As Washington voters will soon decide whether to repeal the Climate Commitment Act (CCA) in the general election, projects across the state, including La Center’s pedestrian access project on Pacific Highway, may lose funding.
The Climate Commitment Act
The CCA works to reduce carbon emissions through “allowances,” which companies can purchase and trade at auctions, similar to stocks. Each year, the state reduces the amount of allowances, which raises the value and price. The funds are transferred to transportation improvement projects, including road improvements, across the state. The legislation, approved in 2021, is part of Washington legislators’ efforts to reach its goal to reduce carbon emissions by 95% by 2050. Republican leaders have argued the law has caused gas companies to raise prices.
A citizen-led initiative — I-2117 — to repeal the legislation is included in the general election ballot. Should a simple majority of Washington voters approve the initiative, transportation improvement grants slated for next year will be withheld, including La Center’s efforts to develop bike and pedestrian access to Pacific Highway.
Pacific Highway shared-use path
In April, La Center City Council approved a $28,500 design contract for a 10-foot-wide multi-use path along the north side of Pacific Highway. The road connects west La Center neighborhoods to the city’s downtown and its schools by extension. City engineer Tony Cooper explained the design phase is expected to be completed by late 2024 or early 2025, with an estimated construction cost of $3.5 million.
So far, La Center has secured $700,000 in federal grants and $1 million from the state, funded through the CCA. This brings the city’s total grant funding to $1.7 million — just under half of the total project cost. However, if the CCA is repealed, La Center stands to lose the $1 million it has received through the act, creating a significant shortfall.
Despite the uncertainty, Cooper stated that La Center will continue pursuing additional state and federal grants to make up for the potential loss of CCA funds. Cooper emphasized that, even if the CCA is maintained, the project will still take time to fund.
“We are applying for several grants at this time for the remaining construction money for the project,” Cooper said. “We do not know what the status is on these other grants … It’s gonna take some time to find out, but we are pursuing grant funding to construct the project in the future.”
Cooper noted that the city has applied for multiple state and federal grants, though the outcome of those applications will not be known until some time after the general election. The La Center City Council will ultimately decide whether to allocate city funds or depend solely on additional grants to fund the shared-use path.
