Jake: The World Cup has Washington’s infrastructure working like it should — enjoy it while it lasts

The FIFA World Cup is upon us, and I have a message for my fellow Washington commuters: enjoy these next five weeks of a mostly well-run state.

The first match in Seattle kicks off June 15, just days away, and Seattle hosts a Round of 16 fixture at Lumen Field in July. And look, even if soccer isn’t your thing, here’s something worth celebrating: our roads are actually working right now.

Over the weekend, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) wrapped up the Revive I-5 project a little ahead of schedule. The express lanes, locked going one direction for what felt like an eternity, are finally flowing both ways again, like they’re supposed to.

I commute south into the city every morning from up north, and I’m telling you, traffic times have been absolutely brutal. Many of you know exactly what I’m talking about. But for the next several weeks? All is right with the world.

Oh, and Washington State Ferries? They’re committing to running 20 of their 21 vessels — which, again, is what they should be doing all the time — and they’ve even gone ahead and hired extra crew so there won’t be any canceled sailings over staffing issues. An extra special little treat, as I like to call it.

We pay a lot for these things, but it took the World Cup for them to actually work

Here’s my problem, though: I’m trying to grin and enjoy it, and I just … can’t quite get there.

Because we pay for these things. We pay a lot for these things. And what we’re seeing right now isn’t some extraordinary effort — it’s just the baseline. It’s what should be happening every single day, regardless of who’s watching. I don’t really feel like giving WSDOT a high five for doing what they’re supposed to do.

But that’s the trick with big government bureaucracy, isn’t it? They don’t really care how you feel. You’re just another car stuck on the road or another passenger waiting on a dock for a sailing that got canceled. So maybe the best thing I can do, and I say this as someone who’s gotten pretty good at it during my hellish morning commute, is just sit back and enjoy the ride.

There’ll be plenty of time to be frustrated when the spotlight goes dark, and our state agencies go back to giving us the cold shoulder.

I just wish they cared as much about the taxpayers as they seem to care about the tourists.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Follow me on X and Instagram.

Listen to “The Jake and Spike Show” weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio 97.3