Date: September 28, 2009
Community and Government Affairs
City of Lake Forest Park
206-368-5440
News Release
Transportation Benefit District funds
Lake Forest Park roads are in good shape. This is because the City has a long and short range plan for the upkeep of roads. The City has plans in place for overlay projects, keeping the street shoulders in good shape, filling potholes, crack sealing of pavement and resurfacing roads on a replacement schedule.
The repairs to our roads are funded by the Street Fund. This fund receives dedicated revenue from the gas tax. The gas tax is a flat tax; it does not float with the price of gas. For the past several years, revenue from the gas tax has fallen. In order to keep our maintenance and prevention programs funded, the General Fund subsidized the Street Fund.
In 2008 an additional funding mechanism became available from the state. This mechanism is called the Transportation Benefit District. In order to continue to keep our roads in good shape and to prevent delayed maintenance with its higher long term costs, the City Council established the Transportation Benefit District (TBD) in October 2008. The TBD has the authority to set a $20 fee on licenses for the purpose of preservation and maintenance of the City’s transportation infrastructure. The TBD authorized a $20 vehicle license fee, and the Department of Licensing is currently collecting vehicle license fees for vehicles registered in Lake Forest Park.
The City Council acting as the Transportation Benefit District Board has developed a district funding plan. This plan outlines the proposals for the expenditure of vehicle license fees on streets in Lake Forest Park. All of the funds will be used for transportation improvements that preserve and maintain investments in the transportation infrastructure in Lake Forest Park. The funds will be used on the most traveled street in Lake Forest Park. And also include snow removal and sweeping on the state highways (Ballinger Way and Bothell Way) in Lake Forest Park.
The City Council will be discussing the final funding plan in October 2009.
