S-688                 _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 5367

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By Senators Nelson and Bender; by request of Legislative Transportation Committee

Read first time 1/23/89 and referred to Committee on   Transportation.

AN ACT Relating to public transportation reporting requirements; and adding new sections to chapter 35.58 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 35.58 RCW to read as follows:

          By April 1st of each year, the legislative authority of each municipality, as defined in RCW 35.58.272, shall prepare a six-year transit development and financial program for that calendar year and the ensuing five years.  The program shall contain information as to how the municipality intends to meet state and local long-range priorities for public transportation, capital improvements, significant operating changes planned for the system, and how the municipality intends to fund program needs.  Each municipality shall file the six-year program with the state department of transportation, the transportation improvement board, and cities, counties, and regional planning councils within which the municipality is located.

          In developing its program, the municipality shall consider those policy recommendations affecting public transportation contained in the state transportation policy plan approved by the state transportation commission and, where appropriate, adopted by the legislature.  The municipality shall conduct one or more public hearings while developing its program and for each annual update.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 35.58 RCW to read as follows:

          The department of transportation shall develop an annual report summarizing the status of public transportation systems in the state.  By September 1st of each year, copies of the report shall be submitted to the legislative transportation committee and to each municipality, as defined in RCW 35.58.272, and to individual members of the municipality's legislative authority.  The department shall prepare and submit a preliminary report by December 1, 1989.

          To assist the department with preparation of the report, each municipality shall file a system report by April 1st of each year with the state department of transportation identifying its public transportation services for the previous calendar year and its objectives for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of those services.  The system report shall address those items required for each public transportation system in the department's report.

          The department report shall describe individual public transportation systems and include a state-wide summary of public transportation issues and data.  The descriptions shall include the following elements and such other elements as the department deems appropriate after consultation with the municipalities and the legislative transportation committee:

          (1) Equipment and facilities;

          (2) Services and service standards;

          (3) Revenues, expenses, and ending balances, by fund source;

          (4) Policy issues and system improvement objectives, including community participation in development of those objectives and how those objectives address state-wide transportation priorities;

          (5) Operating indicators applied to public transportation services, revenues, and expenses.  Operating indicators shall include operating cost per passenger trip, operating cost per revenue vehicle service hour, passenger trips per revenue service hour, passenger trips per vehicle service mile, vehicle service hours per employee, and farebox revenue as a percent of operating costs.