As anyone who has traveled to my home state knows, bad traffic is the one thing that can make even the beautiful Puget Sound area seem less inviting. In fact, the Central Puget Sound Region has the 4th worst traffic in the country. It is estimated that bottlenecks on both the highways and on the train tracks costs our local economy billions of dollars every year. That's why this investment in our infrastructure is so crucial. The Sound Transit system--which employs a combination of commuter rail, electric light rail, HOV Expressways, and regional express bus service--will go a long way toward relieving congestion and, importantly, improving quality of life for citizens throughout the Puget Sound.

On behalf of the citizens of my district, I also want to thank the Chair, the Ranking Member and the Members of the committee for their support of Sound Transit. This program will truly be one of the crown jewels of America's public system and I'm proud to stand in support of this program.