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King County Washington home

After decades of waiting, King County Transportation District approves historic $100 million funding package

June 12, 2026

In a vote that was decades in the making, the King County Transportation District (KCTD) Board of Supervisors on Friday approved legislation to address a critical shortfall in funding for county roads and bridges located outside of cities and towns (unincorporated areas). In a closely divided 5-4 vote, the Board backed a new 0.1% sales tax for King County that will raise approximately $100 million annually, with 87.5% dedicated to long-overdue investments in King County Roads.

“This was not easy, but we got it done," said King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci, Chair of the King County Transportation District (KCTD) Board of Supervisors. “King County's road network is part of a vital regional system for businesses, recreation, and mobility, and it has been crumbling under decades of underinvestment. Today's vote represents a watershed moment for our county. By working with all 39 cities and towns and by providing them with a fair share, we're finally acknowledging that infrastructure isn't a city-versus-county issue. It's a regional imperative. Our economy, our safety, and our competitiveness depend on it.”

The 87.5% going to roads and bridges for unincorporated areas will prioritize essential investments in:

  • Basic maintenance, road hazard response, and emergency repairs
  • Safety improvements in high-need areas, including lighting and school zone enhancements
  • Bridge replacements and maintenance
  • Climate resiliency projects
  • Multimodal improvements on East Marginal Way and Rainier Avenue
  • Implementation of the King County traffic safety action plan
  • Disability access improvements
  • Additional priorities to be identified through a County Roads implementation plan (due fall 2026)

 

Friday’s legislation was amended to allocate the remaining 12.5% of funding to any of the eligible 39 King County cities and towns that choose to participate in receiving funds for roads purposes. In a narrow 5-4 amendment vote, the Board of Supervisors removed a cap on limiting the amount of funding Seattle would receive, with Balducci as the swing vote.

King County's Roads Services Division maintains roughly 1,500 miles of roads and 188 bridges in unincorporated areas, including communities like Skyway. Since passage of the 1990 Washington State Growth Management Act (GMA), which mandated incorporating population centers, the tax base supporting King County Roads has steadily declined. Now, after nearly 30 years of underinvestment, the system requires approximately $200 million annually in maintenance and safety investments to keep it in a state of good repair. This far exceeds the current capital budget of just $6 million for the 2026-2027 biennium.

In addition to the core funding legislation, KCTD passed two additional pieces of legislation: TD2026-02 which sets policy priorities, requests the Executive to develop an Implementation Plan and an interlocal agreement for transmittal to the Council and the KCTD to cover the substantive work to be undertaken. TD2026-03 asks the KCTD Executive Committee to begin securing contracted staffing support through a procurement process. Collection of the new sales tax begins January 1, 2027, with revenues becoming available in spring 2027.

Additional quotes:

"Since I joined the Council in 2022, the number one issue for District 3 residents has been the urgent need to address an unincorporated road system in decline,” said King County Council Chair and Transportation District Board Member Sarah Perry. “This historic investment will put us on a sustainable path to addressing basic safety – from filling potholes to repairing roads and bridges long past their useful lifespan - without increasing the cost through deferred action. Today’s vote ensures we can continue to keep our region connected and moving.” - KCTD Supervisor and Executive Committee member Sarah Perry

“It is incumbent on us to make sure our roads are safe for residents throughout unincorporated King County. There are residents today – school children, wheelchair users, baby stroller users, cyclists, and many more – who currently struggle with navigating urban unincorporated roads with no sidewalks. Children waiting for school buses along busy thoroughfares without sidewalks are at risk. With this sales tax, we will make critical safety improvements.” - KCTD Supervisor Rhonda Lewis

For too long, communities in unincorporated King County areas, like White Center and Vashon-Murray Island, have faced roads and transportation infrastructure that continue to deteriorate, and the only governing body with direct ability to invest in unincorporated infrastructure is King County. Today’s action provides much needed relief for unincorporated roads, bikes lanes and sidewalks to be built on the horizon - and calls on King County to work on near-future complementary efforts create a Transit Package to add busses and transit services. - KCTD Supervisor Teresa Mosqueda