|
|
|
 |
|
Home / Washington Business - February 2006 / Profile - Albert Rosellini: The Transportation Governor |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Profile - Albert Rosellini: The Transportation Governor |
|
|
|
Written On: February 2006 |
|
|
|
Written By: by Daniel Brunell |
|
|
|
Today, Washington is investing in transportation at levels not seen in generations — since the days of Gov. Albert Rosellini. While motorists stuck in traffic and businesses depending upon trucks to move their goods welcome the increased investment, most of today’s dollars are going toward repairs and retrofitting of structures built during Rosellini’s time as governor, 1956-1964.
In the 1950s President Dwight Eisenhower committed our nation to building an interstate highway system modeled after Germany's autobahns — an efficient network of divided highways constructed by Hitler before World War II. In the 1950s and 1960s federal, state and local taxes poured into road and bridge projects across America. Drivers then willingly paid at the gas pump to eliminate two-lane highways.
"I had a pretty good knowledge of what needed to be done. Frankly that's why I ran for governor," Rosellini said.
"In my administration, transportation was a top priority. Projects like the Evergreen Point Bridge were stuck in decade's-long fight over where to build the bridge and who would pay for it."
The idea of a second Lake Washington bridge languished because of local squabbling, funding problems and lack of leadership. This vital link to the lake’s eastside gathered dust on the drawing board for more than a decade before Rosellini convinced King County and the Legislature to build the bridge.
"His role in moving the Evergreen floating bridge off a political impasse was critical," said former Seattle Mayor Wes Uhlman, who was a 22-year-old freshmen legislator when Rosellini became governor. "He brought Scott Wallace, then King County commissioner, into the picture and convinced him to get the county to guarantee the bonds. Without that guarantee, it would not have been built."
When completed in 1963, the bridge was one of four indispensable bridges built during Rosellini's Administration. The others were Astoria Bridge linking the Washington and Oregon at the mouth of the Columbia, the Goldendale Bridge across the Columbia easing travel between Yakima and Portland, and the Hood Canal Bridge bringing together the Kitsap and Olympic peninsulas. All were toll bridges and the political agreement was the crossing fees would be lifted once the construction bonds were retired — a tradeoff which haunts lawmakers today because it didn’t allow repairs, replacement or increased capacity.
During his two terms, the majority of I-5 between Everett and Olympia was completed as were State Routes 8 and 12 from Olympia to Aberdeen and Highway 18 between Auburn and North Bend.
Rosellini's accomplishments were not limited to roads and bridges. He helped launch a futuristic mass transportation icon for the 1962 Seattle World's Fair — the monorail. It's hard now to remember the days before maintenance, accidents and political problems beset the monorail, but it was as much a featured attraction as the Space Needle during the fair.
"After the Fair, we wanted to expand the monorail to Sea-Tac Airport," Rosellini said. "It just never happened for a variety of reasons."
After losing his bid for a third term in 1964, Rosellini remained active on transportation issues. From 1979 to 1992, he served on the Washington Transportation Commission, formerly known as the State Highway Commission.
Rosellini is also still very active in state politics. He advocates for toll roads, among other things. "Tolls are a funding source that works," Rosellini said.
Today, Rosellini is a sharp, 96-year-old attorney who practices law from his office in Seattle's Georgetown section just north of Boeing Field.
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
