HOUSE BILL REPORT

ESSB 6665

 

 

 

As Passed House:

March 7, 2002

 

Title:  An act relating to state route 167.

 

Brief Description:  Establishing cost‑benefit criteria for SR 167.

 

Sponsors:  By Senate Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Senators Johnson and Keiser).

 

Brief History: 

Committee Activity: 

Transportation:  3/4/02 [DP].

Floor Activity:

Passed House:  3/7/02, 93-0.

 

Brief Summary of Engrossed Substitute Bill

$The Department of Transportation (DOT) must design an improved corridor for State Route (SR)167 using environmental permit efficiency, design-build, and cost benefit analysis.

 

 

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

 

Majority Report:  Do pass. Signed by 21 members: Representatives Fisher, Chair; Cooper, Vice Chair; Lovick, Vice Chair; Mitchell, Ranking Minority Member; Anderson, Ericksen, Hankins, Hatfield, Holmquist, Jarrett, Morell, Murray, Ogden, Reardon, Rockefeller, Romero, Schindler, Simpson, Skinner, Sullivan and Woods.

 

Minority Report:  Do not pass. Signed by 2 members: Representatives Mielke and Wood.

 

Staff:  Paul Neal (786‑7315).

 

Background:

 

The DOT is currently in the process of developing environmental impact statements for the SR 167/SR 405 intersection, the Port of Tacoma terminus, and the SR 167 extension to SR 509.  The department has not studied the entire corridor between these points.

 

The Legislature has recently enacted several transportation measures designed to improve transportation project efficiency.  Those provisions include environmental permit efficiency and accountability (chapter 47.06C RCW); authorizing design-build project construction (RCW 47.20.780 and 47.20.785); and cost benefit analysis and demand modeling tools (ESHB 2304).

 

 

Summary of Bill:

 

The DOT must plan and design an improved and expanded corridor for State Route 167 from its intersection with State Route 405 in the north, to a new terminus at the Port of Tacoma via proposed State Route 509 in the south.  At a minimum, the environmental permit processes must be conducted in accordance with Chapter 47.06 RCW (SB 6188) and may include watershed-based mitigation.  The planning must be undertaken in preparation for the ultimate project to be designed and constructed using the design-build processes established under RCW 47.20.780 and 47.20.785 (HB 1680).  The cost-benefit analysis process developed in HB 2304 may be used.

 

No work associated with SR 167 which has been completed or is ongoing, shall be delayed, restricted, or limited by this bill.  The bill is null and void if new transportation revenue does not become law in 2002.

 

 

Appropriation:  None.

 

Fiscal Note:  Available.

 

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.  However, the bill is null and void if new transportation revenue does not become law in 2002.

 

Testimony For:  Improvements to State Route 167 are important for the economic health of the corridor.  The DOT supports moving ahead with the comprehensive analysis necessary to design needed improvements to the corridor.

 

Testimony Against:  None.

 

Testified:  David Dye, Department of Transportation; Mayor Pete Lewis, city of Auburn; and  Doug Levy, city of Kent.