HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 2938

                       As Passed House

                      February 17, 1992

Title:  An act relating to governance of public transportation benefit areas.

Brief Description:  Revising governance of PTBAs.

Sponsor(s):  Representatives Prentice, R. Fisher, Wood and Day.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Transportation, February 6, 1992, DP;

Passed House, February 17, 1992, 93-3.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report: Do pass.  Signed by 19 members:  Representatives R. Fisher, Chair; R. Meyers, Vice Chair; Betrozoff, Ranking Minority Member; Chandler, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Basich; Brough; Cantwell; Cooper; Forner; Haugen; Heavey; P. Johnson; R. Johnson; Kremen; Mitchell; Prentice; Schmidt; Wood; and Zellinsky.

Staff:  Judy Burns (786-7301).

Background:  Over the past 18 months, the Legislative Transportation Committee has conducted a comprehensive policy review of transit systems in the state.  The final study report made a number of recommendations aimed at improving the governance, financing, administration and planning of transit.

One of the recommendations related to two city transit systems which operate in areas where surrounding communities would like to establish a regional transit system.  In the past the cities of Everett and Yakima have declined to participate in regional systems.  As a result, in Snohomish County there are two separate systems--Everett Transit and Community Transit.  In Yakima, the city of Yakima operates a system only within the city and no service is available in other parts of the county.

Summary of Bill:  A city operating a transit system, within a county which has a population over 150,000, within which comprehensive planning is required, and within which no public transportation benefit area (PTBA) exists, may not opt out of the process for formation of a PTBA without the consent of the county legislative authority if the population proposed to be included with the benefit area, not counting the population of the city operating the transit system, is greater than the population of the city.  A majority of those voting within the boundaries would be required for the PTBA to collect revenues and operate.

A PTBA, located in a county with a population over 150,000 and within which comprehensive planning is required, may place before the voters a ballot proposition, to be voted on collectively by the electorate within the PTBA and within a city operating a transit system, to annex the city into the PTBA.  This vote may be called for only if the population within the PTBA is greater than the population within the city which operates the transit system.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  A single transit system serving a region is more cost effective than two separate systems.  Voters should at least be given an opportunity to vote on a proposed regional system.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Les White, C-Tran; Don Monroe, Pierce Transit; and Richard Hayes, Kitsap Transit.