SENATE BILL REPORT

ESSB 5874

As Passed Senate, February 16, 2004

Title: An act relating to tolling authority of regional transportation investment districts.

Brief Description: Clarifying tolling authority of regional transportation investment districts.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Highways & Transportation (originally sponsored by Senators Jacobsen, Kline and Kohl-Welles).

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Highways & Transportation: 2/9/04 [DPS, DNP].

Passed Senate: 2/16/04, 44-5.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HIGHWAYS & TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5874 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

      Signed by Senators Horn, Chair; Benton, Vice Chair; Esser, Haugen, Jacobsen, Murray, Oke, Poulsen and Spanel.

Minority Report: Do not pass.

      Signed by Senators Swecker, Vice Chair; and Mulliken.

Staff: Dean Carlson (786-7305)

Background: Regional Transportation Investment Districts (RTIDs) were authorized under SB 6140 in 2002 for the purpose of planning, selecting, funding, and implementing transportation projects to address highway corridor needs in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties. Transportation projects in the plan are limited to capital improvements and do not include operations, preservation and maintenance.

The RTID plan includes several funding sources including tolls on new or reconstructed facilities. The tolls may be imposed on routes where improvements are financed in whole or in part by the

RTID, or where lanes are added or reconstructed on highways of statewide significance.

Summary of Bill: The authority for facilities upon which the RTID may collect tolls is expanded to include approaches or connectors to bridges or viaducts that are new or reconstructed. The RTID plan must identify the specific location to be tolled and the purpose of the toll. WSDOT must administer the tolls and the Transportation Commission must set and impose the tolls in an amount sufficient to implement the plan and maintain and operate the facility in accordance to the plan.

Operations, preservation and maintenance may be included in the RTID plan as eligible expenditures for toll-related facilities where toll revenues have been pledged for the payment of contracts.

Tolling either Lake Washington bridge is authorized.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: This bill clarifies who the tolling authority is and provides flexibility to the Regional Transportation Investment District. It allows us to toll the Lake Washington Bridge. Revenues from tolls are dedicated to the tolled facility.

Testimony Against: None.

Testified: Gary Nelson, Regional Transportation Investment District (pro).