H‑0302.2 _____________________________________________
HOUSE BILL 1012
_____________________________________________
State of Washington 57th Legislature 2001 Regular Session
By Representatives Mitchell, Fisher, Poulsen, McDermott, Ogden and Dunn
Read first time 01/10/2001. Referred to Committee on Transportation.
_1 AN ACT Relating to allowing Washington state ferry fares to be
_2 increased in excess of the fiscal growth factor; amending RCW
_3 47.60.326; and declaring an emergency.
_4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
_5 Sec. 1. RCW 47.60.326 and 1999 c 94 s 27 are each amended to read
_6 as follows:
_7 (1) In order to maintain an adequate, fair, and economically
_8 sound schedule of charges for the transportation of passengers,
_9 vehicles, and commodities on the Washington state ferries, the
10 department of transportation each year shall conduct a full review
11 of such charges.
12 (2) Prior to February 1st of each odd-numbered year the
13 department shall transmit to the transportation commission a
14 report of its review together with its recommendations for the
15 revision of a schedule of charges for the ensuing biennium. The
16 commission on or before July 1st of that year shall adopt as a
17 rule, in the manner provided by the Washington administrative
18 procedure act, a schedule of charges for the Washington state
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_1 ferries for the ensuing biennium commencing July 1st. The schedule
_2 may initially be adopted as an emergency rule if necessary to take
_3 effect on, or as near as possible to, July 1st.
_4 (3) The department in making its review and formulating
_5 recommendations and the commission in adopting a schedule of
_6 charges may consider any of the following factors:
_7 (a) The amount of subsidy available to the ferry system for
_8 maintenance and operation;
_9 (b) The time and distance of ferry runs;
10 (c) The maintenance and operation costs for ferry runs with a
11 proper adjustment for higher costs of operating outmoded or less
12 efficient equipment;
13 (d) The efficient distribution of traffic between cross-sound
14 routes;
15 (e) The desirability of reasonable commutation rates for
16 persons using the ferry system to commute daily to work;
17 (f) The effect of proposed fares in increasing walk-on and
18 vehicular passenger use;
19 (g) The effect of proposed fares in promoting all types of
20 ferry use during nonpeak periods;
21 (h) Such other factors as prudent managers of a major ferry
22 system would consider.
23 (4) If at any time during the biennium it appears that
24 projected revenues from the Puget Sound ferry operations account
25 and any other operating subsidy available to the Washington state
26 ferries will be less than the projected total cost of maintenance
27 and operation of the Washington state ferries for the biennium,
28 the department shall forthwith undertake a review of its schedule
29 of charges to ascertain whether or not the schedule of charges
30 should be revised. The department shall, upon completion of its
31 review report, submit its recommendation to the transportation
32 commission which may in its sound discretion revise the schedule
33 of charges as required to meet necessary maintenance and operation
34 expenditures of the ferry system for the biennium or may defer
35 action until the regular annual review and revision of ferry
36 charges as provided in subsection (2) of this section.
37 (5) The provisions of RCW 47.60.330 relating to public
HB 1012 p. 2
_1 participation shall apply to the process of revising ferry tolls
_2 under this section.
_3 (6) Under RCW 43.135.055, the transportation commission may
_4 increase ferry tolls included in the schedule of charges adopted
_5 under this section by a percentage that exceeds the fiscal growth
_6 factor.
_7 NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. This act is necessary for the immediate
_8 preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of
_9 the state government and its existing public institutions, and
10 takes effect immediately.
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