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ENGROSSED
SENATE BILL 6325
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Passed
Legislature - 1998 Regular Session
State of Washington 55th
Legislature 1998 Regular Session
By
Read first time 01/15/98.
Referred to Committee on Transportation.
Authorizing
additional state ferry vessels.
AN
ACT Relating to additional state ferry vessels; adding new sections to chapter
47.60 RCW; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE
LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 1. A
new section is added to chapter 47.60 RCW to read as follows:
The
legislature finds and declares that there is a compelling need for the
construction of additional state ferry vessels and corresponding terminal
improvements in order to provide more capacity and frequent service to meet the
forecasted travel demands of citizens traveling on Puget Sound ferry routes.
The vessel technology required must provide additional travel options for high
growth ferry routes through increased passenger-only ferry service.
The
1989 west corridor study evaluated cross-sound travel through the year 2020 and
identified the Southworth to Seattle and the Kingston to Seattle passenger-only
ferry routes as promising based on criteria evaluating cost effectiveness, time
savings, physical constraints to operation, nonduplication of current service,
and ability to relieve congestion.
Furthermore,
as a result of legislative direction provided in the 1991-93 transportation
budget to the state transportation commission to evaluate and determine the
location of new passenger-only ferry routes, the commission reviewed several
service alternatives, determined that the Southworth to Seattle and Kingston to
Seattle routes ranked highest, and directed the Washington state ferries to proceed
with the design and permitting processes for passenger-only terminals at both
Southworth and Kingston.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 2. A
new section is added to chapter 47.60 RCW to read as follows:
The
department is authorized to proceed with the acquisition, procurement, and
construction of a maximum of four passenger-only vessels that respond to the
service demands of state ferry service on the Southworth to Seattle and
Kingston to Seattle ferry routes, including the terminal and docking facilities
necessary to accommodate such service. The acquisition, procurement, and
construction of vessels and terminals authorized herein shall be undertaken in
accordance with the authority provided in RCW 47.56.030.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 3. A
new section is added to chapter 47.60 RCW to read as follows:
The
department's authority to proceed with the acquisition, procurement, and
construction of vessels and terminals authorized under section 2 of this act is
contingent on a legislative appropriation approving that authority: PROVIDED,
That the appropriation does not reduce the current level of funding for the
maintenance and repair of vessels and terminals in service as of the effective
date of this act.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. If
this act is not referred to by bill or chapter number in a transportation
budget, or an omnibus appropriations act, that, by December 31, 1998, either
becomes law under Article III, section 12 of the state Constitution or is
approved by the people of this state, this act is null and void on December 31,
1998.
