In communities across our state, there aren’t accessible sidewalks or safe ways to walk, roll, bike along through our communities, and despite the best intentions of Vision Zero/Target Zero, the number of people walking and rolling killed and seriously injured on our roadways is increasing. Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), disabled and elderly people, and people living in rural areas and on tribal lands face a greater risk of being killed in traffic collisions because our communities lack safe infrastructure, and are also less likely to have a drivers license or access to a car.

Our cities and counties are eager to make investments —the Washington State Department of Transportation received 242 applications requesting $190 million for Safe Routes to School and Pedestrian and Bicycle Program grants for 2021-2023. But available funding will support fewer than 20% of the proposals. You can see this map of the projects in your district that will go unfunded. On state highways, WSDOT has recently identified $5.7 billion in needed investments to repair gaps and barriers faced by people trying to walk or roll through our communities.

Especially in this moment of economic recovery, it’s important to know Investments in multimodal projects actually create more jobs than road building projects — jobs that are more likely to go to smaller, women and minority-owned businesses who may lack the resources to invest in the expensive equipment needed for larger highway projects.

We need to invest in building a complete active transportation system throughout our state to help us achieve our public health, environmental justice and carbon emission goals, and to increase equity and access.