FINAL BILL REPORT

SHB 1857

                                  C 167 L 88

BYHouse Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Representatives Cantwell, Walk, S. Wilson, Patrick, Fisher, Zellinsky, Jones, Sanders and Todd)

Creating a transportation improvement board.

House Committe on Transportation

Senate Committee on Transportation

SYNOPSIS AS ENACTED

BACKGROUND:

Adequate transportation systems are vital to continued economic growth for Washington state.  Businesses considering establishing operations in a new locale repeatedly list transportation as a major criteria in their location decision.  The adequacy of the transportation system also impacts the expansion decisions of Washington's existing businesses.

The Urban Arterial Board (UAB) and the Urban Arterial Trust Account were formed in 1967 to address traffic congestion in urban areas.  The UAB is composed of 13 members:  six county and six city members, all appointed by the secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOT); and the state aid engineer of the DOT, who serves as chair.  The department provides facilities and staff to the board.

Rapid economic development, especially in suburban areas, is creating severe traffic congestion problems that are not being addressed currently.  In recognition of the importance of ensuring improved responsiveness of highway programming in areas of rapid economic development, the Legislative Transportation Committee chair, in 1986, convened the Task Force on Transportation/Economic Development Issues.  One of the Task Force recommendations was creation of a new board to deal with multi-jurisdictional congestion problems that included local government and/or private financial participation.

SUMMARY:

The Transportation Improvement Board (TIB) is created.  It is composed of six county representatives, six city representatives, and three Department of Transportation (DOT) representatives.  Appointment of city and county members is by the Secretary of the Department of Transportation, from a list of two nominees for each position submitted by the Washington Association of Counties and Association of Washington Cities, respectively.  Members serve four-year terms, staggered, with initial appointments to be made by July 1, 1988.

The TIB is the successor to the Urban Arterial Board and assumes all of its obligations, duties and powers.  Staffing and facilities are no longer provided by DOT but by the TIB from Urban Arterial Trust Account (UATA) funds.  Eligibility for UATA funds remains unchanged.

The Transportation Improvement Account (TIA) is created and is administered by the TIB.  Allocation of funds in the account shall be made by June 30 each year.

Eighty-seven percent is to be distributed for counties, cities with over 5,000 population, and transportation benefit districts for county, city, multi- agency and suburban arterial improvement projects.  Projects must be consistent with state, regional, local and rail (when developed by the Rail Development Commission) transportation plans and consideration must be given the project's relationship, both actual and potential, with rapid mass transit; necessitated by existing or reasonably foreseeable congestion attributable to economic development or growth; and partially funded by local government and/or private contributions.  The TIB is to give priority consideration to those projects having met the above criteria that have the greatest percentage, on a project basis, of local and/or private contribution.

As determined by the TIB 13 percent is to be distributed to cities under 5,000 population.

The TIB is required to report to the Legislative Transportation Committee by January 15, 1989 and annually thereafter.

VOTES ON FINAL PASSAGE:

      House 94   0

      Senate    48     0(Senate amended)

      House             (House refused to concur)

      Senate    46     0(Senate receded)

EFFECTIVE:June 9, 1988