BILL REQ. #:  S-4375.1 

Read first time 01/17/08.   Referred to Committee on Transportation.

     AN ACT Relating to creating a central Puget Sound regional transit authority; and adding a new chapter to Title 47 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds and declares that it is the policy of the state of Washington to use tolling to generate revenues for the transportation system and optimize predictable traffic flow, reduce congestion, and support mode shift into alternatives.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
     (1) "Central Puget Sound regional tolling authority" or "authority" means a governing board, administered by the Puget Sound regional council, that is legally empowered to review and adjust toll rates on transportation projects within the central Puget Sound region.
     (2) "Central Puget Sound region" includes King, Snohomish, Pierce, and Kitsap counties.
     (3) "Eligible toll facility" or "eligible toll facilities" means portions of the state highway system specifically identified by the Puget Sound regional council including, but not limited to, transportation corridors, bridges, crossings, interchanges, on-ramps, off-ramps, approaches, bistate facilities, and interconnections between highways.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   (1) The central Puget Sound regional tolling authority is the sole tolling authority for the central Puget Sound region. The authority shall be comprised of commissioners from the central Puget Sound region and governor-appointed officials, as recommended by the Puget Sound regional council. The authority shall:
     (a) Set toll rates, establish appropriate exemptions, if any, and make adjustments as conditions warrant on eligible toll facilities;
     (b) Review toll collection policies, toll operations policies, and toll revenue expenditures on the eligible toll facilities and report annually on this review to the legislature.
     (2) In setting and periodically adjusting toll rates, the authority must ensure that toll rates will generate revenue sufficient to:
     (a) Meet the operating costs of the eligible toll facilities, including necessary maintenance, preservation, administration, and toll enforcement by public law enforcement;
     (b) Meet obligations for the repayment of debt and interest on the eligible toll facilities, and any other associated financing costs including, but not limited to, required reserves, minimum debt coverage or other appropriate contingency funding, and insurance; and
     (c) Meet any other obligations of the authority to provide its proportionate share of funding contributions for any projects or operations of the eligible toll facilities.
     (3) The established toll rates may include variable pricing, and should be set to optimize system performance, recognizing necessary trade-offs to generate revenue for the purposes specified in subsection (2) of this section. Tolls may vary for type of vehicle, time of day, traffic conditions, or other factors designed to improve performance of the system.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   (1) The central Puget Sound regional tolling authority may authorize the imposition of tolls on eligible tolling facilities.
     (2) All revenue from an eligible toll facility must be used only to construct, improve, preserve, maintain, or operate the eligible toll facility on or in which the revenue is collected. Expenditures of toll revenues are subject to appropriation and must be made only:
     (a) To cover the operating costs of the eligible toll facility, including necessary maintenance, preservation, administration, and toll enforcement by public law enforcement;
     (b) To meet obligations for the repayment of debt and interest on the eligible toll facilities, and any other associated financing costs including, but not limited to, required reserves and insurance;
     (c) To provide for the operations of vessels, buses, vehicles, or other conveyances of people or goods on the eligible toll facility in the case of public mass transit operations; or
     (d) For any other improvements to the eligible toll facility.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   The Puget Sound regional council, as administrator of the authority, shall evaluate and recommend an appropriate board composition for the authority. The council must present their recommendation to the legislature for approval by February 1, 2009.
     The Puget Sound regional council shall also evaluate the transportation needs in the Puget Sound region and recommend a policy framework to guide the decisions regarding the tolling of specific facilities and corridors within the Puget Sound region. The council shall present their recommendations to the legislature for approval by February 1, 2009.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6   Sections 1 through 5 of this act constitute a new chapter in Title 47 RCW.