New interactive platform and strategic report highlight infrastructure challenges and call for bold investment to sustain mobility, economic growth, and quality of life.
SEATTLE— Washington state faces growing transportation challenges such as aging infrastructure, rising costs, and rapid population growth place increasing strain on roads, ferries, bridges, freight corridors, and aviation systems across the state.
To help policymakers and the public better understand these challenges — and begin planning for the future — the University of Washington Mobility Innovation Center and Challenge Seattle today launched MobilityWA2050.org, a new interactive transportation visualization platform, alongside the release of Gridlock 2050: A Call to Action, a new report focused on the future of transportation planning and investment in Washington state.
“We hope this report and MobilityWA2050.org help spark a broader effort to rethink how Washington plans, funds, and builds the transportation system of the future,” said former Governor Chris Gregoire, CEO of Challenge Seattle. “The challenges people are experiencing across our transportation system today are real, but they also remind us that we cannot wait to begin planning for what comes next. The question isn’t whether we can afford to invest; it’s whether we can afford not to.”
Released today, a new visualization platform – developed by UW researchers – leverages existing planning-level data for a more user-friendly and interactive portal. “MobilityWA2050.org” highlights the growing population of the state with an expected 1.8 million more people, future travel times and freight forecasts, and commercial aviation needs in Central Puget Sound. In addition, bridge condition information for structures on the state system and estimated detours times are available for searching and wider public understanding.
“You must start with robust, high-quality data to build visualizations that truly illustrate complex patterns and effectively communicate them, said Cecilia Aragon, a professor from Human Centered Design and Engineer and co-lead of the project.
“It’s important to see the bigger picture and also help people understand what the data means to them at a personal level,” said Bart Treece, Director of the Mobility Innovation Center at the University of Washington. “We worked closely with several public agencies to gather the data for this project to paint a more complete picture of our system needs in one place that can evolve to incorporate additional insights.”
“Thank you to Governor Ferguson, Senator Liias, and Representative Fey for recognizing the importance of planning for Washington’s future transportation needs and launching the work toward a sustainable and integrated delivery system for the state’s highways and bridges,” continued former Governor Gregoire.
Key highlights that users will better understand:
- A growing population: The state is projected to grow by 1.8 million people in the next 25 years, increasing the housing and transportation demand across several counties on both sides of the Cascades.
- Increasing travel times: Peak period travel will take longer with growth in the urban areas, affecting both commuters and freight haulers.
- Freight movement: Washington’s economy depends on trade, with 1 in 4 jobs tied to international markets. Freight volumes are forecast to grow 45% by 2050.
- Aging infrastructure: Over half of Washington’s 8,400 bridges are aging into poor condition. Preservation funding only covers about 40% of what’s needed.
- Air travel capacity: Passenger demand is projected to double by 2050, risking unmet needs equivalent to all passengers served at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in 2019.
The UW project was supported by the Washington State Department of Transportation, King County, and Challenge Seattle, with contributions from Alaska Airlines, Boeing, and Microsoft.
Challenge Seattle also released Gridlock 2050: A Call to Action, a new report intended to serve as a strategic starting point for conversations about the future of transportation in Washington state.
The report outlines a bold but achievable vision for an integrated and financially sustainable statewide transportation system that better connects people, communities, and economic opportunity across all modes of travel.
It also highlights the growing pressures facing the state’s transportation system, including aging infrastructure, rising construction costs, declining gas tax revenues, inflation, rapid changes in federal policy, and increasing delays in project planning and permitting.
To help move that vision forward, the report identifies five next steps:
- Engage the public in developing a long-term transportation vision
- Prepare a roadmap and sustainable funding strategy for 2050
- Better integrate planning across transportation modes
- Improve the use and accessibility of transportation data
- Foster innovation through public-private partnerships and next-generation infrastructure
While no state has fully achieved the kind of integrated and financially sustainable transportation system outlined in the report, Washington has an opportunity to lead the way.
About Challenge Seattle:
First launched in 2015, today Challenge Seattle is an alliance of 23 organizations who represent the Seattle region’s largest employers and most successful innovators. Led by former Washington Governor Christine Gregoire, the organization tackles some of the most pressing civic challenges. By harnessing the committed leadership, unique resources, and world-class talent of member companies, Challenge Seattle offers to ensure the region thrives as one of the most vibrant, inclusive, and innovative places in the world.
About the Mobility Innovation Center at the University of Washington:
UW CoMotion and Challenge Seattle partnered with regional transportation agencies to establish the multidisciplinary Mobility Innovation Center, which brings together the industry’s leading expertise from business, government, nonprofits, and academia to develop technologies and explore creative solutions that have the potential to change the way we move people, information, and goods. Housed at UW CoMotion, the Mobility Innovation Center helps partners scope near-term transportation projects that address critical challenges through data-based insights and applied research.
Media Contacts:
Stephanie Formas, Challenge Seattle, [email protected]
Bart Treece, Mobility Innovation Center, [email protected]