Title: An act relating to vehicles boarding ferries.

Brief Description: Regulating ferry queues.

Sponsors: Senators Haugen, Swecker and Shin.

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Transportation: 1/23/07, 1/29/07 [DP].

Passed Senate: 3/01/07, 47-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report: Do pass.Signed by Senators Haugen, Chair; Marr, Vice Chair; Murray, Vice Chair; Swecker, Ranking Minority Member; Berkey, Clements, Delvin, Holmquist, Jacobsen, Kastama, Kauffman, Kilmer, Sheldon and Spanel.

Staff: Janice Baumgardt (786-7319)

Background: Under current law, blocking a residential driveway is not a violation.

Summary of Bill: It is a traffic infraction for a driver of a motor vehicle intending to board a Washington State ferry to: (1) block a residential driveway while waiting to board the ferry; or (2) move in front of another vehicle in a queue already waiting to board the ferry without the authorization of a state ferry system employee. Vehicles qualifying for preferential loading privileges are exempt from these requirements. For a vehicle which moves in front of another vehicle, there is an additional penalty that requires the driver to move his or her vehicle to the end of the ferry queue.

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.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony: PRO: This will provide a tool to do something about line-cutters.

Persons Testifying: PRO: Traci Brewer-Rogstad, Director of Marine Operations, Washington State Ferries; Captain Jeff Devere, Washington State Patrol.