SENATE BILL REPORT

                           SHB 2023

  AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, MARCH 24, 1993

Brief Description:  Transferring jurisdiction for certain roads and highways.

SPONSORS: House Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Representative R. Meyers)

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report:  Do pass. 

     Signed by Senators Vognild, Chairman; Loveland, Vice Chairman; Skratek, Vice Chairman; Barr, Drew, Haugen, Nelson, Oke, Prentice, Prince, M. Rasmussen, Sheldon, and Winsley.

Staff:  Jeff Doyle (786‑7322)

Hearing Dates:  March 24, 1993

BACKGROUND:

In 1991, the Transportation Improvement Board (TIB) was directed to review petitions from state and local governmental entities on the appropriateness of designating certain highways as "state routes."  The TIB is directed to apply the statutory criteria for state highways found in RCW 47.17.  The TIB is to make its recommendations to the Legislature by November 15 of each year.

This past year TIB reviewed three requests for route jurisdiction transfers.  After applying the criteria, TIB recommended that State Route (SR) 397 in the Pasco area be extended approximately one mile; that SR 506 near the Cowlitz/Lewis County border remain a state route; and that SR 10 in Kittitas County be removed from the state highway system and be returned to the county as a county road.  As part of its recommendation to remove SR 10 from the state highway system, the TIB further recommended that the transfer relief fund, which was set up to provide funds for local governments acquiring new roadways, be extended to include funding for Kittitas County for the transfer of SR 10. 

In 1991, the Legislature also made a series of state route transfers between state and local governments.  SR 160 in Kitsap County was scheduled to be transferred pursuant to the 1991 legislation, but a mud slide washed out a portion of the roadway in the spring of 1992 just before the transfer was to take effect.  The transfer was delayed until the road could be repaired by the Department of Transportation (DOT).

It was recently discovered that during the transfers in 1991, the Legislature inadvertently removed SR 304 from the highway system instead of SR 306, which was scheduled for transfer.  Both the DOT and Kitsap County recognized this as merely an oversight, and the roads are currently being treated as if they were under the jurisdiction of the proper entities.

SUMMARY:

State Route (SR) 397 is extended by one mile.

SR 10 remains on the state highway system and remains a scenic and recreational highway.  No monies are available to Kittitas County for maintenance since the road remains a state route.  New language is added to the state highway criteria allowing a road that has been designated a scenic and recreational highway to remain on the state highway system in those instances where it also happens to run parallel to another state highway. 

Sedgwick Road, which connects SR 16 and the Washington State ferry dock at Point Southworth, is designated SR 160 as originally provided in the 1991 legislation.  A portion of the former SR 160 is redesignated as SR 166.

SR 304 is reinstated on the state route system, and SR 306 is removed correcting a technical error made in the 1991 legislation.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  none requested

TESTIMONY FOR:

State Route 10 would be too costly for Kittitas County to maintain.  The road has heavy volumes during the summer because of its designation as a scenic and recreational highway.  SHB 2023 leaves SR 10 a state route and amends the current state highway criteria to fit the needs of Kittitas County.

TESTIMONY AGAINST:  None

TESTIFIED:  PRO:  Representative Meyers, prime sponsor; Representative Hansen; Mary Seubert, Kittitas County Commissioner; Bob McBride, Kittitas County Sheriff; John Karlson, Thorp Mill Town; Rune Carlson, Sky Hiways, Inc.; Charlie Howard, Washington State Department of Transportation; Jerry Fay, TIB; Dan Rude, TIB