August 15, 2023August 10, 2026

Congressional Letter Supporting Cascadia High-Speed Rail Federal-State Partnership Grant Application

Letter from Washington Democratic Delegation to SecDOT to fund Cascadia Bullet Train

Notes

Letter dated August 15, 2023 from Washington’s Congressional delegation — including Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, and Representatives Suzan K. DelBene, Rick Larsen, Marilyn Strickland, Adam Smith, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Pramila Jayapal, Kim Schrier, and Derek Kilmer — to Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg urging federal funding for the Cascadia High-Speed Rail project. WSDOT submitted a Federal-State Partnership application to FRA in April 2023. The proposed corridor connects Vancouver, British Columbia to Seattle, Washington to Portland, Oregon at speeds up to 250 mph. Funding requested for pre-NEPA technical and advisory study planning. The letter cites emissions reduction on Interstate 5, equitable growth, job creation, and collaboration with Tribes and First Nations.

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Meeting Objectives Introduce the primary feedback themes identified by StART members regarding StART’s Operating Procedures and determine areas that may warrant future discussion. 5:00 PM – Welcome Meeting Management Welcome Lead: Andrés Mantilla, Facilitator, Uncommon Bridges; Wendy Reiter, Airport Managing Director, POS 5:15 PM – Dinner: All participants eat. 5:30 PM – StART Operating Procedures
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As the source for federal transportation grants, the Puget Sound Regional Council was charged with developing a system to meet the growing need for commercial aviation. When the search for a second airport failed, they authorized the Port of Seattle to build the Third Runway, with a mandate to develop a noise abatement and mitigation program. In their effort to stop the Third Runway, the ACC argued over every detail of the Port's efforts--including property buyouts and sound insulation. The dispute was meant to be settled by a three member Expert Arbitration Panel. This is their final report. It finds 2-1, that the Port's program was insufficient in several respects. Despite that, funding for the Third Runway was approved by the PSRC, and the 'Port Package' program, proceeded largely unchanged. Expert Arbitration Panel's final decision finding that the Port of Seattle had not shown sufficient reduction in real on-the-ground noise impacts to satisfy noise reduction conditions required for approval of a third runway at Sea-Tac International Airport. The majority decision concluded the Port's noise abatement programs were insufficient despite being impressive in scope.

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