SENATE BILL REPORT

                  ESSB 5618

              As Passed Senate, February 4, 1998

Title:  An act relating to vehicles boarding ferries.

Brief Description:  Regulating ferry queues.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Senators Haugen, Wood, Heavey, Winsley, Sheldon, Spanel, Oke and Kohl).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Transportation:  2/19/97, 2/25/97 [DPS].

Passed Senate, 3/14/97, 49-0.

Passed Senate, 2/4/98, 49-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5618 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

  Signed by Senators Prince, Chair; Wood, Vice Chair; Haugen, Goings, Horn, Jacobsen, Morton, Oke, Patterson, Prentice and Rasmussen.

Staff:  Reema Shawa (786-7301)

Background:  The structural design and location of ferry docks creates problems for both the motorist intending to board the ferry and for any residences which are in close proximity to the ferry terminal.  Ferry commuters generally arrive well ahead of a scheduled boarding, in order to secure a spot on the ferry.  This causes a lengthy queue to develop which quickly spills over onto the street, creating a parking lot atmosphere on a normally free flowing arterial. This occurrence makes exiting adjacent residential driveways difficult for residents and under current law, those residents have no legal recourse, as blocking a residential driveway is not a violation of the law.   On the occasion when a queuing motorist leaves a gap open in front of a driveway, another vehicle will often move in to take advantage of the opportunity to advance up the queue.

Summary of Bill:  It is a traffic infraction for a driver of a motor vehicle intending to board a Washington State ferry to:  (1) block a residential driveway while waiting to board the ferry; or (2) move in front of another vehicle in a queue already waiting to board the ferry, without the authorization of a state ferry system employee.  Vehicles qualifying for preferential loading privileges are exempt from this subsection.  For a vehicle which moves in front of another vehicle, there is an additional penalty that requires the driver to move his or her vehicle to the end of the ferry queue.

The Department of Transportation is required to mitigate those problems associated with lengthy ferry queues, including the blockage of residential driveways, by implementing appropriate and feasible procedures and infrastructural changes.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on February 13, 1997.

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

Testimony For:  Will give strength to the enforcement around ferry terminals.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Senator Haugen, prime sponsor; Terry McCarthy, WA Sate Ferry System (pro).