Four counties speak about needs

Highway, city interchanges of 'huge' concern in Adams County

MOSES LAKE - The four counties comprising QUADCO, the regional transportation planning organization, spoke of their various needs to the Washington State Transportation Commission Tuesday.

Grant County Public Works Director Derek Pohle provided an overview of the organization.

City of Othello Public Works Director Jan Van Ness, Lincoln County Public Works Director Rick Becker and Kittitas County Engineer Doug D'Hondt spoke before the commission in Big Bend Community College's ATEC Building.

Van Ness spoke to the commission about the city and Adams County's

transportation success and needs.

Commission Chair Richard Ford relayed a story where he and his wife, in his words, took their lives into their hands by trying to get onto State Route 26 last fall against traffic coming from a concert in Pullman after stopping to dine in Othello.

Van Ness said SR 26 and First Avenue interchange of which Ford spoke is a "huge concern" for Othello.

"Almost twice weekly, there's major wrecks at these intersections," he said.

Van Ness said Othello and Adams County are going to be actively seeking grant money through an engineering firm and hopefully see safety issues with highways and city intersections resolved.

Commission Vice-Chair Elmira Forner asked Van Ness if roundabouts have been considered as a way to decrease speeds at intersections in Othello. More and more areas are starting to use them as a less expensive method, she noted.

Van Ness said residents are "not real happy" with the idea, noting it would be a retraining issue for residents.

"But I don't think there's been a lot of support for that," he said.

Panel discusses system partnerships

MOSES LAKE - Representatives of the region went before the Washington State Transportation Commission Tuesday to ask for continued support for transportation.

Led by TransCo Director Karen Bonaudi, a panel consisting of Grant County Economic Development Executive Director Terry Brewer, Zip Truck Line President John Wright and Columbia Basin Railroad Business Development Director Scott Williams spoke to commission members about the importance of transportation to regional economic development.

Brewer called transportation the "linchpin" of economic development.

"We are not located near any marketplace," Brewer said. "I would ask that you support good policy to keep the transportation components functioning the way they are and support policy to seek improvements where we can."

Wright and Williams spoke of their respective companies' own developments and a partnership, and the need for the various modes of transportation to work together.

Commission member Bob Distler said he is frustrated by election results where Eastern Washington voters "in particular" tend to favor lower taxes and gas taxes.

"Everything we've heard about today is something that needs to be done and public money needs to be spent on, because the external benefits reach far beyond the project in question," Distler said.

Distler told the panel people like them, who are "keenly aware" of the value of transportation infrastructure need to act as preachers to the public about the necessity of such projects.

"Hit the bibles and say, 'Look folks, it's not a free lunch, these things are necessary for jobs, well-being, growth, mobility, happiness and quality of life,'" Distler said. "It's a tough sell, I'm not saying it's easy, but it needs to be done."

"There's no single answer," Bonaudi told the commission. "It's not all about rail. It's not all about truck. It's how it all works together. I think the message is there's room for not only rail, truck, barge and air, but also different models within those systems themselves."

Potato director suggests increasing nation's truck weight

MOSES LAKE - Transportation in farming went under the spotlight before a state commission focusing on issues around the region Tuesday.

A panel led by state Department of Agriculture Domestic Marketing and Economic Development Chief Eric Hurlburt, Washington State Potato Commission Executive Director Chris Voigt, Coulee City wheat farmer Brad Isaak and Wenatchee Valley Traffic Association Manager Charlie Pomianek spoke to the commission Tuesday afternoon.

Each panelist provided the commission with an overview of the role their respective markets - potatoes, wheat and tree fruit - plays within the state's economy, often citing the amount of product shipped in terms of trucks parked bumper-to-bumper from Spokane to Seattle and back again. They also discussed how their industries use transportation, often using rail, water, roads and air.

The panelists cited a need to support freight via rail in order to decrease costs and truck traffic, noting traditional rail numbers have declined but pointed to the creation of rail car pools and other companies as positive movements in the region.

Voigt asked the commission to support policies to keep freight costs low and streamline access to ports, as well as improve infrastructure on Snoqualmie Pass. Eliminating barges would cause hay growers and potato producers to compete for trucks, Voigt and Isaak said.

If freight costs are raised, the state becomes less competitive and has an adverse impact on the economy, Voigt said. Passenger traffic also has other options, he noted, but freight doesn't have any alternatives.

Voigt mentioned the possibility of increasing truck weight regulations nationwide, allowing a third axle, which would spread the truck's weight, cause less wear and tear upon the roads and allow drivers to brake more quickly.