State of Washington | 62nd Legislature | 2011 Regular Session |
Read first time 01/13/11. Referred to Committee on Transportation.
AN ACT Relating to high capacity transportation system plan components and review; and amending RCW 81.104.100 and 81.104.110.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1 RCW 81.104.100 and 1992 c 101 s 23 are each amended to
read as follows:
To assure development of an effective high capacity transportation
system, local authorities shall follow the following planning process
only if their system plan includes a rail fixed guideway system
component or a bus rapid transit component that is planned by a
regional transit authority:
(1) Regional, multimodal transportation planning is the ongoing
urban transportation planning process conducted in each urbanized area
by its regional transportation planning organization. During this
process, regional transportation goals are identified, travel patterns
are analyzed, and future land use and travel are projected. The
process provides a comprehensive view of the region's transportation
needs but does not select specified modes to serve those needs. The
process shall identify a priority corridor or corridors for further
study of high capacity transportation facilities if it is deemed
feasible by local officials.
(2) High capacity transportation system planning is the detailed
evaluation of a range of high capacity transportation system options,
including: Do nothing, low capital, and ranges of higher capital
facilities. To the extent possible this evaluation shall take into
account the urban mass transportation administration's requirements
identified in subsection (3) of this section.
High capacity transportation system planning shall proceed as
follows:
(a) Organization and management. The responsible local transit
agency or agencies shall define roles for various local agencies,
review background information, provide for public involvement, and
develop a detailed work plan for the system planning process.
(b) Development of options. Options to be studied shall be
developed to ensure an appropriate range of technologies and service
policies can be evaluated. A do-nothing option and a low capital
option that maximizes the current system shall be developed. Several
higher capital options that consider a range of capital expenditures
for several candidate technologies shall be developed.
(c) Analysis methods. The local transit agency shall develop
reports describing the analysis and assumptions for the estimation of
capital costs, operating and maintenance costs, methods for travel
forecasting, a financial plan and an evaluation methodology.
(d) The system plan submitted to the voters pursuant to RCW
81.104.140 shall address, but is not limited to the following issues:
(i) Identification of level and types of high capacity
transportation services to be provided;
(ii) A plan of high occupancy vehicle lanes to be constructed;
(iii) Identification of route alignments and station locations with
sufficient specificity to permit calculation of costs, ridership, and
system impacts;
(iv) Performance characteristics of technologies in the system
plan;
(v) Patronage forecasts;
(vi) A financing plan describing: Phasing of investments; capital
and operating costs and expected revenues; cost-effectiveness
represented by a total cost per system rider and new rider estimate;
estimated ridership and the cost of service for each individual high
capacity line; and identification of the operating revenue to operating
expense ratio.
The financing plan shall specifically differentiate the proposed
use of funds between high capacity transportation facilities and
services, and high occupancy vehicle facilities;
(vii) Description of the relationship between the high capacity
transportation system plan and adopted land use plans;
(viii) An assessment of social, economic, and environmental
impacts; and
(ix) Mobility characteristics of the system presented, including
but not limited to: Qualitative description of system/
(3) High capacity transportation project planning is the detailed
identification of alignments, station locations, equipment and systems,
construction schedules, environmental effects, and costs. High
capacity transportation project planning shall proceed as follows: The
local transit agency shall analyze and produce information needed for
the preparation of environmental impact statements. The impact
statements shall address the impact that development of such a system
will have on abutting or nearby property owners. The process of
identification of alignments and station locations shall include
notification of affected property owners by normal legal publication.
At minimum, such notification shall include notice on the same day for
at least three weeks in at least two newspapers of general circulation
in the county where such project is proposed. Special notice of
hearings by the conspicuous posting of notice, in a manner designed to
attract public attention, in the vicinity of areas identified for
station locations or transfer sites shall also be provided.
In order to increase the likelihood of future federal funding, the
project planning processes shall follow the urban mass transportation
administration's requirements as described in "Procedures and Technical
Methods for Transit Project Planning", published by the United States
department of transportation, urban mass transportation administration,
September 1986, or the most recent edition. Nothing in this subsection
shall be construed to preclude detailed evaluation of more than one
corridor in the planning process.
The department of transportation shall provide system and project
planning review and monitoring in cooperation with the expert review
panel identified in RCW 81.104.110. In addition, the local transit
agency shall maintain a continuous public involvement program and seek
involvement of other government agencies.
Sec. 2 RCW 81.104.110 and 2005 c 319 s 136 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The legislature recognizes that the planning processes
described in RCW 81.104.100 provide a recognized framework for guiding
high capacity transportation studies. However, the process cannot
guarantee appropriate decisions unless key study assumptions are
reasonable.
(2) To assure appropriate system plan assumptions and to provide
for review of system plan results, an expert review panel shall be
appointed to provide independent technical review for development of
any system plan which:
(a) Is to be funded in whole or in part by the imposition of any
voter-approved local option funding sources enumerated in RCW
81.104.140; and
(b) Includes a rail fixed guideway system component or a bus rapid
transit component that is planned by a regional transit authority.
(((1))) (3) The expert review panel shall consist of five to ten
members who are recognized experts in relevant fields, such as transit
operations, planning, emerging transportation technologies,
engineering, finance, law, the environment, geography, economics, and
political science.
(((2))) (4) The expert review panel shall be selected cooperatively
by the chairs of the senate and house transportation committees, the
secretary of the department of transportation, and the governor to
assure a balance of disciplines. In the case of counties adjoining
another state or Canadian province the expert review panel membership
shall be selected cooperatively with representatives of the adjoining
state or Canadian province.
(((3))) (5) The chair of the expert review panel shall be
designated by the appointing authorities.
(((4))) (6) The expert review panel shall serve without
compensation but shall be reimbursed for expenses according to RCW
43.03.050 and 43.03.060. Reimbursement shall be paid from within the
existing resources of the local authority planning under this chapter.
(((5))) (7) The panel shall carry out the duties set forth in
subsections (((6))) (8) and (((7))) (9) of this section until the date
on which an election is held to consider the high capacity
transportation system and financing plans.
(((6))) (8) The expert panel shall review all reports required in
RCW 81.104.100(2) and shall concentrate on service modes and concepts,
costs, patronage and financing evaluations.
(((7))) (9) The expert panel shall provide timely reviews and
comments on individual reports and study conclusions to the department
of transportation, the regional transportation planning organization,
the joint regional policy committee, and the submitting lead transit
agency. In the case of counties adjoining another state or Canadian
province, the expert review panel shall provide its reviews, comments,
and conclusions to the representatives of the adjoining state or
Canadian province.
(((8))) (10) The local authority planning under this chapter shall
contract for consulting services for expert review panels. The amount
of consultant support shall be negotiated with each expert review panel
by the local authority and shall be paid from within the local
authority's existing resources.