request to block the sale over a lack of correspondence about the new lease and security deposit. Governance The Northwest Seaport Alliance is a port development authority created by chapter 53.57 of the Revised Code of Washington. It is governed by the port commissions of Seattle and Tacoma, whose members are elected by the citizens of King and Pierce counties, respectively, to four-year terms. The alliance is a separate legal entity from the Port of Seattle and Port of Tacoma, for contracting, auditing and reporting purposes. The Northwest Seaport Alliance budget for 2017 consists of $96.8 million in operating expenses, $93.4 million in revenue, and a separate capital expenses fund of $270.4 million. Economy The ports of Seattle and Tacoma funded a joint economic impact study in 2013 and found that the ports' marine cargo divisions support a combined $138.1 billion in economic activity, equivalent to a third of Washington state's gross state product. The ports support more than 48,000 jobs, including 18,900 direct jobs, and produced $379 million in state and local taxes. Cargo For the year of 2016, The Northwest Seaport Alliance reported its container traffic totaled 3.6 million TEUs, an increase of 2 percent from 2015, and 28 million metric tons. The two ports serve 22 international container carriers, as well as 30 other carriers, providing regular service to seaports in East Asia, Alaska, Hawaii, Central America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Morocco. The alliance's top imports include industrial machinery, electronics, vehicles, toys, and furniture; its top exports include oil seeds and grains, industrial machinery, prepared vegetables and fruits, fish and seafood, edible fruits, and metals. Connections The Northwest Seaport Alliance has direct rail connections to the Pacific Northwest and Midwest regions of the United States, provided by BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad. The Port of Seattle owns Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, the region's primary airport for passengers and cargo, located from Seattle and from Tacoma. The two ports of Seattle and Tacoma are also connected to the state highway system, including Interstate 5 between both ports and Interstate 90 in Seattle. The Washington State Department of Transportation plans to enhance road connections between the two ports and Seattle–Tacoma International Airport through the Puget Sound Gateway Program. Approved in 2015 by the state legislature, the $1.6 billion program will extend State Route 167 to the Port of Tacoma and State Route 509 to Interstate 5, creating a