Title: An act relating to adding an additional port district member to the executive board of regional transportation planning organizations.

Brief Description: Including four public port districts on the executive board of regional transportation planning organizations.

Brief History:

Transportation: 3/1/05, 3/5/05 [DP].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 25 members: Representatives Murray, Chair; Wallace, Vice Chair; Woods, Ranking Minority Member; Skinner, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Appleton, Buck, Campbell, Curtis, Dickerson, Ericksen, Hankins, Hudgins, Jarrett, Kilmer, Lovick, Morris, Nixon, Rodne, Sells, Shabro, Simpson, B. Sullivan, Takko, Upthegrove and Wood.

Staff: Beth Redfield (786-7347).

Background:

Federal law requires that metropolitan areas with a population greater than 50,000 have a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) in order to receive federal highway and transit funds. This designation is made by the Governor and must have the concurrence of local government officials.

Federal law requires MPOs to develop a 20-year metropolitan transportation plan and a three-year financially constrained transportation improvement program. Projects eligible for federal funds must be included in a MPO transportation improvement program.

In order to ensure local and regional coordination, state law authorizes the voluntary association of governments for transportation planning purposes in the form of Regional Transportation Planning Organizations (RTPOs). The federally-mandated MPOs are designated as the RTPOs under the state's 1990 Growth Management Act. State requirements for regional transportation planning largely mirror federal requirements, and also require that the transportation elements of local plans conform with the Growth Management Act and are consistent with the regional transportation plan. There are currently 15 RTPOs, which include all of the state's counties except San Juan.

In order to qualify for state planning funds, an RTPO containing a county with a population greater than one million must provide voting membership on its executive board to the state Transportation Commission, the state Department of Transportation, and the three largest port districts within the region. Additionally, the RTPO must assure that at least 50 percent of the local elected officials serving on its executive board also serve on transit agency boards or on a regional transit authority.

Summary of Bill:

Executive board membership of RTPOs is increased to include four of the largest public port districts within the region.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

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

Testimony For: The Port of Bremerton is the fourth largest port in the Puget Sound region. This bill would put them on the Executive Board of the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC). Three ports are already on the board and all ports are integral to planning. Over the years, the membership of the PSRC Executive Board has changed to reflect the times. Unfortunately, the Port of Bremerton was left out when the other ports were added. As a regional industrial and manufacturing center, it is very important to the Port of Bremerton to be at the table where decisions are made about federal funding.

Testimony Against: None.

Persons Testifying: Representative Woods, prime sponsor; Rick Olson, Puget Sound Regional Council; and Bill Mahan and Den Attebery, Port of Bremerton.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.