HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 EHB 1107

                    As Passed Legislature

Title:  An act relating to right of way for transit vehicles.

Brief Description:  Requiring yielding right of way to buses.

Sponsors:  Representatives R. Fisher and Jacobsen.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Transportation, February 4, 1993, DPA;

Passed House, March 13, 1993, 97-0;

  Amended by Senate;

Passed Legislature, April 20, 1993, 97-0.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.  Signed by 24 members:  Representatives R. Fisher, Chair; Brown, Vice Chair; Jones, Vice Chair; Schmidt, Ranking Minority Member; Mielke, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Brough; Brumsickle; Cothern; Eide; Finkbeiner; Forner; Fuhrman; Hansen; Heavey; Horn; Johanson; J. Kohl; H. Myers; Orr; Quall; Sheldon; Shin; Wood; and Zellinsky.

Staff:  Jeff Doyle (786-7322).

Background:  Automobiles are not required to yield the right of way to transit vehicles.

Summary of Bill:  The driver of a vehicle must yield the right of way to a transit vehicle traveling in the same direction that has signaled and is attempting to reenter the flow of traffic.

The Department of Transportation, city and county maintenance vehicles are permitted to use optical strobe light devises to perform maintenance tests on traffic control lights.

Public transit agencies are permitted to use optical strobe light devises in public transit vehicles to accelerate the cycle of the traffic control light.  Public transit vehicles operating an optical strobe light must yield to emergency vehicles when simultaneously approaching the same traffic signal.  "Public transit vehicles" refer to vehicles used for mass transportation that are owned by a governmental entity and can carry 25 or more persons.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  Buses are allowed to reenter the traffic flow after stopping to drop off and pick up passengers.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Steve Ross, Amalgamated Transit Union (with concerns); Dan Snow, Washington State Transit Association (with concerns); and Rick Jensen, Washington State Patrol (with concerns).