Washington State House of Representatives	BILL ANALYSIS
Transportation Committee

SSB 6548

Brief Description:  Allowing advertising on bus shelters.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Senators Kastama, Oke, Rasmussen and Gardner).

Brief Summary of Substitute Bill

$Allows local transit agencies to include advertising as part of a bus shelter along a state highway right of way.

$Requires the Department of Transportation to grant leases for bus shelters unless there are significant safety concerns.

$Limits the Department of Transportation's authority for charging lease fees for bus shelters to the commercial space.

Hearing Date:  2/20/02

Staff:  Paul Neal (786‑7315).

Background:

Local transit agencies sometimes seek private partners for assistance in building and maintaining bus shelters.  The private partners are allowed to post advertising in exchange for this financial assistance.  This most often takes place within city limits, where municipalities have authority to allow advertising shelters within public rights of way that adjoin state highways.

In unincorporated county areas, however, current law prohibits placing advertising along state highway right of way.  This inhibits transit agencies from seeking private partners to help with the expense of building and maintaining bus shelters in those areas.

Summary of Bill:

Local transit systems are authorized to include commercial advertising on bus shelters located on state highway right of way.  The DOT is directed to grant air space leases for this purpose, unless there are significant safety concerns.  The air space leases may only charge for the commercial space.  The advertising is limited to back‑to‑back panels not to exceed 24 square feet per side.  One back‑to‑back panel is allowed on the downstream side of the shelter.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

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