you take the Mariners WAY too seriously.

Seattle's roads have plenty of problems. The rain and heavy traffic cause the roads to wear much faster than those in less populous areas. The aging and unreinforced Alaskan Way Viaduct and Magnolia Bridge both sustained significant damage in the Nisqually Earthquake, and the repairs have only added to Seattle's traffic woes.

A proactive strategy is required. Preventive maintenance, rather than the "don't fix it's if it ain't broken" theory, is a necessity. Rather than light rail, widening roads and building new ones to alleviate gridlock is the best way to fix the region's traffic problems.

But such a strategy costs money, and that means it's time for Washington residents to get off their wallets and invest in the state's future, rather than saving a few bucks on their car registration.

After all, what good is a cheap tab for your car if the roads are too packed to drive on?