Washington State

House of Representatives

 

BILL

ANALYSIS

Transportation Committee

 

 

HB 1672

 

Brief Description:  Directing use of intelligent transportation systems and traffic system management.

 

Sponsors:  Representatives Fisher, Mitchell and Poulsen; by request of The Blue Ribbon Commission on Transportation.

 

Brief Summary of Bill

 

$At least 5 percent of the funds appropriated to DOT=s improvement program must be spent on Transportation Systems Management and/or Intelligent Transportation Systems.

 

 

Hearing Date:  2/20/01

 

Staff:  Paul Neal (786‑7315).

 

Background: 

 

The Legislature and the Governor formed the Blue Ribbon Commission on Transportation in 1998 to assess the local, regional, and state transportation system; ensure that current and future money is spent wisely; make the system more accountable and predictable; and prepare a 20-year plan for funding and investing in the transportation system.  The commission consisted of 46 members representing business, labor, agriculture, tribes, government, ports, shipping, trucking, transit, rail, environmental interests, and the general public.

 

The commission made 18 recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature. Recommendation #5 outlined several ways to invest in maintenance, preservation, and improvement of the entire transportation system so that transportation benchmarks can be achieved.  The commission found that one method for optimizing the transportation system was to implement Transportation System Management (TSM) and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) policies where cost-effective.

 

Current law requires the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to include a capacity and operational improvement element in the state owned facilities component of its statewide transportation plan.  In developing the improvement element, WSDOT is required to first look to enhancing operational efficiency of the current system and is to consider transportation system management and transportation demand management strategies to meet that goal.

 

Summary of Bill: 

 

The Transportation Commission must allocate at least 5 percent of the funds appropriated to the improvement program for ITS and TSM projects and programs that improve system performance and capacity.  The projects and programs may include: freeway on-ramp metering, signal synchronization, and roving service patrols that quickly remove disabled vehicles from roadways.

 

Appropriation:  None.

 

Fiscal Note:  Available.

 

Effective Date:  The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect on July 1, 2001.