Labor, Youth and Family, and Transit Leaders Denounce I-2117, Which Would Slash $5.4 Billion from Vital Transportation Infrastructure Projects
Cuts Include $290 Million to Safe Routes to School Program, Which Provides Safe Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure for Kids and Families
Seattle, WA, October 25, 2024 – Labor, youth and family, and transit leaders across Washington state oppose Initiative 2117, which would cut $5.4 billion from vital transportation infrastructure projects throughout the state. If passed, Initiative 2117 would slash one-third of the funding for Move Ahead Washington and would put critical road, bridge, ferry, transit, and pedestrian and bicycle safety projects at risk.
The leaders spoke about the devastating cuts at a Safe Routes to School project adjacent to Thurgood Marshall Elementary School in the Central District neighborhood of Seattle. Initiative 2117 would cut $290 million to the state’s Safe Routes to School program, which improves safety for children by enhancing pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure within two miles of elementary, middle, and high schools.
“I was born with a neurological condition that makes my eyes shake and means I can’t see well enough to get a driver’s license,” said Anna Zivarts, Director of the Disability Mobility Project at Disability Rights WA. “Roughly 30% of our state population are nondrivers, either because of age, disability, income or choice to prioritize other expenses above car ownership. Just because we can’t drive doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be able to participate in our communities. Initiative 2117 would slash funding for crucial transit access and pedestrian safety measures, and it’s important to vote ‘no’ this November.”
“Our 13,000 members know better than most that Initiative 2117 would rip a hole in Washington state’s critical transportation projects,” said Billy Wallace, Political & Legislative Director, Washington & Northern Idaho District Council of Laborers. “If I-2117 passes, bridges will continue to crumble, roads will become more dangerous, and thousands of good-paying jobs will be at risk. Our union is proud to join No on 2117, and we strongly urge communities throughout the state to join us in rejecting this misleading and plainly harmful initiative.”
“If passed, I-2117 would mean that we would have to start all over with the Move Ahead Washington plan. Projects would be delayed, some even canceled, and transit service would be reduced,” said Kirk Hovenkotter, Executive Director, Transportation Choices Coalition. “At Transportation Choices Coalition, we are dedicated to making safe, affordable, high-quality transportation accessible to everyone across Washington state. We are proud to join communities from across Washington in voting NO on 2117.”
“A healthy economy needs a strong workforce and a connected, safe, and reliable statewide transportation system,” said Rachel Smith, President and CEO, Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. “But Initiative 2117’s impact is all about cuts: Cuts to transportation, cuts to environmental protections, and cuts to high-skilled, high-wage jobs – jobs that our employers rely on. That’s why we, representing 2,500 employers, are urging people to vote no. I-2117 is a bad deal for Washington.”
The Move Ahead Washington plan, passed in 2022, is a 16-year transportation roadmap addressing congestion, safety and freight mobility. The plan includes funding to replace the I-5 Bridge over the Columbia River; finish the North Spokane Corridor freeway that will connect U.S. 2 and I-90; finish the 520 Bridge in Seattle; and the Gateway freight project connecting 509 and 167 to ports in Pierce and King Counties to help move freight and reduce congestion.
- Cut $290 million in funding for Safe Routes to Schools, which improves safety and mobility within two miles of K-12 schools and playgrounds.
- Reduce funding for walking, biking, and trail projects across Washington state.
- Devastate public transit access, including cutting transit expansion grants to Tribal nations, cutting funds to help seniors and people with disabilities safely reach their destinations, and ending a fare-free transit program for youth under 18 across the state.
- Jeopardize efforts to address the aging ferry fleet by cutting funding for one-third of each new ferry purchased, as well as slashing all shore power project funding for new hybrid electric ferries.
More than 570 organizations and Tribal Nations that oppose I-2117, including firefighters, small businesses, Tribal Nations, labor unions, and environmental groups. You can view the full list of organizations opposing I-2117 here.
No on 2117 continues to advance its unprecedented effort to defeat I-2117 across fundraising, field organizing, paid media, and coalition-building. A recent poll from the Seattle Times, KING 5, and the University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public found the “no” vote leading by 18 percentage points among likely voters.
More information on the No on 2117 campaign is available at https://no2117.com/