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 and lowering the population threshold.

Sponsors: Senators Rockefeller and Oke.

Brief History:

Transportation: 3/23/05 [DPA].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report: Do pass as amended. Signed by 21 members: Representatives Murray, Chair; Wallace, Vice Chair; Woods, Ranking Minority Member; Skinner, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Buck, Campbell, Dickerson, Flannigan, Hankins, Hudgins, Jarrett, Kilmer, Lovick, Morris, Nixon, Schindler, 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 Amended Bill:

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 four 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.

Amended Bill Compared to Original Bill:

The engrossed bill prescribes executive board membership, including the addition of the fourth largest port district, for RTPOs which contain a county with a population of more than 300,000. Three RTPOs meet the engrossed bill's population threshold. The amended bill reverts the population threshold to the current law level of one million. As such, board membership requirements, including the addition of the fourth largest port district, apply only to the Puget Sound Regional Council.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

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

Testimony For: None.

Testimony Against: None.

Persons Testifying: None.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.