When I ran for Council in 2007 the money available for road construction and maintenance in Olympia had fallen well below our needs. Voter measures limiting collection of vehicle tab fees and property taxes had a big impact. Cutbacks to state and federal funding compounded the problem.
Boulevard Road and NW Harrison Avenue, where the newest homes in Olympia were being built, were both becoming unsafe. Even though we collected close to the highest transportation impact fees allowed on these new homes, we did not have the money to make necessary safety improvements.
I campaigned promising to support the creation of a Transportation Benefit District (TBD) to address the funding problem. A TBD is a quasi-municipal corporation and independent taxing district created for the sole purpose of acquiring, constructing, improving, providing, and funding transportation improvements. By the end of my first year in office I delivered on that promise when the Olympia City Council started the second TBD in the state.
New roundabout at Boulevard Road and Log Cabin funded by Olympia TBD. It replaces a dangerous T-bone intersection and includes public art installation "Olympic Carvings" by Steve Jensen with Tim Dice.
The TBD established a $20 fee on vehicle tabs which paid for
- Pavement management on City arterials and major collectors
- Boulevard Road intersection improvements
- Harrison Avenue NW Road improvements
Though we were not the first city to adopt a TBD (Redmond was first) we became the first to implement it. That meant we had to develop the program with the Washington Department of Revenue for collecting the tax when tabs were renewed.
One of two new roundabouts on 18th Ave SE which greatly improved driver and pedestrian safety.