HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 SHB 2763

                       As Passed House

                      February 17, 1992

Title:  An act relating to commuter ride sharing.

Brief Description:  Demonstrating the effectiveness of commuter ride sharing.

Sponsor(s):  By House Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Representatives R. Fisher, Betrozoff, Zellinsky, Paris, Ferguson and Nelson; by request of Department of Transportation).

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Transportation, February 4, 1992, DPS;

Passed House, February 17, 1992, 92-0.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 22 members:  Representatives R. Fisher, Chair; R. Meyers, Vice Chair; Betrozoff, Ranking Minority Member; Chandler, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Cantwell; Cooper; Day; G. Fisher; Forner; Haugen; Horn; P. Johnson; R. Johnson; Jones; Kremen; Mitchell; Orr; Prentice; Schmidt; Wilson; Wood; and Zellinsky.

Minority Report: Do not pass.  Signed by 3 members:  Representatives Brough; Heavey; and Nelson.

Staff:  Brian McMorrow (786-7304).

Background:  State-owned motor vehicles may be used by employees for commuter ride sharing as long as the entire capital depreciation and operational expense of the commuter ride sharing arrangement is paid by the commuters.

The Department of General Administration, with the concurrence of an interagency task force, must create a commute trip reduction plan for state agencies.  The plan must consider and recommend policies applicable to all state agencies including but not limited to parking, parking charges, employee incentives for commuting by other than single-occupant automobiles, flexible and alternative work schedules, alternative work sites, and the use of state-owned vehicles for car and van pools.

Summary of Bill:  The Department of Transportation (DOT) may subsidize its employees' use of state-owned vehicles for commuter ride sharing as long as this use is economical and advantageous to the state.

The department must conduct this demonstration project in cooperation with the Department of General Administration.  The results will be used in developing a trip reduction plan for state agencies as required by the recently passed transportation demand management legislation.

Fiscal Note:  Requested January 30, 1992.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  The department will be able to demonstrate the effectiveness of transportation demand management (TDM) measures and begin the implementation of TDM requirements as outlined in 2SHB 1671 enacted in 1991.  The most auspicious time to implement TDM measures is immediately after the relocation of the district 1 headquarters.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Ron Anderson, Department of Transportation.