BILL REQ. #:  S-0443.1 

Read first time 01/17/13.   Referred to Committee on Transportation.

     AN ACT Relating to preventing the extension of light rail from Oregon to Washington on Interstate 5 between Portland and Vancouver; adding a new section to chapter 47.01 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) The legislature finds that the design alternative selected by the state department of transportation, the federal highway administration, and the federal transit administration for a new Interstate 5 bridge that connects Vancouver, Washington to Portland, Oregon is unacceptable.
     (2) The legislature further finds that:
     (a) The United States coast guard has not approved the design alternative due to a lack of clearance between the Columbia river and the bridge deck that inhibits the free movement of maritime freight;
     (b) The inclusion of light rail in the design alternative results in a cost increase to the project of over nine hundred twenty-five million dollars for taxpayers;
     (c) The people of Clark county voted in November 2012 not to fund the costs of operating and maintaining light rail; and     
     (d) The design alternative will shift federal funds outside of the design corridor in order to make numerous capital improvements in transit for the state of Oregon at the expense of Washington state.
     (3) Therefore, it is the intent of the legislature that no funds be spent to further the selected design alternative.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 47.01 RCW to read as follows:
     The department is prohibited from expending funds on the design or construction of any project that replaces the bridges on Interstate 5 between Vancouver, Washington and Portland, Oregon and includes light rail.