H-5060.1          _______________________________________________

                             HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 4042

                  _______________________________________________

State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1992 Regular Session

By Representative R. Fisher

Read first time 03/05/92.  Referred to Committee on Transportation.Requesting Congress press for more realistic, cost effective, and sensitive federal regulations governing overweight buses.

     TO THE HONORABLE GEORGE BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED, AND TO THE SECRETARY OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION:

     We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:

     WHEREAS, Increasing traffic congestion, decreased air quality, and both the actual and perceived impacts of single occupant vehicle travel are increasingly serious problems in our nation's cities; and

     WHEREAS, Public transportation and shared ride alternatives are increasingly critical elements in both the infrastructure and the quality of life of our nation's cities; and

     WHEREAS, The primary form of public transportation is and will continue to be provided using standard production model urban transit buses; and

     WHEREAS, Urban transit buses have continued to evolve to address customer comfort, accessibility, safety, longevity, ease of operation and maintenance, and both energy and environmental sensitivity; and

     WHEREAS, The vast majority of urban transit buses are purchased using combinations of federal grant funds and both state and local assistance; and

     WHEREAS, The suppliers and operators of the nation's urban transit buses must simultaneously comply with a complex array of federal, state, and local laws, mandates, and regulations; and

     WHEREAS, The combination of customer demands and expectations, local operating conditions, and adherence to all regulatory requirements, has caused the overall weight of standard production urban transit buses to continue to increase, in many cases beyond that allowed by current federal and state laws; and

     WHEREAS, The combined goals, operations, and regulatory requirements on the public transportation industry have come into marked conflict with each other; and

     WHEREAS, It is in the nation's interest to preserve and enhance the viability of the mass transportation infrastructure in our cities and towns; and

     WHEREAS, The State of Washington and its public transportation industry wish to work cooperatively with the federal government to resolve the issues related to overweight urban transit buses;

     NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the Congress act to assure necessary coordination and assistance from the Federal Transportation Administration and the Federal Highway Administration on the issue of overweight urban transit buses from a national perspective.  Such intervention would help resolve the growing conflicts of federal statutory and regulatory requirements for design, safety, and operating features that have increased urban transit bus weight.  Both manufacturers and mass transit providers urgently need consistent nation-wide interpretation which is realistic, cost-effective, and sensitive to the growing dilemma being faced at the local operating level.

     BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable George Bush, President of the United States, the Secretary of the United States Department of Transportation, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.