Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Buses

Wins For Washington (State): Transport Bill Resolves Two Local Debates

Tucked into the transportation spending bill that Congress approved over the weekend are two wins for Washington state's senior senator, Patty Murray (D), who chairs the upper chamber's transport budget-writing panel.

2003992830.jpgSen. Patty Murray (D-WA) (Photo: Seattle Times)

Murray's first victory deals with Bush-era rules for charter buses that barred local transit agencies from providing cheaper service to special events, such as sports games or local concerts.

The charter bus rules, written to help give private companies a leg up over publicly funded transit, have adversely affected Minnesotans and D.C. residents, among others. But next year's transportation spending bill gives a particular pass to the transit agency in King County, WA, allowing the company to continue its bus service to Seattle Mariners games.

Murray's Senate version of the spending bill ended the charter bus rule "in the state of Washington," but the final version of the legislation used less specific language: An exemption was given to "any transit agency who during fiscal year 2008 was both initially granted a 60-day period to come into compliance with [the rules], and then was subsequently granted an extension."

In a statement to the Post-Intelligencer newspaper, Murray cheered the local rollback of the bus transit rule:

This rule has gotten between fans and an affordable, convenient way toget to games in our region. My provision will not only restore Metroservice on game days, it will help reduce congestion throughout thecity. Especially now, as our economy struggles, we can't stick fanswith steep fares and sub-par service on their way to support our localteams.

The moral of the story: It's good to have a transit advocate in the Senate Democratic leadership.

But Murray's second victory could apply beyond her home state. The final transport spending bill preserves language she crafted that would require the federal government, when calculating matching funds for a project that combines multiple modes (e.g. roads and transit or ports and transit), to consider the entire local contribution.

Murray's move was aimed at boosting the prospects for the transit portion of the Columbia River Crossing, which recently had its $4 billion-plus price tag cut amid high-level criticism of its highway lane expansion.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

America’s Kids Deserve Better Than a Waymo Subscription

What do America's young people lose when they have to buy independence from a corporation that rents out driverless cars?

July 15, 2025

Tuesday’s Headlines Aren’t Falling Fast Enough

Pedestrian deaths dropped by 4 percent last year, but remain well above pre-pandemic figures.

July 15, 2025

Monday’s Headlines Are Dragging Their Feet

The Trump administration claims the Biden administration left them with a backlog — but they've actually been far slower at getting transportation money to states than their predecessors, a new analysis finds.

July 14, 2025

These U.S. Communities’ So-Called ‘Complete Streets’ Policies Don’t Even Deserve the Name

Any city can call itself a "Complete Streets" champion. But not all of them are walking the walk — and if they don't, a top organization says they'll no longer give them a platform on its esteemed "best of" ranking.

July 14, 2025

Communities Rally To Reclaim Streets From ICE Terror

"This is an attack on Los Angeles. This is an attack on California. On all of us."

July 11, 2025

Friday Video: The London Neighborhood Where Bikes Outnumber Cars

...and how they got to that impressive milestone.

July 11, 2025
See all posts