SSB 5412

SENATE BILL REPORT
SSB 5412

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Title: An act relating to clarifying goals, objectives, and responsibilities of certain transportation agencies.

Brief Description: Clarifying goals, objectives, and responsibilities of certain transportation agencies.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Senators Murray, Swecker, Marr, Clements and Haugen).

Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5412 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.Signed by Senators Haugen, Chair; Marr, Vice Chair; Murray, Vice Chair; Swecker, Ranking Minority Member; Benton, Berkey, Clements, Delvin, Eide, Jacobsen, Kastama, Kauffman, Kilmer, Sheldon and Spanel.

Minority Report: That it be referred without recommendation.Signed by Senator Holmquist.

Background: Various detailed goals and benchmarks exist in current law applicable to the state's transportation system. A recently completed report commissioned by the Joint Transportation Committee recommended revising and streamlining various existing state transportation system goals, objectives, and responsibilities, and the process by which these elements are measured and reported on.

Summary of Substitute Bill: The state's policy goals for the planning, operation, performance of, and investment in, the state's transportation system are streamlined to include the following five goals:
   Preservation: to maintain, preserve, and extend the life and utility of prior investments in transportation systems and services;
   Safety: to provide for and improve the safety and security of transportation customers and the transportation system;
   Mobility: to improve the predictable movement of goods and people throughout Washington State;
   Environment: to enhance Washington's quality of life through transportation investments that promote energy conservation, enhance healthy communities, and protect the environment; and
   Stewardship: to be effective managers of the transportation system.

The revised policy goals are intended to be the basis for establishing detailed and measurable objectives and related performance measures. The Legislature intends that the Office of Financial Management (OFM) will establish objectives and performance measures for state transportation agencies to assure that transportation system performance attains the five policy goals established in statute. The OFM is directed to submit the objectives and performance measures to the Legislature on a biennial basis.The Washington Transportation Commission must submit to the Legislature and the Governor a biennial report regarding the attainment by state transportation agencies of the policy goals and objectives prescribed by law and Governor directive. The report must include the degree to which state transportation projects and programs attained the policy goals. Various duties applicable to certain transportation agencies are revised to ensure they are performed consistent with the revised policy goals, objectives, and performance measures. Additionally, provisions regarding the establishment of the state's proposed ten-year investment program are revised, and are placed under the OFM.

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

Staff Summary of Public Testimony on Proposed Substitute as Heard in Committee: PRO: This bill is an attempt to streamline existing statutory goals and to ensure accountability standards are met with respect to the state transportation system. The bill does a good job of stating five clear and significant goals for an integrated transportation system, but could be a bit more detailed to include multimodal efforts, efficiency tools like congestion pricing and demand management, and language to ensure that the transportation system can have a positive impact on the environment.

Persons Testifying on Proposed Substitute as Heard in Committee: PRO: Senator Murray, prime sponsor; Laurence Leveen, Bicycle Alliance of Washington; Genesee Adkins, Transportation Choices; Bill Laborde, Washington Public Interest Research Group; Craig Engelking, Sierra Club; Chris Hawkins, Olympia Safe Streets; Reema Griffith, Washington Transportation Commission

House Amendment(s): The effect of the House amendments are as follows: (1) modifies the "Stewardship" policy goal; (2) requires the Office of Financial Management, instead of the Washington Transportation Commission, to submit biennial attainment reports measuring state transportation agencies' progress towards attaining the state transportation policy goals and objectives; (3) requires the state Department of Transportation to perform new duties as follows: (a) maintain an inventory of the condition of structures and corridors in most urgent need of retrofit or rehabilitation; (b) develop long-term financing tools that reliably support ongoing maintenance and preservation of the transportation infrastructure; (c) balance system safety and convenience through all phases of a project to accommodate all users of the transportation system; (d) develop strategies to gradually reduce the per capita vehicle miles traveled; (e) consider efficiency tools; (f) promote integrated multimodal planning; and (g) consider engineers and architects to design environmentally sustainable, context-sensitive transportation systems; and (4) provides a statutory process that dissolves the Seattle Popular Monorail Authority and formally closes out its operations.