AN ACT Relating to state transportation
planning; amending RCW 47.05.030; adding a new chapter to Title 47 RCW; and
creating a new section.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.
FINDINGS. The legislature recognizes
that the ownership and operation of Washington's transportation system is
spread among federal, state, and local government agencies, regional transit
agencies, port districts, and the private sector. The legislature also
recognizes that transportation planning authority is shared on the local,
regional, and state levels, and that this planning must be a comprehensive and
coordinated effort. While significant authority for transportation planning is
vested with local agencies and regional transportation planning organizations
under the growth management act, the legislature recognizes that certain
transportation issues and facilities cross local and regional boundaries and
are vital to the state-wide economy and the cross-state mobility of people and
goods. Therefore, the state has an appropriate role in developing state-wide
transportation plans that address state jurisdiction facilities and services as
well as transportation facilities and services of state interest. These plans
shall serve as a guide for short-term investment needs and provide a long-range
vision for transportation system development.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.
STATE-WIDE TRANSPORTATION PLANNING. The specific role of the department in
transportation planning shall be (1) ongoing coordination and development of
state-wide transportation policies that guide all Washington transportation
providers; (2) ongoing development of a state-wide multimodal transportation
plan that includes both state-owned and state-interest facilities and services;
(3) coordinating the state high-capacity transportation planning and regional
transportation planning programs; and (4) conducting special transportation
planning studies that impact state transportation facilities or relate to
transportation facilities and services of state-wide significance. Specific
requirements for each of these state transportation planning components are
described in this chapter.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.
TRANSPORTATION POLICY PLAN. The commission shall develop a state
transportation policy plan that (1) establishes a vision and goals for the
development of the state-wide transportation system consistent with the state's
growth management goals, (2) identifies significant state-wide transportation
policy issues, and (3) recommends state-wide transportation policies and
strategies to the legislature to fulfill the requirements of RCW 47.01.071(1).
The state transportation policy plan shall be the product of an ongoing process
that involves representatives of significant transportation interests and the
general public from across the state.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.
STATE-WIDE MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN. The department shall develop a
state-wide multimodal transportation plan under RCW 47.01.071(3) and in
conformance with federal requirements, to ensure the continued mobility of
people and goods within regions and across the state in a safe, cost-effective
manner. The state-wide multimodal transportation plan shall consist of:
(1) A state-owned facilities component, which
shall guide state investment for state highways including bicycle and
pedestrian facilities, and state ferries; and
(2) A state-interest component, which shall
define the state interest in aviation, marine ports and navigation, freight
rail, intercity passenger rail, bicycle transportation and pedestrian walkways,
and public transportation, and recommend actions in coordination with
appropriate public and private transportation providers to ensure that the
state interest in these transportation modes is met.
The plans developed under each component must
be consistent with the state transportation policy plan and with each other,
reflect public involvement, be consistent with regional transportation
planning, high-capacity transportation planning, and local comprehensive plans
prepared under chapter 36.70A RCW, and include analysis of intermodal
connections and choices. A primary emphasis for these plans shall be the
improvement and integration of all transportation modes to create a seamless
intermodal transportation system for people and goods.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5.
STATE-OWNED FACILITIES COMPONENT OF STATE-WIDE MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN.
