BP BHEAD INT S

AN ACT Relating to priority programming of multimodal solutions to address state highway deficiencies; amending RCW 47.05.010, 47.05.021, 47.05.030, 47.05.035, and 47.05.051; adding a new section to chapter 47.05 RCW; and repealing RCW 47.05.040, 47.05.055, 47.05.070, and 47.05.085.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 47.05.010 and 1969 ex.s. c 39 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

The legislature finds that ((anticipated revenues available for state highways for the foreseeable future will fall substantially short of the amount required to satisfy all of the state highway needs. It is the purpose of this chapter to establish a policy of priority programming for highway development having as its basis the rational selection of projects according to factual need, systematically scheduled to carry out defined objectives within limits of money and manpower, and fixed in advance with reasonable flexibility to meet changed conditions)) solutions to state highway deficiencies have become increasingly complex and diverse and that anticipated transportation revenues will fall substantially short of the amount required to satisfy all transportation needs. Difficult investment trade-offs will be required.

It is the intent of the legislature that investment of state transportation funds to address deficiencies on the state highway system be based on a policy of priority programming having as its basis the rational selection of projects and services according to factual need systematically scheduled to carry out defined objectives within available revenue.

The priority programming system shall ensure preservation of the existing state highway system, provide mobility for people and goods, support the state's economy, and promote environmental protection and energy conservation.

The priority programming system shall implement the state-owned highway component of the state-wide multimodal transportation plan, consistent with local and regional transportation plans, by targeting state transportation investment to appropriate multimodal solutions which address identified state highway system deficiencies.

The priority programming system for improvements shall incorporate a broad range of solutions that are identified in the state-wide multimodal transportation plan as appropriate to address state highway system deficiencies including but not limited to highway expansion, efficiency improvements, nonmotorized transportation facilities, high occupancy vehicle facilities, transit facilities and services, rail facilities and services, and transportation demand management programs.

Sec. 2. RCW 47.05.021 and 1987 c 505 s 50 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The transportation commission is hereby directed to conduct periodic analyses of the entire state highway system, report thereon to the chairs of the transportation committees of the senate and house of representatives, including one copy to the staff of each of the committees, biennially and based thereon, to subdivide, classify, and subclassify according to their function and importance all designated state highways and those added from time to time and periodically review and revise the classifications into the following three functional classes:

(a) The "principal arterial system" shall consist of a connected network of rural arterial routes with appropriate extensions into and through urban areas, including all routes designated as part of the interstate system, which serve corridor movements having travel characteristics indicative of substantial state-wide and interstate travel;

(b) The "minor arterial system" shall, in conjunction with the principal arterial system, form a rural network of arterial routes linking cities and other activity centers which generate long distance travel, and, with appropriate extensions into and through urban areas, form an integrated network providing interstate and interregional service; and

(c) The "collector system" shall consist of routes which primarily serve the more important intercounty, intracounty, and intraurban travel corridors, collect traffic from the system of local access roads and convey it to the arterial system, and on which, regardless of traffic volume, the predominant travel distances are shorter than on arterial routes.

(2) ((Those state highways which perform no arterial or collector function, which serve only local access functions, and which lack essential state highway characteristics shall be designated "local access" highways.

~~(3)~~)) In making the functional classification the transportation commission shall adopt and give consideration to criteria consistent with this section and federal regulations relating to the functional classification of highways, including but not limited to the following:

(a) Urban population centers within and without the state stratified and ranked according to size;

(b) Important traffic generating economic activities, including but not limited to recreation, agriculture, government, business, and industry;

(d) Directness of travel and distance between points of economic importance;

(e) Length of trips;

(f) Character and volume of traffic;

(g) Preferential consideration for multiple service which shall include public transportation;

(h) Reasonable spacing depending upon population density; and

(i) System continuity.

(3) The commission shall also designate a system of state highways that have state-wide significance. This state-wide system shall include interstate highways and other state-wide principal arterials that are needed to connect major communities across the state and support the state's economy.

Sec. 3. RCW 47.05.030 and 1987 c 179 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

The transportation commission shall adopt ((~~and periodically revise, after consultation with the legislative transportation committee,~~)) a comprehensive six-year ((program and financial plan for highway improvements specifying program objectives for each of the highway categories, "A," "B," "C," and "H," defined in this section, and within the framework of estimated funds for such period. The program and plan shall be based upon the improvement needs for state highways as determined by the department from time to time.

