Summary

In a visit to The White House, Executive Constantine will represent the Central Puget Sound region at a roundtable discussion about infrastructure financing. White House officials, Cabinet members, governors, and mayors will also attend. As one of the fastest-growing regions in the U.S., King County needs a sustainable funding model that keeps up with increasing demand for infrastructure.

Story

King County Executive Dow Constantine is at The White House today, where he and other elected leaders from across the country will discuss innovative ways to finance infrastructure projects.

Executive Constantine will represent the Central Puget Sound region at the U.S. Infrastructure Investment Roundtable, which will include White Official officials, Cabinet members, governors and mayors.

"We've demonstrated the ability to work together as a region—all levels of government collaborating with community partners—to meet the increasing demand for transportation infrastructure in one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States," said Executive Constantine, who is also Chair of the Sound Transit Board of Directors. "Our biggest challenge continues to be the lack of sustainable funding for critical infrastructure projects. I'm looking forward to sharing our experiences, as well as hearing about innovative solutions from across the country."

The roundtable, which is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Build America Investment Initiative, will focus on innovative partnership models to funding infrastructure projects.

With Seattle now the fastest-growing city in the United States and King County home to more than 2 million residents and some of the nation’s largest companies, the region’s demand for infrastructure continues to increase—yet there is a lack of sustainable funding for major infrastructure projects.

Executive Constantine last year delivered on a pledge to build a new South Park Bridge by forming a large coalition of funding partners that included King County, the Federal Highway Administration, State of Washington, City of Seattle, Port of Seattle, Puget Sound Regional Council, The Boeing Co., City of Tukwila and others. Without such a broad coalition, the dilapidated bridge would not have been replaced.