HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 2121

As Reported by House Committee On:

Transportation

Title: An act relating to modifying goals for the planning, operation, and performance of and investment in the state transportation system.

Brief Description: Revising transportation goals.

Sponsors: Representative Simpson.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Transportation: 3/4/03, 3/6/03 [DP].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 16 members: Representatives Murray, Chair; Rockefeller, Vice Chair; Simpson, Vice Chair; Clibborn, Cooper, Dickerson, Flannigan, Hankins, Hatfield, Hudgins, Lovick, Morris, Romero, Sullivan, Wallace and Wood.

Minority Report: Do not pass. Signed by 11 members: Representatives Ericksen, Ranking Minority Member; Jarrett, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Anderson, Armstrong, Bailey, Kristiansen, Mielke, Nixon, Schindler, Shabro and Woods.

Staff: Reema Griffith (786-7301).

Background:

The Legislature and the Governor formed the Blue Ribbon Commission on Transportation (BRCT) in 1998 to assess the local, regional, and state transportation system. The BRCT made 18 recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature which included recommendations for adopting transportation benchmarks and investing in maintenance, preservation, and improvements of the entire transportation system so that those benchmarks could be achieved.

The Legislature implemented several BRCT recommendations when ESHB 2304 was enacted. Among other things, the legislation contained policy goals for the operation, performance of, and investment in the state's transportation system. It was the intent of the Legislature that those policy goals were to be used as the basis for the establishment of detailed performance measures and benchmarks which were to be created by the Transportation Commission.

Summary of Bill:

The policy goals for the state's transportation system are modified as follows:

•    Removes the goal of reducing traffic congestion on urban state highways so that it is no worse than the national mean;

•    delay per "driver" is changed to delay per "person" and the delay of "goods" is added to the goal that requires these delays be significantly reduced and no worse than the national mean;

•    per capita vehicle miles traveled must be "significantly reduced," rather than be maintained at 2000 levels; and

•    the goal to improve access to goods, services, employment, and recreation is added.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Requested on February 27, 2003.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: This bill will enable the creation of solutions aimed at moving people and goods rather than vehicles. It provides the missing link between the Growth Management Act and transportation planning.

Testimony Against: None.

Testified: Representative Simpson, prime sponsor; Kevin Shively, Transportation Choices Coalition; Todd Slind; Sharon Chen; and Genesse Adkins, 1000 Friends of Washington.