Title: An act relating to designating state route number 169 as a highway of statewide significance.

Brief Description: Designating state route number 169 as a highway of statewide significance.

Sponsors: Representatives Rodne, Simpson, Anderson and Hudgins.

Brief History: Passed House: 2/13/06, 96-2.

Committee Activity: Transportation: 2/23/06, 2/27/06 [DP].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report: Do pass.Signed by Senators Haugen, Chair; Jacobsen, Vice Chair; Benson, Ranking Minority Member; Berkey, Eide, Esser, Finkbeiner, Mulliken, Oke, Sheldon, Spanel, Swecker and Weinstein.

Staff: Hayley Gamble (786-7452)

Background: A Highway of Statewide Significance (HSS) can be designated as such by the Transportation Commission or the Legislature. A HSS is, at a minimum, an interstate highway or other statewide principal arterial needed to connect major communities across the state and support the state's economy. Approximately fifty percent of Washington's highways are designated HSS.

Designation of a highway route as a HSS means that the highway is exempt from local transportation traffic-flow concurrency requirements. Regional transportation investment district legislation passed in 2002 requires that at least 90 percent of a district's revenues be expended along HSS.

The last time a highway was newly designated as a HSS was in 2004. The Transportation Commission recommended adding five additional routes through resolution 660, and the Legislature approved this proposal through HB 1433.

State Route (SR) 169 is a commuter and freight connector for the cities of Renton, Maple Valley, Black Diamond, and Enumclaw. It is a High Accident Corridor and carries 51,000 vehicles per day at the north end.

Summary of Bill: The entirety of State Route 169 from the Junction of SR 164 in Enumclaw, to the junction of SR 900 in Renton is designated as a highway of statewide significance.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

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

Testimony For: This road is very importation to the communities of eastern King County and is a vital link to SR 405. This is a heavily used freight corridor, with daily trips increasing. SR 169 is a busy dynamic corridor. It is an urban-rural connector which has accidents. This would allow SR 169 to be eligible for regional transportation investment district funding.

Testimony Against: None.

Who Testified: PRO: Representative Rodne, prime sponsor; Anthony Hemstad, City of Maple Valley; Martin Durkan, MJD Inc.