Transportation

Why is this area of government important?

Keeping traffic flowing and commerce moving in a safe, well-maintained transportation system is important to Washington residents and our economy. Citizens across the state have told us that the safety of roads and bridges is of the utmost importance. Citizens also place a high priority on reducing congestion, and they expect transportation projects to be delivered on-time and on-budget.

What is state government’s role?

Although state government cannot control factors like population growth and local developments that increase congestion, it does have the responsibility to manage all interstates and state highways, the state ferry system, and more than 3,500 bridges and related structures.

Many of Washington’s road and bridge repair projects address safety concerns, including installing cable barriers along our freeways and protecting bridges from potential earthquake damage.

The state also is pursuing strategies to:

  • Reduce demand on the transportation system by providing citizens with options such as HOV lanes.
  • Reduce the number of single-occupant vehicles during commute hours.
  • Improve efficiency with such tools as freeway ramp meters, synchronized traffic signals, and trucks designed specifically for incident response.

Which state agencies are involved in this area?