BILL REQ. #:  H-1770.2 

Read first time 02/09/2007.   Referred to Committee on Transportation.

     AN ACT Relating to transportation policy goals; amending RCW 47.01.011, 47.01.012, and 47.06.020; and adding a new section to chapter 47.01 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1   RCW 47.01.011 and 1977 ex.s. c 151 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     The legislature hereby recognizes the following imperative needs within the state: To create a statewide transportation development plan which identifies present status and sets goals for the future; to coordinate transportation modes; to promote and protect land use programs required in local, state and federal law; to coordinate transportation with the economic development of the state; to supply a broad framework in which regional, metropolitan, and local transportation needs can be related; to facilitate the supply of federal and state aid to those areas which will most benefit the state as a whole; to provide for public involvement in the transportation planning and development process; to administer programs within the jurisdiction of this title relating to the safety of the state's transportation systems; and to coordinate and implement national transportation policy with the state transportation planning program.
     The legislature finds and declares that placing all elements of transportation in a single department is fully consistent with and shall in no way impair the use of moneys in the motor vehicle fund exclusively for highway purposes.
     Through this chapter, a unified department of transportation is created. To the jurisdiction of this department will be transferred the present powers, duties, and functions of the department of highways, the highway commission, the toll bridge authority, the aeronautics commission, and the canal commission, and the transportation related powers, duties, and functions of the planning and community affairs agency. The powers, duties, and functions of the department of transportation must be performed in a manner consistent with the policy goals set forth in RCW 47.01.012.

Sec. 2   RCW 47.01.012 and 2002 c 5 s 101 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) It is the intent of the legislature to establish policy goals for the planning, operation, performance of, and investment in, the state's transportation system. The policy goals ((shall consist of, but not be limited to,)) established under this section are deemed consistent with the ((following)) benchmark categories((,)) adopted by the state's blue ribbon commission on transportation on November 30, 2000. ((In addition to improving safety,)) Public investments in transportation shall support achievement of these ((and other priority)) policy goals:
     ((No interstate highways, state routes, and local arterials shall be in poor condition; no bridges shall be structurally deficient, and safety retrofits shall 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 2000 levels; the nonauto 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.))
     (a) Preservation: To maintain, preserve, and extend the life and utility of prior investments in transportation systems and services;
     (b) Safety: To provide for and improve the safety and security of transportation customers and the transportation system;
     (c) Mobility: To improve the predictable movement of goods and people throughout Washington state;
     (d) Environment: To enhance Washington's quality of life through transportation investments that promote energy conservation, enhance healthy communities, and protect the environment;
     (e) Stewardship: To be effective managers of the transportation system.
     (2) These policy goals shall be the basis for establishment of detailed and measurable performance benchmarks.
     (3) It is the intent of the legislature that the transportation commission establish performance measures to ensure transportation system performance at local, regional, and state government levels, and the transportation commission should work with appropriate government entities to accomplish this.

Sec. 3   RCW 47.06.020 and 1993 c 446 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     The specific role of the department in transportation planning shall be: (1) Ongoing coordination and development of statewide transportation policies that guide all Washington transportation providers; (2) ongoing development of a statewide multimodal transportation plan that includes both state-owned and state-interest facilities and services; (3) coordinating the state high-capacity transportation planning and regional transportation planning programs; ((and)) (4) conducting special transportation planning studies that impact state transportation facilities or relate to transportation facilities and services of statewide significance; and (5) implementing the duties established in section 4 of this act. Specific requirements for each of these state transportation planning components are described in this chapter.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   A new section is added to chapter 47.01 RCW to read as follows:
     To support the achievement of the policy goals described in RCW 47.01.012, the department shall:
     (1) Maintain an inventory and analysis of the condition of structures and corridors;
     (2) Develop long-term financing plans that sustainably support ongoing maintenance and preservation of the transportation system;
     (3) Accommodate and balance the safety and convenience of all users of the transportation system, including pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, freight, and motor vehicle drivers, in all types of transportation and development projects and through all phases of a project so that even the most vulnerable persons, such as children, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities, can travel safely within the public right-of-way;
     (4) Seek a reduction in the per capita vehicle miles traveled;
     (5) In an effort to reduce emissions that contribute to global warming, assess each project's estimated total carbon emissions calculated over the full projected life cycle of the project;
     (6) Include in each project analysis a list of alternative approaches that would result in lesser carbon emissions including, but not limited to, transit operations, transit capital investments, demand management tools, and nonmotorized mode accommodations;
     (7) Utilize, to the greatest extent possible, efficiency tools, including high-occupancy vehicle and high-occupancy toll lanes, corridor-specific and systemwide pricing strategies, active traffic management, commute trip reduction, and other demand management tools;
     (8) Promote integrated multimodal planning, incorporating a variety of modal approaches to achieve the greatest efficiencies in movement of goods and people in a specific corridor or project;
     (9) Evaluate and prioritize projects based upon:
     (a) Projects that provide the most consistent and efficient movement of goods and people through the transportation system;
     (b) Those structures and corridors in most urgent need of retrofitting or rehabilitation; and
     (c) Those projects that have a lower carbon emission output and encourage a reduction in vehicle miles traveled.