HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 1278

BYRepresentatives G. Fisher, Wood, Cantwell, Winsley, Rector, Walk, Phillips, Hine and Sprenkle; by request of Governor Gardner

Expanding membership of the transportation improvement board.

House Committe on Transportation

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  (17)

      Signed by Representatives Walk, Chair; Baugher, Vice Chair; Wood, Assistant Ranking Republican Member; Cantwell, Cooper, Day, G. Fisher, R. Fisher, Gallagher, Haugen, Heavey, Jones, Kremen, R. Meyers, Nelson, Prentice and Todd.

Minority Report:  Do not pass.  (6)

      Signed by Representatives Schmidt, Ranking Republican Member; Hankins, Smith, D. Sommers, Walker and S. Wilson.

House Staff:Louise Bray (786-7322)

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION JANUARY 31, 1989

BACKGROUND:

In 1988 the Legislature created the Transportation Improvement Board and the Transportation Improvement Account.  The Board replaced and assumed the duties of the Urban Arterial Board.  The Board also manages the Transportation Improvement Account.  The Board is to allocate monies in the Account as follows:  (1) 87% for counties, cities over 5,000 in population, and transportation benefit districts for county, city, and multi-agency and suburban projects meeting certain statutory criteria; and (2) 13% for cities under 5,000 in population.

The 15-member Board is composed of two county engineers or public works directors, the County Road Administration Engineer, three elected county officials, two chief city engineers, three elected city officials, three Department of Transportation Assistant Secretaries, and the State Aid Engineer.  County and city appointments are made by the Secretary of Transportation, from a list of two nominees for each position submitted by the Washington Association of Counties and Association of Washington Cities respectively.

SUMMARY:

SUBSTITUTE BILL:  Three new members are added to the Transportation Improvement Board, as follows:  (1) A representative of a public transit system, who must be a general manager, executive director or transit director of a city-owned transit system, county transportation authority, metropolitan municipal corporation or public transportation benefit area; and, (2) two representatives of the private sector.

The membership may include city and county planning directors in lieu of city or county engineers.  A planning director is defined as a person responsible for city or county transportation and/or land use planning activities.

All appointments are made by the Governor.  Current members may serve out their terms.  The Governor shall solicit nominees for the transit and private sector positions from organizations with broad-based multimodal transportation interests.

SUBSTITUTE BILL COMPARED TO ORIGINAL:  An additional private sector representative is added to the Board.  Language is added to clarify the appointment process for new members.

Fiscal Note:      Not Requested.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Renee Montgelas, Governor's Office; John Henchman, Department of Transportation; Steve Callender, Washington Citizens for Improved Transportation; Duke Schaub, Washington Highway Users Federation; Steve Lindstrom, Washington State Transit Association; Jim Metcalf, Washington State Association of Counties; Stan Finkelstein, Association of Washington Cities.

House Committee - Testified Against:      None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:    Adding planning directors, transit and private sector representatives to the Board will broaden its scope of expertise and interests.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None Presented.