HOUSE BILL REPORT

SB 5129

As Amended by the House

BYSenators Talmadge, Garrett, Lee and Stratton

Authorizing revenue bonds for a toll bridge on First Avenue South in Seattle.

House Committe on Transportation

Majority Report:  Do pass with amendments.  (25)

      Signed by Representatives Walk, Chair; Baugher, Vice Chair; Betrozoff, Brough, Cantwell, Cooper, Day, Dellwo, Doty, Fisher, Gallagher, Hankins, Haugen, Heavey, Kremen, Meyers, Schmidt, D. Sommers, Spanel, Sutherland, Todd, Vekich, J. Williams, S. Wilson and Zellinsky.

Minority Report:  Do not pass.  (2)

      Signed by Representatives Prince and C. Smith.

House Staff:Gene Schlatter (786-7316)

AS PASSED HOUSE APRIL 14, 1987

BACKGROUND:

The First Avenue South bridge is located on the Duwamish waterway in south Seattle.  The bridge, designed in the 1950s to connect Seattle with State Route 99, currently links State Route 99 on the north with State Route 509 and State Route 518 to the south.

The existing bridge consists of five ten-foot wide lanes, and the center lane is operated as a reversible lane during peak hours.  Traffic volumes across the bridge have increased by 40 percent since 1972 according to an independent study prepared for the Washington State Department of Transportation by Parsons Brinckerhoff in 1985.  The study concluded that traffic congestion, high accident rates, and hazardous conditions for bicyclists and pedestrians make the bridge unsafe.

The bridge is estimated to cost approximately $100 million, based upon costs for 1992.  A 52-cent toll would be required to pay back a toll bond.  With this pricing it is estimated that a 23 percent diversion of traffic would occur, resulting in an average daily traffic load of about 65,000.

The 1985 study recommended a tri-partisan approach for payment of the bridge.  The state would pay part from Category C funds since the bridge is part of a state route; the Port of Seattle would pay part since it is a large landowner within the area and pays no taxes; and locals would pay the remainder through tolls since they are the beneficiaries of the bridge.

SUMMARY:

The Transportation Commission is given permissive authority to construct a new First Avenue South bridge with toll-financed revenue bonds.  The commission must conduct the appropriate studies to determine the economic and operational feasibility of a toll-financed bridge, as well as whether it would be allowable under federal law.  If local funds are generated, they must be matched with Category C state funds.

The city of Seattle, in cooperation with the Department of Transportation, is authorized to determine whether it is operationally feasible and consistent with federal law for the city to collect tolls on the existing bridge to "pre-fund" the construction of a new bridge.  If tolls are imposed, that money may be used solely for participation in the construction of the new bridge.

Fiscal Note:      Attached.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Senator Phil Talmadge.

House Committee - Testified Against:      Jim Toohey, Department of Transportation.

House Committee - Testimony For:    This is a unique method to allow local participation in the construction of a new bridge on the state highway system.  The safe, useful life of the First Avenue South Bridge is limited; and under the current Category C priority funding scheme, 100 percent-state funding may not be available until the 21st century.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      Requiring Category C funds to be matched against local monies may raise false hopes as there may not be any Category C funds available.