HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 ESHB 1085

                       As Passed House

                       March 11, 1993

Title:  An act relating to reducing single-occupancy vehicle travel by students to college campuses.

Brief Description:  Authorizing community and technical colleges to develop and fund transportation demand management programs.

Sponsors:  By House Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Representatives R. Fisher, Jacobsen, Pruitt, Romero, J. Kohl, Leonard, Basich, Shin, Wood, Dunshee, R. Meyers, Brough, Kessler, Johanson and Wolfe.)

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Transportation, February 10, 1993, DPS;

  Passed House, March 11, 1993, 96-1.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 25 members:  Representatives R. Fisher, Chair; Brown, Vice Chair; Jones, Vice Chair; Schmidt, Ranking Minority Member; Mielke, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Brough; Brumsickle; Cothern; Eide; Finkbeiner; Fuhrman; Heavey; Horn; Johanson; J. Kohl; R. Meyers; Miller; H. Myers; Orr; Patterson; Quall; Sheldon; Shin; Wood; and Zellinsky.

Minority Report:  Without recommendation.  Signed by 1 member:  Representative Hansen.

Staff:  Brian McMorrow (786-7304).

Background:  The Legislature has found that transportation demand management programs are an effective strategy for discouraging single-occupant vehicle travel, especially in densely populated urban areas where roads are congested and ambient air quality is unsatisfactory.  The Legislature has already required many public and private employers in the state's eight largest counties to implement transportation demand management programs, and has provided substantial funding for the University of Washington's UPASS program, which has been immensely successful during its first two years of implementation.

The Legislature intends to reduce further the number of single-occupant vehicles on the state's roads and highways, improve ambient air quality in the federally designated nonattainment areas, and provide institutions of higher learning with an easier means to address serious parking shortages at their campuses. 

Summary of Bill:  The governing boards of institutions of higher learning may impose either a voluntary or mandatory transportation fee on their employees and students to fund transportation demand management programs that reduce the need for on and off campus parking and that promote alternatives to single-occupant vehicle driving.  If the board chooses to impose a mandatory fee on its students, it must also charge employees a greater or equal amount.  The fee may be imposed annually or each academic term, but it may not exceed 10 percent of the tuition and service and activities fees rate for resident undergraduate students.  The governing board may permit exceptions to the fee based on a policy adopted by the board.

The bill restricts the use of transportation fees to activities directly related to the institution of higher learning's transportation demand management program.  Examples of these activities include:  transit, ridesharing programs and bicycle storage facilities.  Funds may be used for capital or operating costs, and may be used for existing programs if they are incorporated into the campus transportation demand management program.  Institutions that impose transportation fees are encouraged to include faculty and staff in their programs.

The board of trustees of each institution of higher learning imposing a transportation fee must adopt guidelines governing the establishment and funding of transportation programs supported by transportation fees.

Fiscal Note:  Requested January 22, 1993.

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

Testimony For:  Transportation demand management programs provide alternatives to single-occupant vehicle travel and reduce the demand for additional parking facilities.  Colleges and universities are responsible for significant numbers of single-occupant vehicle trips to and from their campuses.  Students at these institutions are usurping parking spaces from surrounding residential communities because existing parking facilities cannot accommodate students' current demand.  This bill provides institutions of higher learning with an effective tool to promote alternatives to single-occupant vehicle travel by their students.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Bill Roach, METRO; Jim Slakey, Department of Transportation (with amendment); Martin Minkoff, Whatcom Transportation Authority (with amendment); Richard Hayes, Kitsap Transit; and Steve McLellan, Washington State Energy Office.