Brief Description: Revising transportation goals.

Sponsors: House Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Representatives Ericks, Hankins, Simpson, Jarrett, Upthegrove, Murray and Dickerson).

Hearing Date: 1/12/06

Staff: David Bowman (786-7339).

Background:

The 2002 Legislature adopted certain recommendations of the state Blue Ribbon Commission on Transportation. Responding to a recommendation to adopt transportation benchmarks, the Legislature stated its intent that policy goals must be created for the operation of, performance of, and investment in the state's transportation system.

The policy goals are to be used as the basis for establishing detailed performance measures to be created by the Transportation Commission.

Specific goals include the following:

• no interstate highways, state routes, or local arterials shall be in poor condition;
• no bridges shall be structurally deficient, and safety retrofits must be performed on those state bridges at the highest seismic risk levels;
• traffic congestion on urban state highways shall be significantly reduced and be no worse than the national mean;
• delay per driver shall be significantly reduced and no worse than the national mean;
• per capita vehicle miles traveled shall be maintained at 2,000 levels;
• the non-auto share of commuter trips shall be increased in urban areas;
• administrative costs as a percentage of transportation spending shall achieve the most efficient quartile nationally; and
• the state's public transit agencies shall achieve the median cost-per-vehicle revenue hour of peer transit agencies, adjusting for the regional cost-of-living.   

Summary of Bill:

The priority goals for public investments in transportation are replaced. The goals include:

• Maintaining the existing system: The state's transportation system, including interstate highways, state routes, bridges, and local arterials shall be maintained and preserved at an optimal percentage life cycle rating.
• Managing the existing system: The performance of the state's transportation system shall be measured, and transportation agencies will manage to achieve levels of service that

   improve system performance over time for all transportation users.

• Investing in the system: Capacity investment decisions relating to the state's transportation system shall optimize performance for multiple modes of use and be based on differential performance standards for off-peak and peak hours. The Legislature's intent is expanded to include an expectation that the budget submitted for the Department of Transportation will identify performance levels funded by the budget.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:

The original bill edited the existing priority goals to emphasize the movement of persons rather than the movement of vehicles. The substitute bill rewrites the goals entirely, categorizing them by maintenance, management, and new investment. The new goals reference performance for all transportation users and multiple modes of use.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

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