H-2002              _______________________________________________

 

                                           SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL NO. 252

                        _______________________________________________

 

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1985 Regular Session

 

By House Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Representative Fisch)

 

 

Read first time 2/22/85 and passed to Committee on Rules.

 

 


AN ACT Relating to the Hood Canal bridge; amending RCW 47.60.326; adding a new section to chapter 47.60 RCW; repealing RCW 47.56.365; and declaring emergency.

 

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

 

        Sec. 1.  Section 5, chapter 344, Laws of 1981 as amended by section 25, chapter 15, Laws of 1983 and RCW 47.60.326 are each amended to read as follows:

          (1) In order to maintain an adequate, fair, and economically sound schedule of charges for the transportation of passengers, vehicles, and commodities on the Washington state ferries, including the Hood Canal bridge, the department of transportation each year shall conduct a full review of such charges.

          (2) Prior to ((February)) October 1st of each ((odd-numbered)) even-numbered year the department shall transmit to the transportation commission and the legislative transportation committee a report of its review together with its recommendations for the revision of a schedule of charges for the ensuing biennium.  The commission on or before July 1st of ((that)) each odd-numbered year shall adopt as a rule, in the manner provided by the Washington administrative procedure act, a schedule of charges for the Washington state ferries for the ensuing biennium commencing July 1st.  The schedule may initially be adopted as an emergency rule if necessary to  take effect on, or as near as possible to, July 1st.

          (3) The department in making its review and formulating recommendations and the commission in adopting a schedule of charges may consider any of the following factors:

          (a) The amount of subsidy available to the ferry system for maintenance and operation;

          (b) The time and distance of ferry runs;

          (c) The maintenance and operation costs for ferry runs with a proper adjustment for higher costs of operating outmoded or less efficient equipment;

          (d) The efficient distribution of traffic between cross-sound routes;

          (e) The desirability of reasonable commutation rates for persons using the ferry system to commute daily to work;

          (f) The effect of proposed fares in increasing walk-on and vehicular passenger use;

          (g) The effect of proposed fares in promoting all types of ferry use during nonpeak periods;

          (h) Such other factors as prudent managers of a major ferry system would consider.

          (4) The commission shall adopt a schedule of charges for the Hood Canal bridge in accordance with section 2 of this act.

          (5) If at any time during the biennium it appears that projected toll revenues from the ferry system, together with the appropriation from the Puget Sound ferry operations account and any other operating subsidy available to the Washington state ferries, will be less than the projected total cost of maintenance and operation of the Washington state ferries for the biennium, the department shall forthwith undertake a review of its schedule of charges to ascertain whether or not the schedule of charges should be revised.  The department shall, upon completion of its review report, submit its recommendation to the transportation commission which may in its sound discretion revise the schedule of charges as required to meet necessary maintenance and operation expenditures of the ferry system for the biennium or may defer action until the regular annual review and revision of ferry charges as provided in subsection (2) of this section.

          (((5))) (6) The provisions of RCW 47.60.330 relating to public participation shall apply to the process of revising ferry tolls under this section.

 

          NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 47.60 RCW to read as follows:

          (1) As used in this section:

          (a) Net revenues from operations of the Hood Canal bridge means the amount received from tolls charged for the use of the Hood Canal bridge less the actual costs of operations and maintenance of the Hood Canal bridge.

          (b) Net revenue limit is an amount equal to the total net revenues from operations of the Hood Canal bridge since October 1, 1982, that may be received in accordance with the terms of the agreement between the department and the federal highway administration, dated May 20, 1980, as modified by any subsequent judicial determination.

          (c) Remaining balance of the net revenue limit is an amount equal to the net revenue limit less the total net revenues from operations of the Hood Canal bridge since October 1, 1982.

          (2) Beginning with the schedule of charges that  takes effect July 1, 1986, a schedule adopted by the commission shall be one which, if maintained until July 1, 2002, will produce projected total net revenues from operations of the Hood Canal bridge for the period beginning on the effective date of the schedule and ending June 30, 2002, equal to the projected remaining balance of the net revenue limit as of the effective date of that schedule.  The schedule of charges established each year in accordance with this section shall be rounded to the nearest quarter dollar.

          (3) After the date on which the remaining balance of the net revenue limit equals zero, tolls shall no longer be charged for the use of the Hood Canal bridge.

          (4) If the transportation commission determines that it would be economically feasible to retire the remaining bonds before the year 2002, the analysis and recommendation shall be transmitted to the legislative transportation committee for its review and inclusion in the transportation budget.

 

          NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3.  Section 3, chapter 10, Laws of 1961, section 7, chapter 9, Laws of 1961 ex. sess. and RCW 47.56.365 are each repealed.

 

          NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4.     This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety, the support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.