6466-S AMH TR H4407.1
SSB 6466 - H COMM AMD ADOPTED 3-4-94
By Committee on Transportation
Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:
"NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 36.70A RCW to read as follows:
The legislature recognizes that there are major transportation projects that affect multiple jurisdictions as to economic development, fiscal influence, environmental consequences, land use implications, and mobility of people and goods. The legislature further recognizes that affected jurisdictions have important interests that must be addressed, and that these jurisdictions' present environmental planning and permitting authority may result in multiple local permits and other requirements being specified for the projects.
The legislature finds that the present permitting system may result in segmented and sequential decisions by local governments that do not optimally serve all the parties with an interest in the decisions. The present system may also make more difficult achieving the consistency among plans and actions that is an important aspect of this chapter.
It is the intent of the legislature to provide for more efficiency and equity in the decisions of local governments regarding major transportation projects by encouraging coordination or consolidation of the processes for reviewing environmental planning and permitting requirements for those projects. The legislature intends that local governments coordinate their regulatory decisions by considering together the range of local, state, and federal requirements for major transportation projects. Nothing in section 1 or 2 of this act alters the authority of cities or counties under any other planning or permitting statute.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 36.70A RCW to read as follows:
COLLABORATIVE TRANSPORTATION PROJECT REVIEW. For counties engaged in planning under this chapter, there shall be established by December 31, 1994, a collaborative process to review and coordinate state and local permits for all transportation projects that cross more than one city or county boundary. This process shall at a minimum, establish a mechanism among affected cities and counties to designate a permit coordinating agency to facilitate multijurisdictional review and approval of such transportation projects.
Sec. 3. RCW 47.01.290 and 1993 c 55 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
((The state-interest
component of the state-wide transportation plan must include a state public
transportation plan that recognizes that while public transportation service is
essentially a local responsibility in Washington, there is significant state
interest in assuring that viable public transportation services are available
throughout the state. The public transportation plan shall:
(1) Articulate the
state vision of and interest in public transportation and provide quantifiable
objectives, including benefits indicators;
(2) Identify the goals
for public transportation and the roles of federal, state, regional, and local
entities in achieving those goals;
(3) Recommend
mechanisms for coordinating federal, state, regional, and local planning for
public transportation;
(4) Recommend
mechanisms for coordinating public transportation with other transportation
services and modes;
(5) Recommend
criteria, consistent with the goals identified in subsection (2) of this
section and with RCW 82.44.180 (2) and (3), for existing federal authorizations
administered by the department to transit agencies; and
(6) Recommend a
state-wide public transportation facilities and equipment management system as
required by federal law.
In developing the
state public transportation plan, the department shall involve local
jurisdictions, public and private providers of public transportation services,
nonmotorized interests, and state agencies with an interest in public
transportation, including but not limited to the departments of community development,
social and health services, and ecology, the state energy office, the office of
financial management, and the office of the governor.
The department shall
submit an initial report to the legislative transportation committee by
December 1, 1993, and shall provide annual reports summarizing the plan's
progress each year thereafter.))
The legislature recognizes that environmental review of transportation
projects is a continuous process that should begin at the earliest stages of
planning and continue through final project construction. Early and extensive
involvement of the relevant environmental regulatory authorities is critical in
order to avoid significant changes in substantially completed project design
and engineering. It is the expectation of the legislature that if a
comprehensive environmental approach is integrated throughout various
transportation processes, onerous, duplicative, and time-consuming permit
processes will be minimized.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. A new section is added to chapter 47.01 RCW to read as follows:
The department shall, in cooperation with environmental regulatory authorities:
(1) Identify and document environmental resources in the development of the state-wide multimodal plan under RCW 47.06.040;
(2) Allow for public comment regarding changes to the criteria used for prioritizing projects under chapter 47.05 RCW before final adoption of the changes by the commission;
(3) Use an environmental review as part of the project prospectus identifying potential environmental impacts, mitigation, and costs during the early project identification and selection phase, submit the prospectus to the relevant environmental regulatory authorities, and maintain a record of comments and proposed revisions received from the authorities;
(4) Actively work with the relevant environmental regulatory authorities during the design alternative analysis process and seek written concurrence from the authorities that they agree with the preferred design alternative selected;
(5) Develop a uniform methodology, in consultation with relevant environmental regulatory authorities, for submitting plans and specifications detailing project elements that impact environmental resources, and proposed mitigation measures, to the relevant environmental regulatory authorities during the preliminary specifications and engineering phase of project development;
(6) Screen construction projects to determine which projects will require complex or multiple permits. The permitting authorities shall develop methods for initiating review of the permit applications for the projects before the final design of the projects;
(7) Conduct special prebid meetings for those projects that are environmentally complex; and
(8) Review environmental considerations related to particular projects during the preconstruction meeting held with the contractor who is awarded the bid.
Sec. 5. RCW 47.06.040 and 1993 c 446 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:
The department shall develop a state-wide multimodal transportation plan under RCW 47.01.071(3) and in conformance with federal requirements, to ensure the continued mobility of people and goods within regions and across the state in a safe, cost-effective manner. The state-wide multimodal transportation plan shall consist of:
(1) A state-owned facilities component, which shall guide state investment for state highways including bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and state ferries; and
(2) A state-interest component, which shall define the state interest in aviation, marine ports and navigation, freight rail, intercity passenger rail, bicycle transportation and pedestrian walkways, and public transportation, and recommend actions in coordination with appropriate public and private transportation providers to ensure that the state interest in these transportation modes is met.
The plans developed under each component must be consistent with the state transportation policy plan and with each other, reflect public involvement, be consistent with regional transportation planning, high-capacity transportation planning, and local comprehensive plans prepared under chapter 36.70A RCW, and include analysis of intermodal connections and choices. A primary emphasis for these plans shall be the improvement and integration of all transportation modes to create a seamless intermodal transportation system for people and goods.
In the development of the state-wide multimodal transportation plan, the department shall identify and document potential affected environmental resources, including, but not limited to, wetlands, storm water runoff, flooding, air quality, fish passage, and wildlife habitat. The department shall conduct its environmental identification and documentation in coordination with all relevant environmental regulatory authorities, including, but not limited to, local governments. The department shall give the relevant environmental regulatory authorities an opportunity to review the department's environmental plans. The relevant environmental regulatory authorities shall provide comments on the department's environmental plans in a timely manner. Environmental identification and documentation as provided for in section 4 of this act and this section is not intended to create a private right of action or require an environmental impact statement as provided in chapter 43.21C RCW.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. Section captions used in this act constitute no part of the law."
--- END ---