The state-owned facilities component of the state-wide transportation plan
shall consist of:
(1) The state highway system plan, which
identifies program and financing needs and recommends specific and financially
realistic improvements to preserve the structural integrity of the state
highway system, ensure acceptable operating conditions, and provide for
enhanced access to scenic, recreational, and cultural resources. The state
highway system plan shall contain the following elements:
(a) A system preservation element, which shall
establish structural preservation objectives for the state highway system
including bridges, identify current and future structural deficiencies based
upon analysis of current conditions and projected future deterioration, and
recommend program funding levels and specific actions necessary to preserve the
structural integrity of the state highway system consistent with adopted
objectives. This element shall serve as the basis for the preservation
component of the six-year highway program and the two-year biennial budget
request to the legislature;
(b) A capacity and operational improvement
element, which shall establish operational objectives, including safety
considerations, for moving people and goods on the state highway system,
identify current and future capacity, operational, and safety deficiencies, and
recommend program funding levels and specific improvements and strategies
necessary to achieve the operational objectives. In developing capacity and
operational improvement plans the department shall first assess strategies to
enhance the operational efficiency of the existing system before recommending
system expansion. Strategies to enhance the operational efficiencies include
but are not limited to access management, transportation system management,
demand management, and high-occupancy vehicle facilities. The capacity and
operational improvement element must conform to the state implementation plan
for air quality and be consistent with regional transportation plans adopted
under chapter 47.80 RCW, and shall serve as the basis for the capacity and
operational improvement portions of the six-year highway program and the
two-year biennial budget request to the legislature;
(c) A scenic and recreational highways element,
which shall identify and recommend designation of scenic and recreational
highways, provide for enhanced access to scenic, recreational, and cultural
resources associated with designated routes, and recommend a variety of
management strategies to protect, preserve, and enhance these resources. The
department, affected counties, cities, and towns, regional transportation
planning organizations, and other state or federal agencies shall jointly
develop this element;
(d) A paths and trails element, which shall
identify the needs of nonmotorized transportation modes on the state
transportation systems and provide the basis for the investment of state
transportation funds in paths and trails, including funding provided under
chapter 47.30 RCW.
(2) The state ferry system plan, which shall
guide capital and operating investments in the state ferry system. The plan
shall establish service objectives for state ferry routes, forecast travel
demand for the various markets served in the system, and develop strategies for
ferry system investment that consider regional and state-wide vehicle and
passenger needs, support local land use plans, and assure that ferry services
are fully integrated with other transportation services. The plan shall assess
the role of private ferries operating under the authority of the utilities and
transportation commission and shall coordinate ferry system capital and
operational plans with these private operations. The ferry system plan must be
consistent with the regional transportation plans for areas served by the state
ferry system, and shall be developed in conjunction with the ferry advisory
committees.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6.
STATE-INTEREST COMPONENT OF STATE-WIDE MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN--STATE
AVIATION PLAN. The state-interest component of the state-wide multimodal
transportation plan shall include an aviation plan, which shall fulfill the
state-wide aviation planning requirements of the federal government, coordinate
state-wide aviation planning, and identify the program needs for public use and
state airports.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 7.
STATE-INTEREST COMPONENT OF STATE-WIDE MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN--STATE
MARINE PORTS AND NAVIGATION PLAN. The state-interest component of the
state-wide multimodal transportation plan shall include a state marine ports
and navigation plan, which shall assess the transportation needs of
Washington's marine ports, including navigation, and identify transportation
system improvements needed to support the international trade and economic
development role of Washington's marine ports.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 8.
STATE-INTEREST COMPONENT OF STATE-WIDE MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN--STATE
FREIGHT RAIL PLAN. The state-interest component of the state-wide multimodal
transportation plan shall include a state freight rail plan, which shall
fulfill the state-wide freight rail planning requirements of the federal
government, identify freight rail mainline issues, identify light-density
freight rail lines threatened with abandonment, establish criteria for
determining the importance of preserving the service or line, and recommend
priorities for the use of state rail assistance and state rail banking program
funds, as well as other available sources of funds. The plan shall also
identify existing intercity rail rights of way that should be preserved for
future transportation use.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 9.
STATE-INTEREST COMPONENT OF STATE-WIDE MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN--STATE
INTERCITY PASSENGER RAIL PLAN. The state-interest component of the state-wide
multimodal transportation plan shall include an intercity passenger rail plan,
which shall analyze existing intercity passenger rail service and recommend
improvements to that service under the state passenger rail service program
including depot improvements, potential service extensions, and ways to achieve
higher train speeds.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 10.
STATE-INTEREST COMPONENT OF STATE-WIDE MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN--STATE
BICYCLE TRANSPORTATION AND PEDESTRIAN WALKWAYS PLAN. The state-interest
component of the state-wide multimodal transportation plan shall include a
bicycle transportation and pedestrian walkways plan, which shall propose a
state-wide strategy for addressing bicycle and pedestrian transportation,
including the integration of bicycle and pedestrian pathways with other
transportation modes; the coordination between local governments, regional
agencies, and the state in the provision of such facilities; the role of such
facilities in reducing traffic congestion; and an assessment of state-wide bicycle
and pedestrian transportation needs. This plan shall satisfy the federal
requirement for a long-range bicycle transportation and pedestrian walkways
plan.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 11.
