Washington State County Road Administration Board

The clock is ticking and it's not too late! Register now and bring a friend. There are still a few seats left for city and county road designers at the upcoming conference. Shoutout to the City of Port Orchard, City of Tacoma, City of Pullman, and City of Sequim, WA - we are so glad you are joining us! Learn more about the conference: https://lnkd.in/gxKMp-JV Register now: https://lnkd.in/gEmDNEQM

We are so excited to share that, for the first time ever, this year's Road Design Conference is now open to our city partners (Association of Washington Cities)! Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gxKMp-JV Register now: https://lnkd.in/gEmDNEQM

“Brandon had the fond and mutual respect of his co-workers, was always able to laugh and strived to enjoy himself while working with his peers. He was known for his sense of humor and willingness to do the hardest of jobs." -?Public Works Director Elizabeth Kosa We are grieved to share the loss of a member of the county family, Brandon Gipson, of Whatcom County.?We know there is a large hole in the hearts of all that knew, loved and worked with Brandon and our thoughts and prayers are with his family and?WHATCOM COUNTY Public Works. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gGQun5fV

Don't forget to join the Washington State Transportation Commission on Friday, Feb.?28th, for a virtual meeting where an update on the 2023-2025 Route Jurisdiction Study will be provided, along with preliminary findings. The study will ultimately produce recommendations on how to improve the current highway transfer process between state and local jurisdictions and how proposed transfers are assessed.?Share your input as the Commission works to finalize this important report. ???Register for the Zoom meeting today: https://bit.ly/4haYC98

Guess who just had their first podcast debut? Executive Director Jane Wall! She made a guest appearance this week on Washington State Association of Counties' County Connection podcast along with Government Relations Director Paul Jewell to discuss why we are recommending a new grant program for the first time in over 30 years in response to the critical needs of local roads. Our proposal has now been submitted in bipartisan Senate Bill 5544 by Senators Marko Liias, Curtis King, Mike Chapman, Adrian Cortes, Bob Hasegawa, and T'wina Nobles, as a companion to bipartisan House Bill 1098. Listen to the podcast: https://lnkd.in/dKHdc_iQ House Bill 1098: https://lnkd.in/dsBGSwdC Senate Bill 5544: https://lnkd.in/d2pPeSvV

We had a beautiful day at the Capitol meeting with policymakers to share about the challenges and opportunities facing local county roads in Washington! In addition to House Bill 1098, a companion Senate Bill 5544 dropped today so we will continue to keep you informed when opportunities to weigh in on both are scheduled.

It's been a long week - could anyone use a chuckle? We've known for years that our county local roads need help. And we know that a picture is worth a thousand words. So, this fall we asked county road departments to submit their nominations for our very own ugly road pageant. They did a fantastic job and we are sharing the accompanying stories of these roads with policymakers this session as they weight Representative Sam Low's HB 1098 and a possible companion bill. Our 2024 winners were crowned at the County Leaders Conference. Congratulations to Miss Dungeness: Miss 15th Avenue of King County, WA! https://lnkd.in/gNYhAFGf

In addition to a video option to learn about local roads, there is now a podcast episode! Join Washington State Association of Counties' Paul Jewell and WSACE's Axel Swanson as they discuss our agency's relationship with counties, our 2024 Grant Effectiveness Study, House Bill 1098 and the critical role local roads serve in Washington.

Have you noticed we've been sharing a lot about local roads? If you haven't been with us at a recent conference, read our newsletter or looked at our annual report yet, you might be a little lost. Our Executive Director Jane Wall shared about the problems facing local roads and our proposed solution at the Senate Transportation Committee this week. If meetings and reports aren't your thing, check out the video! It provides an informative overview (with pictures!) in 18 minutes. Watch the video here: https://lnkd.in/gknBBqcU

We want investments in Washington's transportation infrastructure to go to the areas of highest need, ensure critical first responder access, improve safety and to do so with the maximum ROI, transparency and accountability. As subject-matter experts with third-party studies to back us up, we proposed this fall that a competitive, local road grant program would be the most effective way to address the significant challenges faced by one third of Washington's roads. That recommendation was taken and drafted by Representative Sam Low into bi-partisan House Bill 1098 along with Representatives Andrew Barkis, Dave Paul, Greg Nance, and Joe Timmons, which has a public hearing tonight in House Transportation at 4pm. ? If you would like to weigh in on the bill as pro/con/other or to provide written testimony, there is a simple form you can fill out online (closes at 3:00pm today). Bill information: https://lnkd.in/gxvdzYdn Weigh in for the hearing: https://lnkd.in/gGnWfhRv Watch the hearing: https://lnkd.in/gfa4Uxz4