HOUSE BILL REPORT

SB 5142

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

As Reported by House Committee On:

Transportation

Title: An act relating to incorporating motorcycles into certain transportation planning.

Brief Description: Incorporating motorcycles into certain transportation planning.

Sponsors: Senators Rolfes, Benton, Hargrove, Sheldon, Hatfield, Delvin, Ericksen, Keiser, Conway, Schlicher and Roach.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Transportation: 3/19/13, 3/28/13 [DP].

Brief Summary of Bill

Adds the provision of preferential parking or reduced parking charges for motorcycles to the list of of measures a major employer may choose to include in their commute trip reduction program.
Adds motorcycles to the list of vehicles that the Washington State Department of Transportation and local authorities are authorized to reserve certain highway lanes or ramps for.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 19 members: Representatives Clibborn, Chair; Fey, Vice Chair; Liias, Vice Chair; Moscoso, Vice Chair; Bergquist, Farrell, Freeman, Habib, Johnson, Klippert, Kretz, Moeller, Morris, Riccelli, Ryu, Sells, Takko, Tarleton and Zeiger.

Minority Report: Do not pass. Signed by 9 members: Representatives Orcutt, Ranking Minority Member; Hargrove, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Overstreet, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Angel, Hayes, Kochmar, Kristiansen, Rodne and Shea.

Staff: David Munnecke (786-7315).

Background:

Commute Trip Reduction.

Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) programs aim to reduce air pollution, traffic congestion, and consumption of transportation fuels through employer-based programs that reduce the number of commute trips made in single-occupant vehicles. The state's first CTR laws were passed in 1991 and incorporated into the Washington Clean Air Act.

Employers develop and manage their CTR programs based on locally adopted goals for reducing vehicle trips and miles traveled. More than 1,000 worksites and 530,000 commuters statewide participate in the CTR program. A major employer's CTR program must contain certain elements, including specific measures designed to achieve the local jurisdiction's CTR goals. There are 15 measures that a major employer may choose to include in their CTR program, such as providing vanpools, permitting flexible work hours, and providing reduced parking charges and preferential parking for high-occupancy vehicles (HOV). A major employer is defined as a private or public employer with 100 or more employees at a single worksite who begin work between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.

Reserved or Preferential Highway Lanes.

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and local authorities can reserve certain lanes on the highway system for certain classes of vehicles. Specific authority is provided to restrict lanes or ramps for exclusive or preferential use by public buses, HOV, and certain other private buses and vehicles with specific occupancy capacities.

Motorcycles are not specifically addressed in current statutes, but are included in the Washington Administrative Code section 468.510.010 as vehicles authorized to use HOV lanes. Federal law requires states to allow motorcycles free access to HOV lanes unless doing so would create a safety hazard.

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Summary of Bill:

The provision of preferential parking or reduced parking charges for motorcycles is added to the list of of measures a major employer may choose to include in their CTR program.

Motorcycles are added to the list of vehicles that the WSDOT and local authorities are authorized to reserve certain highway lanes or ramps for.

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Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Effective Date: 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 simply adds the word motorcycle to the statute three times. We already encourage people to commute by motorcycle on the state ferries, because they take up less space than a car, but we need to encourage motorcycling through the CTR options as well. The bill also aligns the state statutes with the federal law regarding the use of the HOV lanes.

The motorcycle lobby has been working for the last decade to include motorcycles in transportation planning, and thus keep motorcycles in the HOV statutes in case the federal law changes. The bill would apply to HOV lanes as well as Business Access and Transit (BAT) lanes.

(Opposed) None.

Persons Testifying: Senator Rolfes, prime sponsor; Larry Walker, Washington Road Rider's Association; and Timothy McCall, A Brotherhood Against Totalitarian Enactments Washington.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.