The Senate Transportation Committee last week approved my Senate Bill 5886. It asks the Washington State Department of Transportation to increase their sale of surplus properties and gives them additional tools to do so. The increased sales will return needed dollars to the Motor Vehicle Account for future transportation uses. On certain facility-managed properties, the monies from the sale of these properties will go into a special account to help replace many of our aging transportation buildings, some of which date back to the 1930s.

Through this bill, WSDOT will be able to better manage its finances and reduce the costs associated with the surplus property. It will also return many pieces of property back to the private sector. Several of these parcels have belonged to WSDOT for many years, costing thousands of dollars to maintain as well as keeping them off of the public tax rolls.