The Puget Sound Regional Council adopted Transportation 2040 as the region’s new 30-year transportation plan with a 98% vote in favor at its annual General Assembly meeting on May 20.

“The Transportation 2040 path is clear — to keep making transportation decisions and investments that move us in the direction of sustainability, mobility and environmental responsibility,” said Councilmember Julia Patterson, chair of the Transportation Policy Board, which led the project. Read more in Councilmember Patterson’s Seattle Times Op-Ed.

Transportation 2040 includes:

• Transit, bike, pedestrian, and roadway investments needed to support the region’s expected growth (1.5 million more people and 1.2 million more jobs by 2040).
• Strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting the health of Puget Sound. These strategies are intended to complement steps being taken at the national level and are consistent with state programs and direction.
• Transportation investments that fully support the region’s growth strategy, VISION 2040, focusing job and housing growth in vibrant centers and supporting livability throughout the region.
• An innovative and equitable financing plan that shifts how transportation improvements are funded, replacing traditional sources that are declining or no longer available.

During the meeting, the General Assembly also elected Everett Mayor Ray Stephanson and Kitsap County Commissioner Josh Brown to serve second terms as PSRC President and Vice President, and approved the agency’s biennial budget and work program for 2010-2011.