In 2017, AWC partnered with the state's business, county, and ports associations to issue a comprehensive report about Washington state’s infrastructure needs and the importance of investment to grow a strong economy.

The report findings show that Washington state moves more than $70 billion worth of goods through its ports and contributes well over $300 billion annually to the U.S. economy, making the state’s infrastructure vital to the national interest, and yet Washington’s total infrastructure needs are estimated at more than $222 billion.

The report was updated in 2019 and uses existing data on needs and illustrative projects from throughout the state to highlight investment opportunities in the critical areas of transportation, water, energy, and communications.

In efforts to reinvigorate our federal decision-makers about the urgent need for infrastructure investment, we issued this letter to Washington’s Congressional delegation. Now, four years later, the urgency has only grown. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, infrastructure investments are even more dire to help with economic recovery efforts. Read the letter below:

Dear Washington State Congressional Member,

We write to urge our Congressional delegation to pass a balanced national infrastructure package that brings much needed investments to Washington state.

The state’s city, county, ports, and business associations partnered to produce a report that outlines more than $222 billion in infrastructure needs throughout the state including highways, bridges, freight rail, ports, airports, rural broadband, and energy. The report, “Building the Economy: Infrastructure Needs in Washington,” highlights the need to invest in Washington’s core infrastructure in ways that are environmentally responsible and reaffirms the benefits that will come as a result.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted Washington state’s economy, we view investments in infrastructure as a very important step toward recovery. Infrastructure investments in transportation, energy, water, and rural broadband stimulate the economy by creating jobs, increasing technology and programs to underserved populations, improving the environment, increasing resiliency, and improving mobility for additional economic activity to develop. The report found that making these critically needed investments will create an estimated 706,000-777,000 direct and indirect jobs throughout the state. Strong infrastructure benefits everyone. Employers, working families, and students rely on sound infrastructure to ensure swift access to their job sites, either physically or virtually.

Washington state contributes more than $300 billion to the U.S. economy, making the state’s infrastructure vital to the national interests, and yet the American Society of Civil Engineers gave the state’s infrastructure an overall grade of “C.” Investing in infrastructure goes a long way towards the state’s economic recovery and maintaining safe and efficient channels for goods and services in our state that leads the country in trade.

Our partnership highlights the important need for infrastructure. In 2015, we collectively supported the Connecting Washington package, which was a 16 year and 16 billion-dollar infrastructure plan. We recognize the correlation between infrastructure spending and economic development. There is a positive return on investment. We stand ready to draw on that experience and help move a federal plan across the finish line.

We look forward to working with you on key efforts towards new and updated infrastructure to keep the state’s wheels of commerce turning.

Sincerely,

Association of Washington Business (AWB)
Association of Washington Cities (AWC)
Washington Public Ports Association (WPPA)
Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC)