The department of transportation shall be responsible for distributing amounts appropriated from the *high capacity transportation account, which shall be allocated by the department of transportation based on criteria in subsection (2) of this section. The department shall assemble and participate in a committee comprised of transit agencies eligible to receive funds from the *high capacity transportation account for the purpose of reviewing fund applications.
(1) State *high capacity transportation account funds may provide up to eighty percent matching assistance for high capacity transportation planning efforts.
(2) Authorizations for state funding for high capacity transportation planning projects shall be subject to the following criteria:
(a) Conformance with the designated regional transportation planning organization's regional transportation plan;
(b) Local matching funds;
(c) Demonstration of projected improvement in regional mobility;
(d) Conformance with planning requirements prescribed in RCW
81.104.100, and if five hundred thousand dollars or more in state funding is requested, conformance with the requirements of RCW
81.104.110; and
(e) Establishment, through interlocal agreements, of a joint regional policy committee as defined in RCW
81.104.030 or
81.104.040.
(3) The department of transportation shall provide general review and monitoring of the system and project planning process prescribed in RCW
81.104.100.