About-face: 80% COAST funding lost, returned

COLFAX—There was no explanation of why Washington State Department of Transportation announced it planned to cut COAST’s funding last week and none when it pivoted on that decision Saturday to make no cuts at all.

COAST was informed July 23 that all its funding from the Washington State Department of Transportation’s Public Transportation Division was being cut, a loss of $266,000. According to COAST Executive Director Paige Collins, WSDOT did not give a specific reason from the cuts other than “lack of revenue.”

Craig VanTine, contracts and grants manager, was able to negotiate with WSDOT to...