Like me, I’ll bet you have been stuck in traffic. Congestion makes our lives less efficient and leads to more pollution.
No one wants more congestion—except maybe Tim Eyman. This fall, he is placing another bad and backwards idea on the ballot. This time it’s Initiative 976, a bad idea that would strip funding for public transit and ferries, and repairs needed for our bridges, roads and highways. It would threaten our public health and safety.
Public transit is essential for easing congestion and reducing climate pollution from our tailpipes; having well-maintained roads and bridges across Washington State is essential for getting around, and for supporting our economic well-being. If Initiative 976 passes and Tim Eyman gets his way, all of these concerns will only get worse.
Eyman’s Initiative 976 would slash four billion dollars of funds from cities and counties across the state—repealing critical transportation funding, including for rural transit districts, and limiting our ability to apply solutions to the biggest climate problem we have: transportation.
Pollution from burning fossil fuels to get around means that our transportation sector contributes nearly half of the climate pollution our state creates. We can move beyond fossil fuels to power our lives, but I-976 would create major barriers to accelerating that change.
If passed, I-976 would eliminate dollars we need to fund transit, build voter-approved transit projects, fix dangerous highways, retrofit bridges and overpasses, improve freight corridors, and invest in the Washington State Patrol.
This bad idea needs to fail. Your help will be key. Please help spread the word to defeat I-976, so when folks get their ballots later this month they know without question to vote No on 976.
Add your voice to keep Washington rolling—let’s say NO to Tim Eyman’s I-976:
- Endorse the No on I-976 campaign
- Educate your friends! Share fact sheets and information in person and on social media
- Volunteer and get others involved with the voter education efforts or ask your City Council to oppose I-976— we can help you get started!
- Like/follow the No Campaign on Facebook and Twitter, and share widely
Support the No on 976 campaign and let your family, friends, neighbors and colleagues know: this bad plan would be a bad deal for our climate; cut billions of dollars in local, regional, and state transportation funding; and roll back years of progress in every corner of Washington.
Here are just a few specific things we all lose if I-976 passes:
- Spokane is at risk of losing $2.5 million per year for Spokane Transportation District, regional bus service funding, and 60% of its road maintenance budget that helps fix 4,500 potholes annually.
- Snohomish County: $16.6 million in state grants for local transportation projects are on the line, SR 525 pedestrian and traffic improvements and Park-and-Ride expansion funding are also at risk.
- Pierce County would have to withstand cuts to Pierce Transit and Bus Rapid Transit expansion, and funding to complete SR 167.
- Clark County risks losing funding for an I-5 bridge replacement, widening of SR 14, and the Human Services Council Employment Transportation program.
- King County could see $20 billion in cuts to voter-approved funding for Sound Transit, delaying Light Rail and Bus Rapid Transit expansion.
- Seattle: Up to 175,000 bus service hours that were approved by voters could be lost at a time when the city is seeing growing transit ridership.
- I-967 would also repeal funding to support transit for low income communities, senior citizens, and people with disabilities across the state.
With your help we can get out the vote this fall and help Washington voters say NO to I-976. We are working on further improving transit access and affordability, the safety of our roads, and reducing congestion as part of addressing the climate emergency.
