2003 "Nickel" funding package

Enacted for transportation by the 2003 Washington Legislature. The revenue package funded 158 projects over a 10-year period for a total of $3.9 billion. The revenue package consisted of a 5 cents gas tax increase, 15 percent increase in gross weight fees on heavy trucks and a 0.3 percent increase in sales tax on new motor vehicle purchases. All Nickel package revenue elements were deposited into the Nickel account to pay for the highway projects.

The 2003 Washington State Legislature enacted the Nickel funding package: "It's your Nickel, watch it Work."

The revenue package funds 158 projects over a 10-year period. The Nickel package includes:

• 5 cents per gallon gas tax increase.
• 15 percent increase in gross weight fees on heavy trucks.
• 0.3 percent increase in the sales tax on motor vehicles.

When the projects are built, and the accompanying bonds are paid off, the five-cent-per-gallon gas tax increase will expire. A summary of the project delivery from the September 2021 Gray Notebook quarterly report (PDF 3.2MB) can be viewed here.