Blueprint for Progress
The Blueprint for Progress was a plan recommended by the RTID Planning Committee that proposed regional road and bridge investments in key highway corridors in Snohomish, Pierce and King Counties. It described the investments for key corridors (e.g. SR 522, I-405, SR 520, SR 167), funding sources, projects and construction schedules.
A first draft of the Blueprint for Progress was developed in 2006. The RTID Executive Board recommended a revised draft in January 2007. After gathering and considering public comments about the revised draft, the RTID Planning Committee recommended this Blueprint for Progress on June 8, 2007. It was placed on the November 2007 ballot by the Snohomish, King and Pierce County Councils as part of the Roads & Transit plan. On November 6, 2007, voters rejected the plan by a vote of 56.16% to 43.84% in the proposed RTID district.
Blueprint for Progress Additional Document
Blueprint for Progress Appendices:
Appendix A:Includes the narrative description of the proposed RTID boundary, including maps (PDF, 2052 KB)
Appendix B: Construction Mitigation (PDF, 256 KB)
Appendix C: Detailed Financial Modeling Results (PDF, 109 KB)
Appendix D: Supporting Environmental Documentation (PDF, 5756 KB)
Appendix E: Sound Transit 2 Plan (PDF, 1035 KB)
Resolution recommending creation of RTID, road investment plan, and financing plan; recommended May 31, 2007 by RTID Executive Board (PDF, 70 KB)
Resolution updating rules and operating procedures, recommended May 31, 2007 by RTID Executive Board (PDF, 50 KB)
Pierce County Amendment—recommended by RTID Planning Committee June 8, 2007
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the RTID Planning Committee?
The Regional Transportation Investment District (RTID) Planning Committee was created by the Washington State Legislature. It was charged with developing a transportation package to submit to voters in the fall of 2007 for reducing congestion and making safety improvements by investing in highways and bridges in Snohomish, King and Pierce Counties. The Planning Committee is made up of all the members of the Snohomish, King and Pierce County Councils and is chaired by the Secretary of Transportation, who is a non-voting member. For more information on the status of RTID planning committee go to the RTID home page (www.rtid.org).
What is the Blueprint for Progress?
The Blueprint for Progress was a regional road and bridge investment plan that was submitted to voters.
How was the Blueprint developed?
The RTID Planning Committee, with WSDOT and PSRC, analyzed which highway corridor investments would provide the greatest congestion-relief benefits. The RTID Planning Committee sought the most value for transportation dollars by building on recent state-funded improvements and developing a schedule that minimized construction impacts. They also worked closely with Sound Transit to build an integrated, connected system of roads and transit improvements to give people more choices and keep our region moving.
How were projects selected for the Blueprint?
The RTID Executive Board began with a list of projects proposed by the Snohomish, King and Pierce County executives. The Board then worked with constituents, local jurisdictions and transportation agencies to refine the list and identify available funding. The Board also developed a set of principles to evaluate the proposed projects:
- Reduce congestion and improve safety and reliability;
- Finish or leverage projects underway in highly traveled traffic corridors;
- Improve travel time for people and freight, especially during peak commute hours;
- Phase construction of highway improvements and regional transit projects;
- Keep the investment package affordable;
- Integrate road and transit investments to improve travel in the region's significant transportation corridors.
What was the total cost for the Roads & Transit plan?
Roads & Transit capital investments would have created assets worth approximately $17.8 billion in 2006 dollars ($10.8 billion for Sound Transit and approximately $7 billion for RTID).
How much was it estimated to cost a household in the RTID district?
This measure would have imposed an additional one tenth of one percent sales tax and vehicle license fee of eight tenths of one percent. The sales tax for each household would be determined by specific spending habits of each household while the motor vehicle fees could be calculated on the value of your car. For example, an owner of a car worth $10,000 would pay an additional $80 and the owner of a $5,000 car would pay an additional $40.
What were the proposed districts?
The proposed RTID district encompassed the entire Sound Transit district within Snohomish, King and Pierce counties. It also included areas north and east of the Snohomish County Sound Transit district. Residents residing in the RTID district outside of the Sound Transit district would have been subject to the RTID taxes.
How did the single ballot work?
Voters in the entire RTID district voted on Roads & Transit. Auditors in each county (Snohomish, King and Pierce) tabulated all of the votes within the RTID district to determine if the measure passed. Auditors also tabulated votes within the Sound Transit district (in all three counties) to determine if the measure was successful within the Sound Transit district. The measure failed in each district.
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