Background:

There are currently six statewide transportation system policy goals for the planning, operation, performance of, and investment in, the state's transportation system. These policy goals are identified as follows:

Economic vitality: to promote and develop transportation systems that stimulate, support, and enhance the movement of people and goods to ensure a prosperous economy;
Preservation: to maintain, preserve, and extend the life and utility of prior investments in transportation systems and services;
Safety: to provide for and improve the safety and security of transportation customers and the transportation system;
Mobility: to improve the predictable movement of goods and people throughout Washington;
Environment: to enhance Washington's quality of life through transportation investments that promote energy conservation, enhance healthy communities, and protect the environment; and
Stewardship: to continuously improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of the transportation system.

The Office of Financial Management (OFM) is required to establish objectives and performance measures for all state transportation agencies in order to assure that transportation system performance attains the six policy goals established in statute. The OFM was required to submit to the Legislature and the Washington State Transportation Commission (WSTC) a baseline report on initial objectives and performance measures for attainment of the newly established policy goals during the 2008 legislative session. Subsequent attainment reports are required to be submitted to the Legislature and the WSTC in each even-numbered year thereafter.

The entire section, both in regards to the transportation policy goals and the objectives and performance measures developed by the OFM, cannot be used as the basis for any private right of action.

The Washington State Department of Transportation is also required to perform certain duties to support attainment of the statewide transportation system policy goals. These duties include: (1) maintaining an inventory of the condition of structures and corridors, as well as a list of structures and corridors in most urgent need of retrofit or rehabilitation; (2) developing long-term financing plans that sustainably support ongoing maintenance and preservation of the transportation infrastructure; (3) balancing system safety and convenience to accommodate all users of the system to safely, reliably, and efficiently provide mobility to people and goods; (4) developing strategies to reduce vehicle miles traveled and considering efficiency tools to manage system demand; (5) promoting integrated multimodal planning; and (6) considering engineers and architects to design environmentally sustainable, context sensitive transportation systems.

The 2011 Omnibus Transportation Budget provided funding for the Washington State Association of Counties to identify, evaluate, and implement performance measures associated with county transportation activities. These performance measures were required to include measures related to safety, system preservation, mobility, environmental protection, and project completion.