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Founded in January 2009, PubliCola is a blog about Seattle written by journalists who are dedicated to non-partisan, original daily reporting that prioritizes a balanced approach to news. Started by longtime local editor and award-winning reporter Josh Feit, PubliCola is the first online-only news site in state history to get media credentials to cover the state capitol.

PubliCola was off and running. In June 2009, PubliCola hired another award-winning journalist, super-sourced Seattle city hall reporter Erica C. Barnett.

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The first online-only news site in state history to get media credentials to cover the state capitol and Seattle city hall, PubliCola has been called a “must-read” by the Seattle Post Intelligencer and a hot “New Media Mover and Shaker” by Seattle Magazine—which also cited our own Erica C. Barnett as the city's No. 1 news nerd.

The Dead Bills File: Transit, Cycling Lost Out in Olympia

Politics, This Washington   February 18, 2010 at 11:53 am Erica C. Barnett

Three bills that were among the top priorities for transit and cycling advocates died this week after failing to make it past the cutoff date for legislation to move out of its house of origin.

A bill sponsored by Rep. Marko Liias (D-21) that would have allowed transit agencies like King County Metro to charge a $20 vehicle-license fee to help fund transit service died this week, despite what the Transportation Choices Coalition described as “heroic efforts” by Liias to bring it up for a vote. Transit advocates viewed the legislation, a version of which Gov. Chris Gregoire vetoed last year, as critical in light of cuts to transit service across the state ranging from 15 to 50 percent.

As we noted earlier this week, the vulnerable roadway users bill, which would have imposed extra penalties on drivers who kill or seriously injure vulnerable roadway users, such as cyclists, pedestrians, and wheelchair users, with a car, also failed to make it to a vote.

Also dead: The Complete Streets bill, which would have required the state transportation department to consider cyclists and pedestrians when retrofitting state highways that function as city streets (and created, but not funded, a grant program for complete streets projects).

The bad news for transit and cyclists wasn’t exactly unexpected: At the start of the session, TCC policy director Bill LaBorde told PubliCola transit advocates faced a “difficult timeline” and budget situation going into this year’s session.


  • http://twitter.com/fattailed fattailed

    The Dems in the Legislature have so far been astoundingly successful in their mission to piss off every constituency group about basically everything they've done and not done. That's a “balanced approach” of a sort, but…

  • Ballardwatch

    That's so not true. At least the trial lawyers got what they wanted.

  • Cary

    The transit bill losing is appallingly bad news. We have a serious budget shortfall at Metro that will entail significant service cuts. The elderly and disadvantaged people who rely on transit — in all the cities of our state — will suffer the most. We should be furious, this is a social justice issue at its core, and flock to TCC to help them mount a huge campaign for next year.
    First Gregoire reneges on her promise to ADD $190 million in new transit service to our region, then the legislature denies Metro — whose sales tax revenue stream is running precariously dry — the ability to help themselves by imposing a modest and temporary vehicle license fee. Primarily because legislators are greedily preserving every available revenue source for the big roads expansion program they're putting together for next year.

  • http://www.google.com/profiles/Communicate.with.Mike Mr. Baker

    Funding for workforce housing at or near mass transit made its way to the Senate Ways and Means Committee. HB 2912, that's where the funds would come from. HB 2753 (SB 6589) is where and how those funds can be applied. Both bills would have to pass, HB 2912 calls out HB 2753 (page 6, line 6, SSHB 2912).

    Let's see what WM does with the bill.

  • seattle_steve

    At some point bike advocates might want to look into whether the people they have doing their advocacy for them are the least bit effective.

    Just because you are in favor of something doesn't make you effective. You can only claim credit for accomplishing something.

    Looks to me like when it comes to bike advocacy, there might be a lot more alienating people than winning friends going on.

    That's too bad. You won't save the planet, or make the world safer for people on bikes and on foot, if you can't pass a simple bill.

    And no one really thinks there will be more liberals in the state legislature in 2011.

  • davidhiller

    Steve:

    Many good bills died on the calendar, and not just ours. While we did the work and had the votes, it's a short session with numerous deadlines that fall one after the other making it difficult to get even the simplest legislation passed.

    The Association of Washington Cities, City of Seattle, Transportation Choices Coalition, King County Prosecutor Satterberg, Seattle City Attorney Holmes, Feet First, Bicycle Alliance of Washington and others all supported and worked for the passage of the bill. Neither its success nor its failure would be attributable to any one organization or individual.

    On cutoff day, the sponsor, Sen. McDermott, Judiciary Chair Kline, and the cosponsors worked feverishly against the clock, but it wasn't in the cards. Fortunately, numerous legislators now understand the need and are committed to the successful passage of the Vulnerable User law. For our part, we look forward to forging an even deeper and broader coalition in support of the effort in the interim.

    Regards,
    David Hiller
    Advocacy Director
    Cascade Bicycle Club