FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 14, 2007
Contact: Rick Olson, (206) 587-5060, rolson@psrc.org
Matthew Kitchen, (206) 245-3653, mkitchen@psrc.org

SEATTLE—  Leaders of projects testing new ways to finance transportation will meet in Seattle for a public workshop at the Washington Athletic Club at 9 am on June 20. The workshop is open to the public for a $30 registration fee that includes lunch. Registration can be handled through the PSRC web page at www.psrc.org.

Their mission: to share information about the strengths and weaknesses of new approaches to improve traffic flow. They will report on studies that include charging fees to use roads when they're most clogged, and charging fees by the mile instead of by the gallon.

Recent reports indicate that the federal highway trust fund could be in deficit by 2009 if no steps are taken to address financial challenges. At issue is reliance on federal and state gas taxes that have not kept pace with inflation and improvements in vehicle fuel economy.

Road charging or congestion pricing has been used in other parts of the world for a number of years, but until recently, the US tolled bridges or highways in select locations only. Today, more than 40 road pricing projects are on the books or in the works in 12 states.

Architects of four federally funded projects from Seattle, Portland, Atlanta, and Iowa meet in Seattle to review what they've learned, and discuss the challenges to adopting a more efficient or "market driven" structure. The Dutch Ministry of Transportation will join the group to report on their progress to create a program that could change the face of transportation in the Netherlands by 2012.

The Seattle-based Traffic Choices project recruited 290 households to outfit their 430 vehicles with GPS devices that tolled their travel for nearly a year. Each household was provided a travel budget and faced tolls that created a financial incentive to drive less and avoid peak travel periods and congested roads. Results of the year long project include significant reductions in travel, combining trips and travel during non-peak periods and on lower priced roadways.

PSRC develops policies and coordinates decisions about regional growth and transportation planning in King, Pierce, Snohomish and Kitsap counties. The Council is composed of over 80 county, city, port, transit, tribal and state agencies serving the region. It coordinates the distribution of about $160 million in Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration funds each year. PSRC sets priorities and evaluates the most efficient ways to target those funds to support state and local transportation and growth management plans.

Title VI Notice: PSRC fully complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related statutes and regulations in all programs and activities. For more information, or to obtain a Title VI Complaint Form, contact PSRC at 206-587-4819 or see http://www.psrc.org/about/titlevi/index.htm.