In today's paper, the Spokesman-Review's opinion guys wrote an editorial urging Gov. Jay Inslee to not enact stiff fuel standards by executive action, an act that would wipe out a reported $700 million in funding for transit, bicycling and pedestrian projects.

As the editorial makes clear, if Inslee did such a thing, Republicans wouldn't be too miffed about where the non-auto transportation would end up - straight to auto infrastructure. What the editorial didn't say was that the executive action would likely be challenged in court and dragged into next year's legislative session,so wouldn't be a sure thing anyway.

From the editorial:

The pill sweeps all the money for bike and pedestrian projects into the pool of funds dedicated to street and bridge improvements, which is what Republicans have favored all along. Not so much proponents of more bicycle lanes, safe paths to schools and transit: The amount Puget Sound Transit could seek to expand its light-rail system would be halved.

Why, they ask, take money away from clean transportation projects to pursue a clean fuels agenda?

Good question. And why celebrate a multimodal transportation bill knowing you might impose clean fuel standards that would eliminate hard-won support for nonmotorized travel?

Inslee should accept the deal he wrung from Republicans, who had to swallow hard accepting an 11.9-cent-per-gallon gas tax increase that will fund construction. Not many will care fewer bicyclists will be sharing the road if the governor goes for the new fuel standards.

Oh boy.