H-2184              _______________________________________________

                                           SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL NO. 133

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1985 Regular Session

By House Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Representatives Dellwo, Taylor, Padden, Day, Silver, Barrett and Kremen)

Read first time 3/8/85 and passed to Committee on Rules.

AN ACT Relating to highway information panels; amending RCW 47.42.046 and 47.42.047; and adding a new section to chapter 47.42 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

        Sec. 1.  Section 2, chapter 80, Laws of 1974 ex. sess. as amended by section 223, chapter 7, Laws of 1984 and RCW 47.42.046 are each amended to read as follows:

          The department is authorized to erect and maintain specific information panels within the right of way of the interstate highway system to give the traveling public specific information as to gas, food, or lodging available on a crossroad at or near an interchange.  Specific information panels shall include the words "GAS," "FOOD," or "LODGING" and directional information and may contain one or more individual business signs maintained on the panel.  Specific information panels are authorized within the corporate limits of cities and towns and areas zoned for commercial or industrial uses.  The erection and maintenance of specific information panels shall conform to the national standards promulgated by the United States secretary of transportation pursuant to sections 131 and 315 of Title 23, United States Code and rules adopted by the state department of transportation.  A motorist service business shall not be permitted to display its name, brand, or trademark on a specific information panel unless its owner has first entered into an agreement with the department limiting the height of its on-premise signs at the site of its service installation to not more than fifteen feet higher than the roof of its main building.  The department shall charge reasonable fees for the display of individual business signs to defray the costs of their installation and maintenance.

        Sec. 2.  Section 4, chapter 80, Laws of 1974 ex. sess. as amended by section 224, chapter 7, Laws of 1984 and RCW 47.42.047 are each amended to read as follows:

          The department is authorized to erect and maintain specific information panels within the right of way of ((those portions)) both ((of)) the primary system and the scenic system ((lying outside of cities and towns and lying outside of commercial and industrial areas)) to give the traveling public specific information as to gas, food, recreation, or lodging available off the primary or scenic highway accessible by way of highways intersecting the primary or scenic highway.  Specific information panels shall include the words "GAS," "FOOD," "RECREATION," or "LODGING" and directional information and may contain one or more individual business signs maintained on the panel.  The erection and maintenance of specific information panels along primary or scenic highways shall conform to the national standards promulgated by the United States secretary of transportation pursuant to sections 131 and 315 of Title 23 United States Code and rules adopted by the state department of transportation including the manual on uniform traffic control devices for streets and highways.  A motorist service business shall not be permitted to display its name, brand, or trademark on a specific information panel unless its owner has first entered into an agreement with the department limiting the height of its on-premise signs at the site of its service installation to not more than fifteen feet higher than the roof of its main building.

          The department shall charge reasonable fees for the display of individual business signs to defray the costs of their installation and maintenance.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 47.42 RCW to read as follows:

          (1) Not more than six business signs may be permitted on specific information panels authorized by RCW 47.42.046 and 47.42.047.

          (2) The maximum distance that eligible service facilities may be located on either side of an interchange or intersection to qualify for a business sign are as follows:

          (a) On fully-controlled, limited access highways, gas, food, or lodging activities shall be located within three miles.  Camping activities shall be within five miles.

          (b) On highways with partial access control or no access control, gas, food, lodging, or camping activities shall be located within five miles.

          (3) If no eligible services are located within the distance limits prescribed in subsection (2) of this section, the distance limits shall be increased until an eligible service of a type being considered is reached, up to a maximum of fifteen miles.