AN ACT Relating to maintaining and preserving transportation facilities and assets; amending RCW 35.84.060, 47.06.050, and 47.06.090; adding a new section to chapter 36.56 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 36.57A RCW; adding a new section to chapter 46.68 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 81.112 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 36.78 RCW; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that roads, streets, bridges, and highways in the state represent public assets worth over one hundred billion dollars. These investments require regular maintenance and preservation, or rehabilitation, to provide cost-effective transportation services. Many of these facilities are in poor condition. Given the magnitude of public investment and the importance of safe, reliable roadways to the motoring public, the legislature intends to create stronger accountability to ensure that cost-effective maintenance and preservation is provided for these transportation facilities.

Sec. 2. RCW 35.84.060 and 1969 ex.s. c 281 s 26 are each amended to read as follows:

Every municipal corporation which owns or operates an urban public transportation system as defined in RCW 47.04.082 within its corporate limits, may acquire, construct, extend, own, or operate such urban public transportation system to any point or points not to exceed fifteen miles outside of its corporate limits: PROVIDED, That no municipal corporation shall extend its urban public transportation system beyond its corporate limits to operate in any territory already served by a privately operated auto transportation company holding a certificate of public convenience and necessity from the utilities and transportation commission.

As a condition of receiving state funding, the municipal corporation shall submit a maintenance management plan for certification by the transportation commission or its successor entity. The plan must inventory all transportation system assets within the direction and control of the municipality, and provide a preservation plan based on lowest life cycle cost methodologies.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 36.56 RCW to read as follows:

As a condition of receiving state funding, a county that has assumed the transportation functions of a metropolitan municipal corporation shall submit a maintenance and preservation management plan for certification by the transportation commission or its successor entity. The plan must inventory all transportation system assets within the direction and control of the county, and provide a preservation plan based on lowest life cycle cost methodologies.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. A new section is added to chapter 36.57A RCW to read as follows:

As a condition of receiving state funding, a public transportation benefit area authority shall submit a maintenance and preservation management plan for certification by the transportation commission or its successor entity. The plan must inventory all transportation system assets within the direction and control of the authority, and provide a preservation plan based on lowest life cycle cost methodologies.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. A new section is added to chapter 46.68 RCW to read as follows:

No later than June 30, 2004, cities and towns shall provide to the transportation commission, or its successor entity, preservation rating information on at least seventy percent of the total city and town arterial network. Thereafter, the preservation rating information requirement shall increase in five percent increments in subsequent biennia. The rating system used by cities and towns must be based upon the Washington state pavement rating method or an equivalent standard approved by the transportation commission or its successor entity.

Sec. 6. RCW 47.06.050 and 1993 c 446 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:

The state-owned facilities component of the statewide transportation plan shall consist of:

(1) The state highway system plan, which identifies program and financing needs and recommends specific and financially realistic improvements to preserve the structural integrity of the state highway system, ensure acceptable operating conditions, and provide for enhanced access to scenic, recreational, and cultural resources. The state highway system plan shall contain the following elements:

(a) A system preservation element, which shall establish structural preservation objectives for the state highway system including bridges, identify current and future structural deficiencies based upon analysis of current conditions and projected future deterioration, and recommend program funding levels and specific actions necessary to preserve the structural integrity of the state highway system consistent with adopted objectives. Lowest life cycle cost methodologies must be used in developing a pavement management system. This element shall serve as the basis for the preservation component of the six-year highway program and the two-year biennial budget request to the legislature;

(b) A highway maintenance element, establishing service levels for highway maintenance on state-owned highways that meet benchmarks established by the transportation commission. The highway maintenance element must include an estimate of costs for achieving those service levels over twenty years. This element will serve as the basis for the maintenance component of the six-year highway program and the two-year biennial budget request to the legislature;

(c) A capacity and operational improvement element, which shall establish operational objectives, including safety considerations, for moving people and goods on the state highway system, identify current and future capacity, operational, and safety deficiencies, and recommend program funding levels and specific improvements and strategies necessary to achieve the operational objectives. In developing capacity and operational improvement plans the department shall first assess strategies to enhance the operational efficiency of the existing system before recommending system expansion. Strategies to enhance the operational efficiencies include but are not limited to access management, transportation system management, demand management, and high-occupancy vehicle facilities. The capacity and operational improvement element must conform to the state implementation plan for air quality and be consistent with regional transportation plans adopted under chapter 47.80 RCW, and shall serve as the basis for the capacity and operational improvement portions of the six-year highway program and the two-year biennial budget request to the legislature;

((~~(c)~~)) (d) A scenic and recreational highways element, which shall identify and recommend designation of scenic and recreational highways, provide for enhanced access to scenic, recreational, and cultural resources associated with designated routes, and recommend a variety of management strategies to protect, preserve, and enhance these resources. The department, affected counties, cities, and towns, regional transportation planning organizations, and other state or federal agencies shall jointly develop this element;

((~~(d)~~)) (e) A paths and trails element, which shall identify the needs of nonmotorized transportation modes on the state transportation systems and provide the basis for the investment of state transportation funds in paths and trails, including funding provided under chapter 47.30 RCW.

(2) The state ferry system plan, which shall guide capital and operating investments in the state ferry system. The plan shall establish service objectives for state ferry routes, forecast travel demand for the various markets served in the system, ((~~and~~)) develop strategies for ferry system investment that consider regional and statewide vehicle and passenger needs, support local land use plans, and assure that ferry services are fully integrated with other transportation services. The plan must provide for maintenance of capital assets. The plan must also provide for preservation of capital assets based on lowest life cycle cost methodologies. The plan shall assess the role of private ferries operating under the authority of the utilities and transportation commission and shall coordinate ferry system capital and operational plans with these private operations. The ferry system plan must be consistent with the regional transportation plans for areas served by the state ferry system, and shall be developed in conjunction with the ferry advisory committees.

Sec. 7. RCW 47.06.090 and 1993 c 446 s 9 are each amended to read as follows:

The state-interest component of the statewide multimodal transportation plan shall include an intercity passenger rail plan, which shall analyze existing intercity passenger rail service and recommend improvements to that service under the state passenger rail service program including depot improvements, potential service extensions, and ways to achieve higher train speeds.

For purposes of maintaining and preserving any state-owned component of the state's passenger rail program, the statewide multimodal transportation plan must identify all such assets and provide a preservation plan based on lowest life cycle cost methodologies.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. A new section is added to chapter 81.112 RCW to read as follows:

As a condition of receiving state funding, a regional transit authority shall submit a maintenance and preservation management plan for certification by the transportation commission or its successor entity. The plan must inventory all transportation system assets within the direction and control of the transit authority, and provide a plan for preservation of assets based on lowest life cycle cost methodologies.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. A new section is added to chapter 36.78 RCW to read as follows:

The board shall establish a standard of good practice for maintenance of transportation system assets. This standard must be implemented by all counties no later than December 31, 2007. The board shall develop a model maintenance management system for use by counties. The board shall develop rules to assist the counties in the implementation of this system. Counties shall annually submit their maintenance plans to the board. The board shall compile the county data regarding maintenance management and annually submit it to the transportation commission or its successor entity.