STATE-INTEREST COMPONENT OF STATE-WIDE MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN--STATE
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION PLAN. The state-interest component of the state-wide
multimodal transportation plan shall include a state public transportation plan
that:
(1) Articulates the state vision of an interest
in public transportation and provides quantifiable objectives, including
benefits indicators;
(2) Identifies the goals for public transit and
the roles of federal, state, regional, and local entities in achieving those
goals;
(3) Recommends mechanisms for coordinating
state, regional, and local planning for public transportation;
(4) Recommends mechanisms for coordinating
public transportation with other transportation services and modes;
(5) Recommends criteria, consistent with the
goals identified in subsection (2) of this section and with RCW 82.44.180 (2)
and (3), for existing federal authorizations administered by the department to
transit agencies; and
(6) Recommends a state-wide public
transportation facilities and equipment management system as required by
federal law.
In developing the state public transportation
plan, the department shall involve local jurisdictions, public and private
providers of transportation services, nonmotorized interests, and state
agencies with an interest in public transportation, including but not limited
to the departments of community development, social and health services, and
ecology, the state energy office, the office of the superintendent of public
instruction, the office of the governor, and the office of financial management.
The department shall submit an initial report
to the legislative transportation committee by December 1, 1993, and shall
provide annual reports summarizing the plan's progress each year thereafter.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 12.
HIGH-CAPACITY TRANSPORTATION PLANNING AND REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION
PLANNING--DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. The department's role in high-capacity
transportation planning and regional transportation planning is to administer
state planning grants for these purposes, represent the interests of the state
in these regional planning processes, and coordinate other department planning
with these regional efforts, including those under RCW 81.104.060.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 13.
SPECIAL PLANNING STUDIES. The department may carry out special transportation
planning studies to resolve specific issues with the development of the state
transportation system or other state-wide transportation issues.
Sec. 14.
RCW 47.05.030 and 1987 c 179 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
The transportation commission shall adopt and
periodically revise, after consultation with the legislative transportation
committee, a comprehensive six-year program and financial plan for highway
improvements specifying program objectives for each of the highway categories,
"A," "B," "C," and "H," defined in this
section, and within the framework of estimated funds for such period. The
program and plan shall be based upon the improvement needs ((for state
highways as determined by the department from time to time)) identified
in the state highway system plan, as required under section 5 of this act.
With such reasonable deviations as may be
required to effectively utilize the estimated funds and to adjust to
unanticipated delays in programmed projects, the commission shall allocate the
estimated funds among the following described categories of highway
improvements, so as to carry out the commission's program objectives:
(1) Category A shall consist of those
improvements necessary to sustain the structural, safety, and operational
integrity of the existing state highway system (other than improvements to the
interstate system to be funded with federal aid at the regular interstate rate
under federal law and regulations, and improvements designated in subsections
(2) through (4) of this section).
(2) Category B shall consist of improvements
for the continued development of the interstate system to be funded with
federal aid at the regular interstate rate under federal law and regulations.
(3) Category C shall consist of the development
of major transportation improvements (other than improvements to the interstate
system to be funded with federal aid at the regular interstate rate under
federal law and regulations) including designated but unconstructed highways
which are vital to the state-wide transportation network.
(4) Category H shall consist of those
improvements necessary to sustain the structural and operational integrity of
existing bridges on the highway system (other than bridges on the interstate
system or bridge work included in another category because of its association
with a highway project in such category).
Projects which are financed one hundred percent
by federal funds or other agency funds shall, if the commission determines that
such work will improve the state highway system, be managed separately from the
above categories.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 15.
CODIFICATION DIRECTIVE. Sections 1 through 13 of this act shall constitute a
new chapter in Title 47 RCW.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 16.
CAPTIONS. Captions used in this act do not constitute any part of the law.
