Identifying transportation priorities

Rail, land, air make TransCo's list

MOSES LAKE — Rail. Essential Air Service. Rail. A second crossing over Moses Lake. Rail. Widening Highways 17 and 28. Rail. Road renovation. Rail.

Those were just some of the answers participants at the third and final transportation summit meeting of TransCo brought to the table Thursday morning in Big Bend Community College's ATEC building.

They had been asked prior to the meeting to come prepared with what they perceived as the area's top transportation needs and priorities, and share the jurisdiction of each project, how it will enhance economic vitality and safety; when the project should be built, what stage the project is at and what areas and entities will be impacted.

During the course of the two-hour summit, Todd Trepanier, assistant regional administrator for planning and program management with the Washington State Department of Transportation, led a discussion as Washington State Potato Commission executive assistant Autumn Weis made note of each new idea, adding a "Me too" note for those with ideas that had already been mentioned.

"Today there are no bad ideas," Karen Bonaudi, who represents transportation issues for the WSPC and is leader of the group, told the audience at the summit's outset, explaining the purpose was for participants to ask themselves what they would like to see happen. "We don't know what to expect today. It's really kind of exciting, because we've all heard talk and we've all been a part of talk for a long time, some of us years and years and years, about different transportation projects. So we have a pretty good idea of some of the things that are going to be mentioned, but we don't know exactly where today is going to end up."

The final list of 22 identified priorities included resolution of the issues that arise from the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad lines reaching capacity, the Port of Moses Lake's North Columbia Basin Railroad Project a second Moses Lake crossing, rehabilitation of a Royal City rail spur and upgrading of roads and highways around the region.

Port of Ephrata manager Mike Wren is working on a funding timeline to determine deadlines for related loans and grants for the group.

"Basically, we want to capitalize on all the opportunities for funding options we can," Wren explained, noting that timeline is still in progress.

After the meeting, Bonaudi and Trepanier said the list will be compressed, organized and standardized, with the top needs identified, and each attendee would receive a copy.

"One of the things that certainly WSDOT has noticed is that rail is very important to this area," Bonaudi said following the summit. "Where other areas they've worked in, it's been all about roads, we are roads, but we are also rail. That's a significant finding for them and for us."

Bonaudi added she was appreciative of the fact that participants came prepared with handouts and with their priorities.

Trepanier thought the individuals involved understood the importance of transportation within the community and were ready to work together to make things happen to increase safety, develop the economy and improve the quality of life for the area's citizens.

"Definitely rail is important to Moses Lake, the greater Moses Lake, the outlying communities and there's a whole host of rail issues, yet they are tied together," Trepanier said of recurring themes he heard pop up during the summit.

Trepanier noted that work on highway corridors and air travel were also identified as priorities during the meeting.

"All the modes of transportation are very much of keen interest here to Moses Lake, and I'm impressed with how much everyone gets that and understands it, that they need them all," Trepanier said, also noting the discussion on trails and paths, which he called critical to a healthy growing community, as another thing that impressed him. "(It was a) very impressive group on how fast they have come to understand the issues here and get ready to do some tough work to make some things happen."

Bonaudi said another Thursday session from 10 a.m. to noon will be considered for future TransCo planning sessions, although this was the last meeting to be called a summit.