With such reasonable deviations as may be required to effectively utilize the estimated funds and to adjust to unanticipated delays in programmed projects, the commission shall allocate the estimated funds among the following described categories of highway improvements, so as to carry out the commission's program objectives:

(1) Category A shall consist of those improvements necessary to sustain the structural, safety, and operational integrity of the existing state highway system (other than improvements to the interstate system to be funded with federal aid at the regular interstate rate under federal law and regulations, and improvements designated in subsections (2) through (4) of this section).

~~(2) Category B shall consist of improvements for the continued development of the interstate system to be funded with federal aid at the regular interstate rate under federal law and regulations.~~

(3) Category C shall consist of the development of major transportation improvements (other than improvements to the interstate system to be funded with federal aid at the regular interstate rate under federal law and regulations) including designated but unconstructed highways which are vital to the state-wide transportation network.

(4) Category H shall consist of those improvements necessary to sustain the structural and operational integrity of existing bridges on the highway system (other than bridges on the interstate system or bridge work included in another category because of its association with a highway project in such category).

Projects which are financed one hundred percent by federal funds or other agency funds shall, if the commission determines that such work will improve the state highway system, be managed separately from the above categories)) investment program specifying program objectives and performance measures for the preservation and improvement programs defined in this section. It shall be revised biennially, effective on July 1st of odd-numbered years. The investment program shall be based upon the needs identified in the state-owned highway component of the state-wide multimodal transportation plan as defined in RCW 47.01.071(3).

(1) The preservation program shall consist of those investments necessary to preserve the existing state highway system and to restore existing safety features, giving consideration to lowest life cycle costing. The comprehensive six-year investment program for preservation shall identify projects for two years and an investment plan for the remaining four years.

(2) The improvement program shall consist of investments needed to address identified deficiencies on the state highway system to improve mobility, safety, support for the economy, and protection of the environment. The six-year investment program for improvements shall identify projects for two years and major deficiencies proposed to be addressed in the six-year period.

The transportation commission shall approve and present the comprehensive six-year investment program to the legislature in support of the biennial budget request under RCW 44.40.070 and 44.40.080.

Sec. 4. RCW 47.05.035 and 1987 c 179 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

((~~(1) The transportation commission, in preparing the comprehensive six-year program and financial plan for highway improvements, shall allocate the estimated funds among categories A, B, C, and H~~)) In developing program objectives and performance measures, the transportation commission shall evaluate investment trade-offs between the preservation and improvement programs. In making these investment trade-offs, the commission shall assess funding impacts which their decisions will have on roadway and bridge maintenance activities and adjust those programs accordingly.

The commission shall allocate the estimated revenue between preservation and improvement programs giving primary consideration to the following factors:

((~~(a)~~)) (1) The relative needs in each of the ((~~categories of improvements~~)) programs and the system performance levels that can be achieved by meeting these needs;

((~~(b)~~)) (2) The need to provide adequate funding for ((~~category A improvements~~)) preservation to protect the state's investment in its existing highway system;

((~~(c)~~)) (3) The continuity of future ((~~highway~~)) transportation development ((~~of all categories of improvements~~)) with those improvements previously programmed; and

((~~(d)~~)) (4) The availability of ((~~special categories of federal~~)) dedicated funds for a specific type of work.

((~~(2) The commission in preparing the comprehensive six-year program and financial plan shall establish program objectives for each of the highway categories, A, B, C, and H.~~))

Sec. 5. RCW 47.05.051 and 1987 c 179 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:

((~~(1)~~)) The comprehensive six-year investment program ((~~and financial plan for each category of highway improvements~~)) shall be based upon ((a)) the needs identified in the state-owned highway component of the state-wide multimodal transportation plan as defined in RCW 47.01.071(3) and priority selection ((system within the program objectives established for each category. The commission using the criteria set forth in RCW 47.05.030, as now or hereafter amended, shall determine the category of each highway improvement.

