BP BHEAD INT S

AN ACT Relating to intercity transportation; amending RCW 35.58.250 and 36.57A.100; reenacting and amending RCW 82.44.110; adding a new section to chapter 47.26 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 47.08 RCW; creating new sections; and making an appropriation.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature declares it to be of significant benefit to citizens of the state to improve public transportation connections among the major activity centers in the central Puget Sound area. The activity centers include major transportation centers, major work and commercial sites, cultural and sports facilities, and political centers, including the state capital.

The legislature finds that there are many public transportation services being provided in the region that, if better coordinated and if more information were readily attainable, mobility would be enhanced for persons traveling in the region. This would occur not only for those using public transportation systems but for those who would benefit in terms of reduced congestion on highways and other modes.

It is the intent of the legislature, through this act and other supporting activities to enhance the coordination of existing public transportation services in the region as well as to provide for new initiatives to enhance service levels, improve cross-jurisdictional services, facilitate the travel on public conveyances throughout the region and reduce impediments to travel among areas in the region. It is the legislature's intent to provide better information to the traveling public, to include the private sector in the enhanced mobility approaches, and to facilitate the use of new technologies for fare collection and information to the extent practical.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 47.26 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The transportation improvement board, in consultation with the department of transportation, shall develop a grant process for projects and programs by public and private agencies to enhance mobility on public conveyance in the four most populous contiguous counties connected by an interstate highway.

(2) The purpose of the grants is to enhance public transportation services in the region along corridors where there is a significant state interest. These efforts may include contracts with public and private providers for additional service, integrated fare collection approaches, and the development and distribution of fare and schedule information designed to facilitate ease of connection among providers of transportation services including, but not limited to ferry, bus, and train service and also ship and airport connections.

(3) The transportation improvement board shall develop requirements for matching grants issued under this section with the intent of encouraging participation of other agencies or parties. However, for public agencies applying for such grants, those agencies must have a local minimum matching requirement of twenty percent.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 47.08 RCW to read as follows:

The intercity passenger account is created in the transportation fund. All receipts from RCW 82.44.110(1)(l) shall be deposited into the account. Moneys in the account may be spent only after appropriation. Expenditures from the account may be used only to enhance the connectivity of passenger services in the four most populous contiguous counties connected by an interstate highway in the state, between and among transportation providers serving corridors where there is significant state interest.

Sec. 4. RCW 35.58.250 and 1965 c 7 s 35.58.250 are each amended to read as follows:

Except in accordance with an agreement made as provided herein, and except for those services provided for through grants provided under section 2 of this act, upon the effective date on which the metropolitan municipal corporation commences to perform the metropolitan transportation function, no person or private corporation shall operate a local public passenger transportation service within the metropolitan area with the exception of taxis, ((~~busses~~)) buses owned or operated by a school district or private school, and ((~~busses~~)) buses owned or operated by any corporation or organization solely for the purposes of the corporation or organization and for the use of which no fee or fare is charged.

An agreement may be entered into between the metropolitan municipal corporation and any person or corporation legally operating a local public passenger transportation service wholly within or partly within and partly without the metropolitan area and on said effective date under which such person or corporation may continue to operate such service or any part thereof for such time and upon such terms and conditions as provided in such agreement. Where any such local public passenger transportation service will be required to cease to operate within the metropolitan area, the commission may agree with the owner of such service to purchase the assets used in providing such service, or if no agreement can be reached, the commission shall condemn such assets in the manner provided herein for the condemnation of other properties.

Wherever a privately owned public carrier operates wholly or partly within a metropolitan municipal corporation, the Washington utilities and transportation commission shall continue to exercise jurisdiction over such operation as provided by law.

Sec. 5. RCW 36.57A.100 and 1977 ex.s. c 44 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:

Except in accordance with an agreement made as provided in this section or in accordance with the provisions of RCW 36.57A.090(3) ((~~as now or hereafter amended~~)), upon the effective date on which the public transportation benefit area commences to perform the public transportation service, no person or private corporation shall operate a local public passenger transportation service within the public transportation benefit area except for those services provided for through grants provided under section 2 of this act and with the exception of taxis, buses owned or operated by a school district or private school, and buses owned or operated by any corporation or organization solely for the purposes of the corporation or organization and for the use of which no fee or fare is charged.

