SENATE BILL REPORT
SHB 1490
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 of March 13, 2017
Title: An act relating to eliminating the requirement that a city or town provide preservation rating information on a certain percentage of its arterial network.
Brief Description: Concerning the reporting of preservation rating information on arterial networks by cities and towns.
Sponsors: House Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Representatives Fey, Rodne, Clibborn, Hargrove, Riccelli, Van Werven, McBride and Irwin).
Brief History: Passed House: 3/03/17, 97-0.
Committee Activity: Transportation: 3/13/17.
Brief Summary of Bill |
|
SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION |
Staff: Hayley Gamble (786-7452)
Background: Roadway preservation is the periodic replacement or restoration of highway system components to renew service life. Examples of preservation work include repaving highways, painting bridges, replacing bridge deck pavement, and replacing deteriorated culverts. A preservation rating report provides information on the condition of various assets, typically using a rating system to categorize the different asset conditions, i.e., excellent, good, fair, poor, very poor.
Current law requires cities and towns to provide to the Washington State Transportation Commission (Transportation Commission) preservation rating information on at least 70 percent of the total city and town arterial network. After the 2013-15 biennium, the preservation rating reporting requirement increases at a rate of 5 percent per biennium to a maximum of 80 percent. The 2013-2015 Biennial Transportation Budget exempted cities and towns from reporting during that biennium. In the current biennium, cities and towns are required to report to the Transportation Commission on pavement conditions.
Summary of Bill: The requirement that a city or town provide preservation rating information on a certain percentage of its arterial network is eliminated during the 2017-2019 fiscal biennium.
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) must, in consultation with cities, towns, and the Transportation Commission, (1) review existing pavement preservation rating reporting requirements, and (2) recommend to the Legislature whether a repeal of the pavement preservation rating report is warranted. The report is due by December 1, 2017.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Creates Committee/Commission/Task Force that includes Legislative members: No.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony: PRO: There has been some changes at the federal level that will change reporting requirements. There are a lot of reports required on arterials. It is unclear how this information is used once collected. Data reporting is not standardized making it less useful. We should wait for the new federal requirements and make a determination on the usefulness of this reporting. Cities don’t want to report just for the sake of reporting.
Persons Testifying: PRO: Representative Jake Fey, Prime Sponsor; Jane Wall, Association of Washington Cities.
Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: No one.