~~(2) Selection of specific category A and H projects for the six-year~~)) systems that incorporate the following criteria:

(1) Priority programming for the preservation program shall take into account the ((~~criteria set forth in subsection (4) of this section.~~

~~(3) Selection of specific category B projects for the six-year program shall be based on commission established priorities for completion and preservation of the interstate system.~~

~~(4) In selecting each category A and H project as provided in subsection (2) of this section, the following criteria (~~)) following, not necessarily in order of importance((~~) shall be taken into consideration:~~

~~(a) Its~~)):

(a) Extending the service life of the existing highway system;

(b) Ensuring the structural ability to carry loads imposed upon ((it)) highways and bridges;

((~~(b) Its capacity to move traffic at reasonable speeds without undue congestion;~~

~~(c) Its adequacy of alignment and related geometrics;~~

~~(d) Its accident experience; and~~

~~(e) Its fatal accident experience.~~

~~(5)~~)) and

(c) Minimizing life cycle costs. The transportation commission in carrying out the provisions of this section may delegate to the department of transportation the authority to select ((~~category A, B, and H improvements~~)) preservation projects to be included in the six-year program.

(((6) Selection of specific category C projects for the six-year program shall be based on the priority of each highway section proposed to be improved in relation to other highway sections within the state with full regard to the structural, geometric, safety, and operational adequacy of the existing highway section taking into account the following:

~~(a)~~)) (2) Priority programming for the improvement program shall take into account the following:

(a) The cost-effective movement of people and goods;

(b) Accident and accident risk reduction;

(d) Protection of the state's natural environment;

(e) Continuity ((of)) and systematic development of the highway transportation network;

((~~(b) Coordination with the development of other modes of transportation;~~

~~(c) The stated long range goals of the local area and its transportation plan;~~

~~(d) Its potential social, economic, and environmental impacts~~)) (f) Consistency with local comprehensive plans developed under chapter 36.70A RCW;

(g) Consistency with regional transportation plans developed under chapter 47.80 RCW;

((~~(e)~~)) (h) Public views concerning proposed improvements;

((~~(f)~~)) (i) The conservation of energy resources ((~~and the capacity of the transportation corridor to move people and goods safely and at reasonable speeds~~)); ((~~and~~

~~(g)~~)) (j) Feasibility of financing the full proposed improvement; and

(k) Commitments established in previous legislative sessions.

((~~(7)~~)) (3) The commission ((~~in selecting any project for improvement in categories A, B, C, or H~~)) may depart from the priority ((~~of projects so~~)) programming established under subsections (1) and (2) of this section: (a) To the extent that otherwise funds cannot be utilized feasibly within the program((,)); (b) as may be required by a court judgment, legally binding agreement, or state and federal laws and regulations((,)); (c) as may be required to coordinate with federal, local, or other state agency construction projects((,)); (d) to take advantage of some substantial financial benefit that may be available((,)); (e) for continuity of route development((,)); or (f) because of changed financial or physical conditions of an unforeseen or emergent nature. The commission or secretary of transportation shall maintain in its files information sufficient to show the extent to which the commission has departed from the established priority ((~~of projects.~~

(8) The comprehensive six-year program and financial plan for highway improvements shall be revised biennially pursuant to RCW 47.05.040 as now or hereafter amended. The adopted program and plan shall be extended for an additional two years, to six years in the future, effective on July 1st of each odd-numbered year)).

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. A new section is added to chapter 47.05 RCW to read as follows:

The provisions of chapter ..., Laws of 1993 (this act) modifying procedures for priority programming for highway development as set forth in chapter 47.05 RCW, first apply to the comprehensive six-year state highway investment program for the periods 1995 to 2001. For the transition biennium ending June 30, 1995, the commission may deviate from the modified procedures prescribed by chapter ..., Laws of 1993 (this act).

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. The following acts or parts of acts are each repealed:

(1) RCW 47.05.040 and 1987 c 179 s 4, 1979 ex.s. c 122 s 4, 1977 ex.s. c 235 s 15, 1975 1st ex.s. c 143 s 3, 1973 2nd ex.s. c 12 s 5, 1969 ex.s. c 39 s 4, & 1963 c 173 s 4;

(2) RCW 47.05.055 and 1979 ex.s. c 122 s 6 & 1975 1st ex.s. c 143 s 6;

(3) RCW 47.05.070 and 1991 c 358 s 5, 1983 1st ex.s. c 53 s 31, 1979 ex.s. c 122 s 7, 1977 ex.s. c 151 s 45, 1973 2nd ex.s. c 12 s 7, & 1963 c 173 s 7; and

(4) RCW 47.05.085 and 1985 c 400 s 4.