During a pair of ceremonies in Mukilteo and Tacoma, Gov. Jay Inslee on Friday signed into law a nearly $17 billion, 16-year transportation package. The revenue and spending package sets aside $1 billion to replace the Interstate 5 bridge over the Columbia River between Vancouver and Portland.

It will also pay for four new hybrid electric ferries, the electrification of two existing ferries, highway maintenance, court-ordered culvert replacement, free public transportation for those 18 and younger, and more.

The plan gets $5.4 billion of its funding from a carbon pricing program signed into law last year that requires the state’s largest emitters, like refineries, to purchase credits for allowed emissions if they exceed a cap set by regulators, the Associated Press reports. The rest comes from several other sources, including federal infrastructure money, funding from the state budget, and higher fees on enhanced licenses and license plates.

Sen. Marko Liias, chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, said the package is “changing the framework for how we approach transportation forever in this state.”

Rep. Andrew Barkis, R-Olympia, the ranking Republican on the House Transportation Committee, said the Democratic majority ignored his framework to redirect existing revenues to fund transportation needs without fee increases.

“We do need to address our transportation system,” Barkis said. “This process cut out the entirety of the Republican delegation. We were not considered in the policy.”

Contact Government Affairs Director Mike Ennis to learn more.