An agreement may be entered into between the public transportation benefit area authority and any person or corporation legally operating a local public passenger transportation service wholly within or partly within and partly without the public transportation benefit area and on said effective date under which such person or corporation may continue to operate such service or any part thereof for such time and upon such terms and conditions as provided in such agreement. Such agreement shall provide for a periodic review of the terms and conditions contained therein. Where any such local public passenger transportation service will be required to cease to operate within the public transportation benefit area, the public transportation benefit area authority may agree with the owner of such service to purchase the assets used in providing such service, or if no agreement can be reached, the public transportation benefit area authority shall condemn such assets in the manner and by the same procedure as is or may be provided by law for the condemnation of other properties for cities of the first class, except insofar as such laws may be inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter.

Wherever a privately owned public carrier operates wholly or partly within a public transportation benefit area, the Washington utilities and transportation commission shall continue to exercise jurisdiction over such operation as provided by law.

Sec. 6. RCW 82.44.110 and 1995 1st sp.s. c 15 s 2 and 1995 c 398 s 14 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

The county auditor shall regularly, when remitting license fee receipts, pay over and account to the director of licensing for the excise taxes collected under the provisions of this chapter. The director shall forthwith transmit the excise taxes to the state treasurer.

(1) The state treasurer shall deposit the excise taxes collected under RCW 82.44.020(1) as follows:

(a) 1.60 percent into the motor vehicle fund to defray administrative and other expenses incurred by the department in the collection of the excise tax.

(b) 8.15 percent into the Puget Sound capital construction account in the motor vehicle fund.

(d) 5.88 percent into the general fund to be distributed under RCW 82.44.155.

(e) 4.75 percent into the municipal sales and use tax equalization account in the general fund created in RCW 82.14.210.

(f) 1.60 percent into the county sales and use tax equalization account in the general fund created in RCW 82.14.200.

(g) 62.6440 percent into the general fund through June 30, 1995, and 57.6440 percent into the general fund beginning July 1, 1995.

(h) 5 percent into the transportation fund created in RCW 82.44.180 beginning July 1, 1995.

(i) 5.9686 percent into the county criminal justice assistance account created in RCW 82.14.310.

(j) 1.1937 percent into the municipal criminal justice assistance account for distribution under RCW 82.14.320.

(k) 1.1937 percent into the municipal criminal justice assistance account for distribution under RCW 82.14.330.

(l) 0.40 percent into the intercity passenger account created in section 3 of this act beginning July 1, 1996.

(m) 2.95 percent into the county public health account created in RCW 70.05.125.

((Notwithstanding (i) through (k) of this subsection, no more than sixty million dollars shall be deposited into the accounts specified in (i) through (k) of this subsection for the period January 1, 1994, through June 30, 1995.)) Not more than five percent of the funds deposited to ((~~these~~)) the accounts specified in (i) through (k) of this subsection shall be available for appropriations for enhancements to the state patrol crime laboratory system and the continuing costs related to these enhancements. Motor vehicle excise tax funds appropriated for such enhancements shall not supplant existing funds from the state general fund. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 1998, and for each fiscal year thereafter, the amounts deposited into the accounts specified in (i) through (k) of this subsection shall not increase by more than the amounts deposited into those accounts in the previous fiscal year increased by the implicit price deflator for the previous fiscal year. Any revenues in excess of this amount shall be deposited into the general fund.

(2) The state treasurer shall deposit the excise taxes collected under RCW 82.44.020(2) into the transportation fund.

(3) The state treasurer shall deposit the excise tax imposed by RCW 82.44.020(3) into the air pollution control account created by RCW 70.94.015.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. Municipalities in the state, as defined in RCW 35.58.272, that are located in the four most populous contiguous counties connected by an interstate highway, shall prepare and distribute by July 1, 1997, a brochure providing scheduling information that shall address methods to travel among the counties on public conveyances. This document shall address, at minimum, interconnecting bus schedules operated by those municipalities, intercity bus operations, aeroporter services, passenger trains, and ferry system connections. This document shall be made available to the public in order to facilitate the use of those providers in the travel of persons throughout the region.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. The department of transportation in cooperation with the department of general administration and other appropriate jurisdictions shall evaluate the feasibility of establishment of a pilot project to provide shuttle services connecting the state capitol with major state employment centers and other appropriate facilities in the central Puget Sound region. The department of transportation shall report back to the legislature its findings by December 1, 1996.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. The sum of two million five hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated from the intercity passenger account of the transportation fund to the transportation improvement board for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1997, to carry out the purposes of this act.