Sen. Patty Murray Secures $4.5 million for Central Washington Transportation
On November 16, U.S. Senator Patty Murray announced that she has secured $4.5 million for transportation priorities throughout Central Washington. A House-Senate conference committee approved the FY 2006 spending bill, which now goes to the full House and Senate for final passage and then to the President for his signature.
Senator Murray was especially pleased to secure $1 million for the Washington State Produce Rail Car Program. "For years, Washington growers have been penalized by high transportation costs and difficulty getting rail cars,” Senator Murray said. “This funding will provide the rail cars they need to move their produce to market."
“We are very pleased our Senator continued to put her efforts and energy behind this program,” said Washington State Potato Commission Executive Director Chris Voigt, noting that the WSPC has worked with Senator Murray in originating the project. Senator Murray secured $1 million for this project last year. “None of this would have happened without her,” he said.
Railcars are in short supply for Washington farmers and agricultural shippers who need to move perishable commodities like fruit and vegetables. This project, modeled on the successful Washington Grain Train project, will restore rail cars in order to put them in service to help address this shortage and get perishable commodities to ports and other markets.
Earlier legislation at the state level gave the Washington State Dept. of Transportation the authority to administer the program and an allocation of $200,000 for start-up funding. The WSPC and Washington Perishable Shippers Cooperative Association are currently working with WSDOT on an RFP for a management company for the program.
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