BILL REQ. #:  S-4499.1 

Read first time 01/22/08.   Referred to Committee on Transportation.

     AN ACT Relating to reasonable fares for frequent users of Washington state ferries; and amending RCW 47.60.290 and 47.60.315.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 47.60.290 and 2007 c 512 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The department shall annually review fares and pricing policies applicable to the operation of the Washington state ferries.
     (2) Beginning in 2008, the department shall develop fare and pricing policy proposals that must:
     (a) Recognize that each travel shed is unique, and might not have the same farebox recovery rate and the same pricing policies;
     (b) Use data from the current survey conducted under RCW 47.60.286;
     (c) Be developed with input from affected ferry users by public hearing and by review with the affected ferry advisory committees, in addition to the data gathered from the survey conducted in RCW 47.60.286;
     (d) Generate the amount of revenue required by the biennial transportation budget;
     (e) Consider the impacts on users, capacity, and local communities; and
     (f) Keep fare schedules as simple as possible.
     (3) While developing fare and pricing policy proposals, the department must consider the following:
     (a) Options for using pricing to level vehicle peak demand; ((and))
     (b) Options for using pricing to increase off-peak ridership; and
     (c) The desirability of reasonable fares for persons using the ferry system to commute daily to work and other frequent users who live in ferry-dependent communities.

Sec. 2   RCW 47.60.315 and 2007 c 512 s 6 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The commission shall adopt fares and pricing policies by rule, under chapter 34.05 RCW, according to the following schedule:
     (a) Each year the department shall provide the commission a report of its review of fares and pricing policies, with recommendations for the revision of fares and pricing policies for the ensuing year;
     (b) By September 1st of each year, beginning in 2008, the commission shall adopt by rule fares and pricing policies for the ensuing year.
     (2) The commission may adopt by rule fares that are effective for more or less than one year for the purposes of transitioning to the fare schedule in subsection (1) of this section.
     (3) The commission may increase ferry fares included in the schedule of charges adopted under this section by a percentage that exceeds the fiscal growth factor.
     (4) The chief executive officer of the ferry system may authorize the use of promotional, discounted, and special event fares to the general public and commercial enterprises for the purpose of maximizing capacity use and the revenues collected by the ferry system. The department shall report to the commission a summary of the promotional, discounted, and special event fares offered during each fiscal year and the financial results from these activities.
     (5) Fare revenues and other revenues deposited in the Puget Sound ferry operations account created in RCW 47.60.530 may not be used to support the Puget Sound capital construction account created in RCW 47.60.505, unless the support for capital is separately identified in the fare.
     (6) The commission may not raise fares until the fare rules contain pricing policies developed under RCW 47.60.290, or September 1, 2009, whichever is later.
     (7) When adopting fares and pricing policies, the commission shall consider the desirability of reasonable fares for persons using the ferry system to commute daily to work and other frequent users who live in ferry-dependent communities.