HOUSE BILL REPORT

                     ESHB 1564

                              As Passed House

                               March 19, 1991

Title:  An act relating to transportation to and from and parking at state facilities.

Brief Description:  Requiring the department of general administration to develop and implement a comprehensive transportation and parking program.

Sponsor(s):  By House Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Representatives Nelson, McLean, Anderson, Belcher, Brumsickle, R. Fisher, Bowman, Betrozoff, Fraser and Rasmussen; by request of Department of General Administration).

Brief History:

   Reported by House Committee on:

Transportation, February 26, 1991, DPS;

Passed House, March 19, 1991, 98-0.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report: That Substitute House Bill No. 1564 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 23 members:  Representatives R. Fisher, Chair; R. Meyers, Vice Chair; Betrozoff, Ranking Minority Member; Chandler, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Brough; Cantwell; Cooper; Day; G. Fisher; Forner; Heavey; Horn; P. Johnson; R. Johnson; Jones; Mitchell; Nelson; Orr; Prentice; Prince; Schmidt; Wilson; and Wood.

Staff:  Brian McMorrow (786-7304).

Background:  Last year the Legislature passed a similar measure, House Bill 2802, which expanded the Department of General Administration's transportation and parking authority beyond the capitol campus to all state-owned and leased facilities.  The expanded authority gave General Administration the authority to develop and implement a comprehensive parking program.  Since the required funding was not approved, the measure was null and void at the end of the fiscal year.

Summary of Bill:  The Department of General Administration's transportation and parking authority is expanded beyond the capitol campus to all state-owned and leased facilities.  The expanded authority allows the department, with the help of the Parking and Transportation Management Advisory Committee (PTMAC), to develop and implement a comprehensive transportation and parking program, encourage commute trip reduction plans, develop standards for managing and allocating parking spaces, and establish a fair system of parking rates and transportation fees.  The Department of General Administration must reduce, and eventually eliminate, state-subsidization of parking on the capitol campus.

Money collected from parking and transportation fees must be placed in the newly created Transportation and Parking Management Account, and be used for debt service, the transportation and parking program, transportation allowances, transit and van pool subsidies, direct payment to commuters, and any other cost, expense or charge related to the operation and administration of transportation or parking programs.

The PTMAC must study the effectiveness of the parking and transportation program and report its findings to the Legislature by July 1, 1994.

All state agencies must, whenever practical, hold public hearings in facilities that are easily accessible by public transportation.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date:  The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect July 1, 1991.

Testimony For:  The Department of General Administration needs this additional authority to reduce the demand on state-owned and leased parking facilities and to encourage alternatives to single-occupant-vehicle travel.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Wendy Holden, Department of General Administration (pro); Rex Derr, City of Olympia (pro); Dick Goldsmith, Washington State Transit Association (pro); Mark Brown, Washington Federation of State Employees (concerned with General Administration administering the program); Joe Ganem, Bicycle Federation of Washington (pro); and Dennis Ingham, Department of Transportation (pro).