For most of us, planning is an essential part of our lives — what our family will eat for dinner, how we’ll pay the bills, and how we’ll get to work and school. However, some of the most important planning we do is how we plan for the future. In our own homes, this means planning for retirement, our children’s college tuition, or how we will pay off our mortgage.
For your local governments, long-term planning means thinking about how to strategize for population growth, more jobs, additional transportation choices and increased economic prosperity. However, unlike our own personal planning, which takes place at the kitchen table, governments often need to reach out beyond their own boundaries to other jurisdictions in the region and work together to plan for the future because our concerns don’t necessarily stop at city and county boundaries.
The Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) oversees our region’s planning. PSRC is the Metropolitan Planning Organization and Economic Development District for King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties, including the City of Kent. PSRC is primarily responsible for maintaining a regional 20 to 30 year vision for transportation planning, economic development and growth management. These functions were established to make sure that local governments have a say in transportation planning and in how federal dollars are spent on transportation and economic development.
Talking with residents of Kent, I’ve come to understand how you’re concerned about the region’s future. You also know how important Kent is to creating a vibrant Puget Sound. As your representative and as a resident South King County, I want to make sure our communities are part of this regional growth and prosperity. That’s why I serve in a leadership role as a member of the Executive Committee of PSRC and chair the board that oversees the transportation policy for the organization.
As chair of the Transportation Policy Board, I lead efforts to ensure that meeting the mobility needs of our growing region, including the City of Kent, is part of the broader region plan.
PSRC is currently updating its long-term regional transportation plan. The plan, called Transportation 2040, will evaluate the best ways to get you and your families where you need to go while making the community, the environment, and the economy stronger as the region grows over the next 20 to 30 years.
Our transportation system dramatically impacts our economy and quality of life, yet it is something we often take for granted.
Improvements to our transportation system, such as the new Link Light Rail scheduled to open this month, is an example of how long-range planning has helped us develop a better means to get people where they need to go. Another example you’ve probably seen or used is the state’s first HOT Lanes that were placed on State Route 167 between Kent and Auburn. These projects were implemented with the goal to help you spend less time traveling and more time at home with your families.
Right now, PSRC is considering six different alternatives for Transportation 2040, each including a strategy to identify sufficient funding sources and invest in transportation improvements. The alternatives range from a ‘businesses as usual’ approach, with a heavy reliance on the gas tax, to alternatives that emphasize transit and tolling.
PSRC is currently receiving comments for each of the alternatives.The comment period is open until the end of July. You can find the alternatives and comment forms at http://www.psrc.org/projects/trans2040/index.htm.
At a town hall I hosted in Kent last month, I heard from residents of South King County on their reaction to the Transportation 2040 alternatives and the future of transportation. The residents of South King County spoke loud and clear – improving our transportation infrastructure should be a priority for government and I couldn’t agree more. I’ll continue to make South King County’s transportation needs one of my priorities.
To learn more about PSRC visit http://www.psrc.org.
Talk to us
Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.
To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.
