SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 6612

As Passed Senate, February 17, 2004

Title: An act relating to priorities of the statewide multimodal transportation plan.

Brief Description: Directing priorities of the statewide multimodal transportation plan.

Sponsors: Senator Horn.

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Highways & Transportation: 2/4/04, 2/5/04 [DP, DNP].

Passed Senate: 2/17/04, 48-1.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HIGHWAYS & TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report: Do pass.

      Signed by Senators Horn, Chair; Benton, Vice Chair; Swecker, Vice Chair; Esser, Haugen, Mulliken, Murray and Oke.

Minority Report: Do not pass.

      Signed by Senator Spanel.

Staff: Greg Doss (786-7341)

Background: The Washington State Transportation Plan (WTP) is a 20-year statewide plan that is developed by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) for consideration and adoption by the Washington State Transportation Commission. The WTP is required by state and federal law to be regularly updated. The last update was in 2002. The update is now underway for a new plan to be issued in the fall of 2005.

WSDOT's comprehensive six-year Multimodal investment program is based on the WTP as well as project priority systems set in statute. In 2003, the Legislature changed the project priority systems to reflect a greater focus on the relief of congestion.

Summary of Bill: The statewide component of the Washington State Multimodal Transportation Plan is updated to reflect a greater focus on congestion. WSDOT must first assess system expansion strategies to relieve congestion before recommending strategies that enhance only the operational efficiency of the existing system.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Effective Date: The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.

Testimony For: None.

Testimony Against: Putting a greater focus on system expansion will create a bias toward more effective congestion management tools like Intelligent Transportation System technology. Expanding road capacity is a short term fix. Cost increases non-linearly. The long term focus must be on finding greater efficiency through means such as mass transit.

Testified: Kevin Shively and Anirudh Sahni, Transportation Choices Coalition; Tim Gould, Sierra Club.