Stories by Charles Prestrud
12 stories
Opinion: Transit ridership trends are dismal but regional plans are oblivious
Puget Sound transit passenger-miles fell 31% from 2015 to 2024 despite a half-million-resident population increase.
Opinion: Crossing the mighty Columbia River is getting mighty expensive
An opinion column argues lawmakers must reassess the I-5 Columbia River Bridge replacement after revised estimates show the project’s probable cost has more than doubled.
Opinion: Transit agencies need accountability not increased state subsidy
Charles Prestrud argues that Washington transit agencies face rising costs and declining ridership due to governance structures that lack public accountability.
Opinion: Sound Transit – No cause for celebration
Charles Prestrud argues Sound Transit’s costly light rail expansions have failed to boost overall ridership or ease Puget Sound congestion.
Opinion: Will light rail’s problems sink the I-5 Columbia River Bridge Replacement project?
Charles Prestrud of the Washington Policy Center questions whether declining light rail ridership and uncertain federal funding could derail the costly I-5 Bridge Replacement project.
Opinion: What would be the real impact of I-2117 on transit?
Charles Prestrud discusses the real impact of I-2117 on Washington’s transit funding.
Opinion: Has transit entered the “death spiral?”
Transit ridership dropped sharply with the onset of the COVID pandemic in 2020. The slow rebound in the years that followed has prompted discussion, sometimes in hushed tones, as to whether transit…
Opinion: Implications of shifts in commuting
Charles Prestrud believes that now that we have hard data that sheds light on commuting, the public agencies responsible for our transportation system need to update their plans and revise their fo…
Opinion: The condition of Washington’s highways is getting worse despite the increase in taxes
Charles Prestrud says that even though motorists are paying taxes on CO2 emissions, they won’t see any benefit when it comes to highway maintenance or completion of needed improvements.
Opinion: High-Speed Rail proposal runs into high-cost problems
Charles Prestrud of the Washington Policy Center provides the findings that cast doubt on the feasibility of the proposal.
Opinion: State transportation budget highlights
Charles Prestrud of the Washington Policy Center believes the budget shows little progress on the reforms to planning and prioritization that are desperately needed.
Opinion: Washington State Transportation Budget 2023-2025
Charles Prestrud of the Washington Policy Center believes the budget does not fund WSDOT preservation and maintenance at the level needed to achieve a state of good repair.