SB 5764-S.3E - DIGEST

(AS OF SENATE 2ND READING 1/16/02)

     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.

     Declares that, 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.

     Requires that, as a condition of receiving state funding, a public entity 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.

     Provides that, during the 2001-2003 biennium, cities and towns shall provide to the transportation commission, or its successor entity, preservation rating information on at least seventy percent of the city's or town's 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.

     Declares that the transportation plan must include 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.

     Provides that, 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 and maintenance plan based on lowest life cycle cost methodologies.

     Requires the board to 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, 2006.  The board shall develop a model maintenance management system for use by counties.

     Requires the board to develop rules to assist the counties in the implementation of this system.  Counties shall annually submit their maintenance plans to the board.

     Requires the board to compile the county data regarding maintenance management and annually submit it to the transportation commission or its successor entity.