HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 1700

As Reported by House Committee On:

Transportation

Title: An act relating to modifying the requirements related to designing various transportation projects.

Brief Description: Modifying the requirements related to designing various transportation projects.

Sponsors: Representatives Fitzgibbon, Angel, Appleton, Armstrong, Rolfes, Johnson, Clibborn, Rivers, Reykdal, Ormsby, Upthegrove, Liias, Billig and Moeller.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Transportation: 2/15/11 [DPS].

Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. Signed by 22 members: Representatives Clibborn, Chair; Billig, Vice Chair; Liias, Vice Chair; Armstrong, Ranking Minority Member; Hargrove, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Angel, Asay, Eddy, Finn, Fitzgibbon, Jinkins, Johnson, Ladenburg, Moeller, Moscoso, Reykdal, Rivers, Rolfes, Ryu, Takko, Upthegrove and Zeiger.

Minority Report: Do not pass. Signed by 5 members: Representatives Klippert, Kristiansen, McCune, Overstreet and Shea.

Staff: Debbie Driver (786-7143).

Background:

Cities, towns, and counties are allowed to use funds available for street or road construction, maintenance, or improvement for building, improving, or maintaining bicycle facilities such as paths, lanes, roadways, or routes. If funds are used for bicycle improvements, they must be expended for suitable bicycle transportation purposes and not solely for recreational purposes. Furthermore, bicycle facilities constructed or modified after June 10, 1982, shall meet or exceed the Department of Transportation's (DOT) standards. Design standards for bicycle and pedestrian facilities are included in the DOT's design manual.

There are two design standards committees, one that focuses on city or town street design standards and one that focuses on county design standards.

Executive Order E 1028, adopted by the Secretary of the DOT on November 24, 2003, directs the the DOT employees to implement a context sensitive solutions approach for all DOT projects. A context sensitive solutions approach means that the DOT employees working on projects and facilities should engage affected communities, assure the transportation objectives are clearly described and discussed with the local communities, recognize and address community and citizen concerns, and ensure the project is a safe facility for both the user and community.

The DOT's Office of Highways and Local Programs and the State Design Engineer are responsible for carrying out this executive order. Approaches to context sensitive solutions design include a publication by the Institute of Transportation Engineers' (ITE) publication entitled Context Sensitive Solutions in Designing Major Urban Thoroughfares for Walkable Communities as well as the Geometric Design of Highways and Streets published by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). The AASHTO also publishes a bicycle guide and a pedestrian guide.

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Summary of Substitute Bill:

The design standards committees are required to adopt standards for bicycle and pedestrian facilities by December 31, 2011. After July 1, 2011, cities and counties are required to meet or exceed the standards adopted by the design standards committee when constructing or modifying bicycle and pedestrian facilities. In addition to bicycle facilities, cities are allowed to use funds for street or road projects for pedestrian improvement projects.

After July 1, 2011, for new construction on major repairs on city streets that are also a part of a state highway, the DOT is to consult with local jurisdictions in the design and planning phases. This consultation must include public outreach, meetings with stakeholders, and identification of community goals and priorities. For these projects, the DOT is required to consider the needs of all users by applying design solutions to street projects consistent with the ITE publication, the AASHTO publications, or other publications. "All users" is defined as bicyclists, pedestrians, transit users, motorists of all ages and abilities, and movers of commercial goods.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:

The substitute bill requires cities and counties to meet or exceed the standards adopted by the design standards committees at the DOT when constructing or modifying bicycle and pedestrian facilities instead of adopting design standards provided by the DOT, the AASHTO documents, or other publications. The design standards committees are required to adopt standards for bicycle and pedestrian facilities by December 31, 2011.

The DOT is required to consult with local jurisdictions when constructing or reconstructing streets that are both state highways and main streets instead of providing the consultation when local jurisdictions are constructing or reconstructing streets or other portions of the transportation network. The substitute bill expands the types of publications the DOT can utilize when applying design solutions when constructing or making improvements to state highways that are main streets.

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Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Effective Date of Substitute Bill: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) This bill updates the standards local communities use for designing bicycle and pedestrian facilities. The bill gives local communities options to work with a variety of resources when developing streets to be more accessible for all users. Cities and counties are currently required to meet standards, and this bill provides them the opportunity to meet the standards with new tools.

(Opposed) None.

Persons Testifying: Representative Fitzgibbon, prime sponsor; Randi Abrams-Caras, Cascade Bicycle Club; and Carrie Dolwick, Transportation Choices Coalition.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.