Restoring Accountability to Transportation and Infrastructure in Washington’s 5th District

Residents are paying more into transportation and infrastructure systems while seeing growing congestion, deteriorating roads, delayed maintenance, and projects that often feel disconnected from the daily realities of working families and local communities.

Too often, expensive expansion and redevelopment projects move forward while the existing infrastructure continues to decline. It is time to restore balance, accountability, and practical priorities to transportation policy in Washington State.

Current funding structures too often reward expansion over stewardship, encouraging governments to pursue new construction while existing infrastructure deteriorates. Not only is this financially irresponsible as State deficits add up- but it opens the door to corruption and bias. The first priority must always be to maintain and modernize the existing infrastructure. Roads, bridges, drainage systems, intersections, and utilities that communities depend on every day must take priority over costly expansion projects that create new long-term maintenance obligations that may not be sustainable and often fail to solve the original problem.

Major infrastructure projects must face strong public and financial scrutiny. Washington families must have confidence that large public works investments are realistic and designed to provide measurable long-term value. I support independent oversight for major infrastructure projects to evaluate funding stability, maintenance costs, project feasibility, traffic impacts, environmental concerns, and overall budget transparency before major commitments.

Improving pedestrian and bicycle safety is important, and there are many places where sidewalks, trails, and safer crossings should be expanded, especially in urban, dense areas and their recreational transport arteries. But transportation policy must balance those improvements with the reality that most families and businesses still depend on efficient vehicle access, often coming from outside the urban areas.

Roadway modifications should be implemented for legitimate safety and mobility needs. They cannot be deployed in ways that increase congestion, reduce accessibility, or prioritize enforcement revenue over transportation efficiency.

Rural and suburban communities are often overlooked by transportation systems designed primarily around urban assumptions. I support scalable and affordable transit connections that better link rural communities, municipal transit systems, commercial corridors, and employment centers. Reliable transportation access strengthens economic opportunity, supports local businesses, and improves quality of life for working families throughout the region regardless of where they are coming from or going to.

Transparency must remain central to every major infrastructure decision. Residents deserve clear disclosure of project costs, timelines, contractors, and expected outcomes before projects are approved, with frequent and honest updates along the way. When is the last time you believed a project timeframe from WSDOT? Public input should be meaningful, and completed projects should be measured honestly and accurately based on whether they improve congestion, safety, mobility, and long-term value for taxpayers. If a project doesn’t meet the standards required to proceed- it shouldn’t!

Washington must return to building infrastructure with long-term durability in mind. Choosing the lowest upfront cost too often leads to higher long-term repair expenses and recurring failures. Building infrastructure correctly the first time protects taxpayers and creates safer, more reliable systems for future generations. It gets harder and harder every year to find an onramp or intersection that isn’t bombed with potholes, cracks, and hazards.

I am committed to bringing real accountability to the way we maintain and build our roads. We can no longer afford to open our purse strings to unsustainable and poorly planned projects that benefit no one but the few who cash state-issued checks.