Washington State Passes a Package of Transportation Bills

Importantly, the Washington State Legislature also left a few bills on the cutting room floor.

1 minute read

March 16, 2018, 1:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Olympia, Washington

John T Callery / Shutterstock

"The Washington State Legislature passed several transportation-related bill this year in addition to major supplemental transportation budget and funding for a more in-depth study of high-speed rail," reports Stephen Fesler.

The close misses also warrant attention. "Bills to increase unsafe driving penalties and and [sic] pilot program for bus lane camera enforcement in Seattle unfortunately didn’t pass," according to Fesler. "Perhaps most importantly though, the legislature never ended up passing a bill to cut funding from Sound Transit 3." Planetizen also covered the potential threat to funding for Sound Transit 3 back in January.

Fesler provides details on each of the bills approved by the legislature, which will allow a transportation tax to go to the ballot in Thurston County, pave the way for autonomous vehicles, regulate e-bikes, and tweak property tax assessments, transit board representation, and funding formulas.

Thursday, March 15, 2018 in The Urbanist

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight