7% return on transportation infrastructure investments; payback in 17 years
At New Geography, Susanne Trimbath reviews the economic benefits of smart transportation investment. Investments that improve the performance of transportation in the US will pay for themselves in 17 years through increased economic activity and the resulting gains in federal tax revenue. The rate of return for national investments in transportation is 7%, significantly more than […]
October 23 , 2014 - Emily Makings
Rent control would be a bad idea for Seattle
A Seattle Magazine article asks, “Is it Time to Bring Back Rent Control in Seattle?“ Socialist candidate Jess Spear thinks not, and has made ending the statewide rent control ban [RCW 35.21.830] a central tenet in her campaign against Frank Chopp for the 43rd Legislative District spot this year. . . . The ’60s and […]
October 22 , 2014 - Richard S. Davis
More on why a statewide transportation funding plan is a 2015 legislative must-do
Yesterday’s release of the Washington Roundtable/Boston Consulting group transportation report could not have been better timed. That report found that a $7 billion infrastructure investment would yield $42 billion in economic benefits. Also yesterday, the Washington State Department of Transportation released its 2014 Corridor Capacity Report. It’s long, wonkish and important. A couple of bullets pulled from […]
October 21 , 2014 - Richard S. Davis
$7 billion transportation investment would generate $42 billion economic benefit: Washington Roundtable and Boston Consulting Group
The Washington Roundtable and The Boston Consulting Group today released a new report documenting the economic benefits that would flow from a $7 billion transportation investment. A $7 billion investment to preserve and maintain state road and bridge networks and improve key economic corridors would generate $42 billion in benefits and increase state and local […]
October 16 , 2014 - Emily Makings
Balancing infrastructure needs and debt levels
As the Washington Roundtable’s Benchmarks for a Better Washington show, the condition of Washington’s infrastructure is poor compared to other states. The Everett Herald recently editorialized that the Legislature should have only two items on its agenda next year: education and transportation. A story in Bloomberg Business Week notes that, nationally, “local governments are not […]
October 07 , 2014 - Emily Makings
Ports of Seattle and Tacoma to form Seaport Alliance
Today the ports of Seattle and Tacoma announced a plan to unify the management of the two ports’ marine cargo terminals and related functions under a single Seaport Alliance in order to strengthen the Puget Sound gateway and attract more marine cargo for the region. The Seaport Alliance will manage marine cargo terminal investments and […]
October 03 , 2014 - Emily Makings
The Ports of Tacoma and Seattle generate significant economic impact — and trade is good business
A new report looking at the combined economic impact of marine cargo operations at the Ports of Tacoma and Seattle finds that In 2013, $138.1 billion of total economic activity in the state of Washington was associated with marine cargo activity at the Ports of Tacoma and Seattle. Of the $138.1 billion, $4.3 billion is […]
August 25 , 2014 - Emily Makings
Facility permitting and rail investment news
There have been several developments in the oil and coal port world over the past week: A new economic analysis of the proposed Tesoro Savage crude oil loading facility at the Port of Vancouver (Wash.) found that it “could generate an estimated $2 billion in ‘economic value’ to the local and regional economy, and 176 […]
July 21 , 2014 - Emily Makings
Crude oil loading facilities and the price of gas
The debate in Washington over transporting oil by railroad could have big impacts on other states. In the course of writing about the expanded SEPA process last month, we mentioned the Tesoro Savage Petroleum proposed crude oil loading facility at the Port of Vancouver. A Reuters story today puts the delays in permitting for this […]
June 17 , 2014 - Emily Makings
Infrastructure and port competitiveness
Trade is an important part of Washington’s economy. The Port of Tacoma’s “Complete SR 167” blog quotes a recent letter (subscription required) in the magazine American Shipper by Paul Anderson of the Port of Tampa Bay and Jeff Brandes, chairman of the Florida Senate Transportation Committee, about how infrastructure spending helps port competitiveness: The importance […]