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Finding ways to reverse the spread of traffic congestion across Washington state will undoubtedly rank among the greatest challenges facing the person who occupies the Governor’s Mansion in Olympia next year.

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) estimates that traffic delays already cost the state economy nearly $600 million per year. Complicating matters is the fact that the primary state and federal funding sources for highways, bridges and transit improvements remain stagnant. The federal Highway Trust Fund is on the brink of insolvency, while Washington state lawmakers will walk into their budget planning process next year facing an anticipated $2.7 billion deficit of their own.

Policymakers in other parts of the nation are addressing their funding shortfalls through measures ranging from new tolls to highway privatization. In May, WSDOT launched a pilot program that allows motorists driving alone to pay a variable toll to use carpool lanes on State Route 167 between Renton and Auburn. Variable tolls, which require motorists to pay a higher rate during periods of heavy congestion, are also a key element of Gov. Chris Gregoire’s plan to finance the replacement of the State Route 520 bridge.

Meanwhile, soaring gasoline prices and environmental concerns have a growing number of motorists clamoring for more and better public transportation. This fall, voters in the urban portions of King, Pierce and Snohomish counties will decide on Sound Transit’s $22 billion proposal to develop new light rail and add bus service through a half-cent sales tax increase.

With so much on the line, Journey magazine contacted the gubernatorial candidates to find out where they stand on key transportation issues. The highlights of our interviews with Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire and Republican challenger Dino Rossi appear below. You can learn more about each candidate’s positions by logging on to their respective Web sites, www.chrisgregoire.com and www.dinorossi.com.

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