S-1046.2          _______________________________________________

                                 SENATE BILL 5564

                  _______________________________________________

State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1991 Regular Session

By Senators Erwin, Thorsness, Johnson, von Reichbauer, Snyder, Nelson and A. Smith.

Read first time February 7, 1991.  Referred to Committee on Transportation.Proposing a study to make recommendations concerning van pools.

     AN ACT Relating to increasing the use of van pools; adding a new section to chapter 47.20 RCW; creating a new section; and making an appropriation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.      The legislature finds that traffic congestion can be reduced efficiently by encouraging people to share rides.  The legislature further finds that passengers are attracted to ridesharing if travel time is not adversely affected.  Many potential ridesharers are lost because the time to form car pools and van pools by traveling to a central meeting place is perceived as a crucial obstacle.  Most car pools are formed from members of the same household or from the same neighborhood.  The legislature encourages the exploration of means to increase the number of neighborhood-based van pools.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 47.20 RCW to read as follows:

     (1) The department of transportation shall contract with the Washington state transportation center at the University of Washington to conduct a study and make recommendations for legislation concerning the following:

     (a) How to create incentives to operate and participate in van pools in neighborhood areas.

     (b) How best to make van pool operation an attractive "cottage" industry.

     (c) Whether there exist reasonable alternatives to the traditional meeting place approach to van pooling.

     (d) Any other time savings factors that might encourage greater participation in van pools.

     (e) An assessment of costs and benefits associated with any recommendation.

     (2) The department of transportation shall report findings and recommendations to the legislature no later than January 1, 1992.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.      (1) The sum of forty-nine thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1993, from the transportation fund to the department of transportation for the purpose of implementing section 2 of this act.

     (2) The contract, referred to under section 2 of this act, shall call for the Washington state transportation center to use best efforts to procure matching funds or other additional funds to assist in fulfillment of the purposes set out under section 2 of this act.