Title: An act relating to department of transportation organization.

Brief Description: Changing the department of transportation's regions.

Sponsors: Senators Haugen, Benson, Jacobsen and Benton.

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Transportation: 1/18/06 [DP].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

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

Staff: Hayley Gamble (786-7452)

Background: The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is organized administratively into seven regions. Six regions are generally separated along county boundaries and one region administers only select projects in King County. The boundaries of these regions are determined by WSDOT. A transportation funding package passed in 2005 has increased and altered the workload of these regions significantly.

Summary of Bill: WSDOT is directed to provide the transportation committees of the Legislature with a proposal, if appropriate, to reorganize the department's regions. Reorganization must be determined geographically, taking into account projects and other workload. Where appropriate, projects along the same corridor must be kept within a single region. The proposal is due every ten years, beginning December 1, 2006.

An intent section is included in this bill.

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: WSDOT supports the notion of reviewing its boundaries periodically. The Urban Corridors Office became a separate region in 2005.

Testimony Against: None.

Who Testified: PRO: Paula Hammond; WSDOT.

CON: No one.