Transportation coalition seeks leaders

Session calls for entities to present united front

MOSES LAKE ‹ Attendees at the latest transportation summit started out sitting at tables in a "U" shape.

But halfway through the two-hour meeting, speaker Todd Trepanier, assistant regional administrator for planning and program management with the Washington State Department of Transportation, bid the more than 30 participants close the "U" shape to form a square and sit across from one another.

The move was symbolic, Trepanier said, of the way attendees should be sitting for future meetings, enabling them to discuss with and work together to bring area transportation projects to success.

At the start of the meeting, Karen Bonaudi, who represents transportation issues for the Washington State Potato Commission, told those in attendance the reason for the summit was three-fold: for their own personal edification about some of the transportation projects under way, to learn information that could benefit them in their jobs and to form an overall transportation plan.

"Partnerships don't just get bucks, they get the big bucks," Bonaudi said.

Bonaudi also introduced a draft name for the group, tentatively the North Columbia Basin Transportation Coalition by the end of the session; a draft vision to build roads, rails and runways to the future and a draft mission: Identify, prioritize, fund and build key transportation projects that contribute to the economic vitality and quality of life of the area.

Interstate 90 project director Brian White, WSDOT director of freight strategy policy Barbara Ivanov and Paul Bennett of QUADCO Regional Transportation Planning Organization spoke about projects they are working on, including the I-90 Snoqualmie Pass project and freight issues around the area. In outlining their own decision making processes, the speakers stressed to audience members the need for organizations to work together on projects in order to get financial support from federal agencies and make progress.

Trepanier addressed the need for leadership at the meeting, asking those in attendance to consider, amongst other things, names of people who might be good in that position, projects that might require more than three groups or entities working together to reach accomplishment, and asked them to bring the top three projects to the next meeting, as well as maps and timelines.

"Leadership's really important, so you've got to make sure that this group has leadership that everyone can stand behind that's participating in it, and now it's time for them to all understand what each other is doing in the area of transportation," Trepanier said after the meeting, adding that transportation can encompass a number of different meanings, including rail, roads or river movement. "Everyone here needs to understand what is important and why it's important, so then as a group they can move ahead with some real needed united fronts."

Alan Schrom, commissioner with the Port of Royal Slope, said he was in attendance because the port's interest is to get rail back into Royal City by connecting a rail corridor from Lind to Ellensburg, which would ultimately make rail transportation better for Moses Lake to Seattle.

"I think we have a lot of common interests here that we can work together on," Schrom said.

"The meeting went well, so long as action results," said Michael Harvey, executive vice president and general counsel for Moses Lake Industries Inc.

Harvey said his company is interested in seeing rail siding constructed into the facility in order to maintain standing in global competition with its products.

Harvey volunteered his company to work on several aspects for the next meeting, including a timeline of deadlines to request financial assistance from various organizations and maps of the area including where projects are needed.

"Moses Lake Industries is committed to support efforts to improve the city's ability to attract businesses, and we are committed to take action to support the 120 families whose members we employ," Harvey explained.

Trepanier felt a lot of the correct people were in attendance to make a difference in transportation.

"It's a good step forward in making sure that this Basin area's needs are totally being recognized," he said.

"We had the right people in the room ‹ we had a great cross-section of independent businesses and public entities," Bonaudi agreed. "They were all hearing the same thing and they were all on the same page, generally. There will be times when we won't all agree, but that's how decisions get made."

Bonaudi said another meeting will take place in the next several weeks.