BILL REQ. #:  H-4115.1 

Read first time 01/13/10.   Referred to Committee on Transportation.

     AN ACT Relating to eliminating restrictions on vehicle miles traveled; amending RCW 36.70A.580 and 47.01.078; repealing RCW 47.01.440 and 70.235.070; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The following acts or parts of acts are each repealed:
     (1) RCW 47.01.440 (Adoption of statewide goals to reduce annual per capita vehicle miles traveled by 2050 -- Department's duties -- Reports to the legislature) and 2008 c 14 s 8; and
     (2) RCW 70.235.070 (Distribution of funds for infrastructure and capital development projects -- Prerequisites) and 2009 c 519 s 9.

Sec. 2   RCW 36.70A.580 and 2008 c 289 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The department must develop and provide to counties and cities a range of advisory climate change response methodologies, a computer modeling program, and estimates of greenhouse gas emission reductions resulting from specific measures. The advisory methodologies, computer modeling program, and estimates must reflect regional and local variations and the diversity of counties and cities planning under RCW 36.70A.040. Advisory methodologies, the computer modeling program, estimates, and guidance developed under this section must be consistent with recommendations developed by the advisory policy committee established in section 4, chapter 289, Laws of 2008.
     (2) ((The department, in complying with this section, must work with the department of transportation on reductions of vehicle miles traveled through efforts associated with, and independent of, the process directed by RCW 47.01.440.
     (3))) The department must complete and make available the advisory climate change response methodologies, computer program, and estimates required by this section by December 1, 2009. The advisory climate change response methodologies, computer program, and estimates must be updated two years before each completion date established in RCW 36.70A.130(4)(a).
     (((4))) (3) This section expires January 1, 2011.

Sec. 3   RCW 47.01.078 and 2007 c 516 s 6 are each amended to read as follows:
     To support achievement of the policy goals described in RCW 47.04.280, the department shall:
     (1) Maintain an inventory of the condition of structures and corridors in most urgent need of retrofit or rehabilitation;
     (2) Develop long-term financing tools that reliably provide ongoing maintenance and preservation of the transportation infrastructure;
     (3) Balance system safety and convenience through all phases of a project to accommodate all users of the transportation system to safely, reliably, and efficiently provide mobility to people and goods;
     (4) ((Develop strategies to gradually reduce the per capita vehicle miles traveled based on consideration of a range of reduction methods;
     (5))) Consider 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;
     (((6))) (5) Promote integrated multimodal planning; and
     (((7))) (6) Consider engineers and architects to design environmentally sustainable, context-sensitive transportation systems.