SB 6099-S.E - DIGEST
(DIGEST AS ENACTED)

Requires that, as soon as practicable after the effective date of this act, the department shall hire a mediator, and appropriate planning staff, including urban, transportation, and neighborhood planners, to assist the department in developing a state route number 520 expansion impact plan for addressing the impacts of the state route number 520 bridge replacement and HOV project on Seattle neighborhoods, parks, and institutions of higher education, and the city of Seattle.

Provides that, until December 1, 2008, the mediator must provide periodic reports to the joint transportation committee and the governor regarding the status of the project impact plan development process. The mediator must submit a progress report to the joint transportation committee and the governor by August 1, 2007. The mediator must submit a final project impact plan to the governor and legislature by December 1, 2008.

Requires that, as part of the state route number 520 bridge replacement and HOV project, the governor's office shall work with the department, sound transit, King county metro, and the University of Washington, to plan for high capacity transportation in the state route number 520 corridor. The parties shall jointly develop a multimodal transportation plan that ensures the effective and efficient coordination of bus services and light rail services throughout the state route number 520 corridor. The plan shall include alternatives for a multimodal transit station that serves the state route number 520 - Montlake interchange vicinity, and mitigation of impacts on affected parties. The high capacity transportation planning work must be closely coordinated with the state route number 520 bridge replacement and HOV project's environmental planning process, and must be completed within the current funding for the project. A draft plan must be submitted to the governor and the joint transportation committee by October 1, 2007. A final plan must be submitted to the governor and the joint transportation committee by December 2008.

Provides that the state route number 520 bridge replacement and HOV project finance plan must include state funding, federal funding, at least one billion dollars in regional contributions, and revenue from tolling. The department must provide a proposed finance plan to be tied to the estimated cost of the recommended project solutions, as provided under this act, to the governor and the joint transportation committee by January 1, 2008.

 
VETO MESSAGE ON ESSB 6099

May 15, 2007

To the Honorable President and Members,
The Senate of the State of Washington

Ladies and Gentlemen:

I am returning, without my approval as to Sections 4 and 5, Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6099 entitled:

"AN ACT Relating to the state route number 520 bridge replacement and HOV project."

This bill is an important step in making progress on the replacement of the State Route 520 bridge. The bill declares that the bridge should be replaced with four general purpose lanes and two high occupancy vehicle lanes. It also creates a mediation process for resolving concerns regarding community impacts caused by the bridge replacement.

Section 4 of this bill permits the project's mediator to ask an engineering firm to conduct an independent review of tubes and tunnels under Lake Washington, a partial tunnel from Interstate 5 to the west end of the SR 520 bridge, and a proposal to move SR 520 from its current alignment through the Arboretum. The bill requires that the mediator submit a report to the Joint Transportation Committee and the Governor regarding the results of the independent review by September 1, 2007.

I have decided to veto Section 4 due to the permissive nature of the bill language and the insufficient amount of time available to conduct the independent design review. Instead, the contract for the mediator will require the mediator to ask an engineering firm to conduct an independent review of the three alternative designs for the project, rather than simply permitting the mediator to conduct the review. Additionally, the contract will require completion of the independent review by December 1, 2007. Mandating the review while providing additional time for the work will provide sufficient time for an engineering firm to perform a thorough review of the proposed alternative designs.

Section 5 of the legislation prohibits any on-site construction of the SR520 project. This section has good intentions, but could inadvertently prevent the Department of Transportation (Department) from moving forward on projects outside of the actual bridge replacement. While I have vetoed Section 5, I am directing the Department not to commence any bridge construction until the mitigation and finance plans are submitted to the Governor and Legislature by 2008.

For these reasons, I have vetoed Sections 4 and 5 of Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6099.

With the exception of Sections 4 and 5, Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6099 is approved.

Respectfully submitted,
Christine O. Gregoire
Governor