S-1699.1  _______________________________________________

 

                         SENATE BILL 5948

          _______________________________________________

 

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1997 Regular Session

 

By Senators Benton, Finkbeiner, Zarelli, Schow, Hochstatter, Stevens, Anderson and Roach

 

Read first time 02/21/97.  Referred to Committee on Transportation.

Contracting out the operation of public mass transportation systems.


    AN ACT Relating to improving public mass transportation systems; adding new sections to chapter 35.58 RCW; adding new sections to chapter 36.57 RCW; adding new sections to chapter 36.57A RCW; adding new sections to chapter 47.60 RCW; adding new sections to chapter 81.112 RCW; and repealing RCW 35.58.250, 35.58.265, 36.57.080, 36.57.090, 36.57A.100, 36.57A.120, 81.112.100, and 81.112.110.

 

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:

    Notwithstanding the authority granted in this chapter, a metropolitan municipal corporation shall effectively separate the administration of the transportation functions of the agency from actual operation of those functions.  The metropolitan municipal corporation shall focus on the mission of maximizing service and ridership within public resource constraints.  The metropolitan municipal corporation shall retain control over decisions relating to policy, routes, schedules, fares, vehicles, and service standards, but operation of these components must be performed by a contractor.

 

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

    (1) Notwithstanding the powers authorized in RCW 35.58.260, a metropolitan municipal corporation operating a transportation facility or service shall prepare bid documents for all individual routes, or logical groupings of routes, setting forth the desired schedules, equipment sizes, and all safety and service requirements pertaining to the routes and equipment, and all capital facilities owned and all services performed by the transit agency.

    (2) A metropolitan municipal corporation operating a transportation facility or service shall advertise invitations to bid for these facilities or services to the general public, including corporations and currently operating transit agencies if they choose to participate, and collect sealed bids, which bids must be opened in public.

    (3) A metropolitan municipal corporation operating a transportation facility or service shall award the contracts to the lowest responsible bidder for that particular service or facility.

    (4) The selected bidder shall operate the facilities, services, and routes awarded.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 36.57 RCW to read as follows:

    Notwithstanding the authority granted in this chapter, a county transportation authority shall effectively separate administration of the transportation functions from actual operation of those functions.  The authority shall focus on the mission of maximizing service and ridership within public resource constraints.  The authority shall retain control over decisions relating to policy, routes, schedules, fares, vehicles, and service standards, but operation of these components must be performed by a contractor.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4.  A new section is added to chapter 36.57 RCW to read as follows:

    (1) Notwithstanding the powers authorized in RCW 36.57.040, a county transportation authority operating a transportation facility or service shall prepare bid documents for all individual routes, or logical groupings of routes, setting forth the desired schedules, equipment sizes, and all safety and service requirements pertaining to the routes and equipment, and all capital facilities owned and all services performed by the county transportation authority.

    (2) An authority operating a transportation facility or service shall advertise invitations to bid for these facilities or services to the general public, including corporations and currently operating transit agencies if they choose to participate, and collect sealed bids, which bids must be opened in public.

    (3) An authority operating a transportation facility or service shall award the contracts to the lowest responsible bidder for that particular service or facility.

    (4) The selected bidder shall operate the facilities, services, and routes awarded.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5.  A new section is added to chapter 36.57A RCW to read as follows:

    Notwithstanding the authority granted in this chapter, a public transportation benefit area shall effectively separate the function of administration of the transportation functions from actual operation of those functions.  The public transportation benefit area shall focus on the mission of maximizing service and ridership within public resource constraints.  The public transportation benefit area shall retain control over decisions relating to policy, routes, schedules, fares, vehicles, and service standards, but operation of these components must be performed by a contractor.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6.  A new section is added to chapter 36.57A RCW to read as follows:

    (1) Notwithstanding the powers granted by this chapter, a public transportation benefit area shall prepare bid documents for individual routes, or logical groupings of routes, setting forth the desired schedules, equipment sizes, and all safety and service requirements pertaining to the routes and equipment, and all facilities and services provided by the transit agency.

    (2) A public transportation benefit area operating a transportation facility or service shall advertise invitations to bid for these facilities or services to the general public, including corporations and currently operating transit agencies if they choose to participate, and collect sealed bids, which bids must be opened in public.

    (3) A public transportation benefit area operating a transportation facility or service shall award the contracts to the lowest responsible bidder for that particular service or facility.

    (4) The selected bidder shall operate the facilities, services, and routes awarded.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 7.  A new section is added to chapter 47.60 RCW to read as follows:

    Notwithstanding the authority granted in this chapter, the department of transportation shall effectively separate the administration of the transportation functions of the state ferry system from actual operation of those functions.  The department shall focus on the mission of maximizing service and ridership within public resource constraints.  The department shall retain control over decisions relating to policy, routes, schedules, fares, vehicles, vessels, and service standards, but operation of these components must be performed by a contractor.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 8.  A new section is added to chapter 47.60 RCW to read as follows:

    (1) Notwithstanding the powers authorized in this chapter, the department shall prepare bid documents for all individual routes, or logical groupings of routes, setting forth the desired schedules, equipment sizes, and all safety and service requirements pertaining to the routes and equipment, and all capital facilities owned and all services performed by the ferry system.

    (2) The department shall advertise invitations to bid for these facilities and services to the general public, including corporations and currently operating transit agencies if they choose to participate, and collect sealed bids, which bids must be opened in public.

    (3) The state ferry system shall award the contracts to the lowest responsible bidder for that particular service or facility.

    (4) The selected bidder shall operate the facilities, services, and routes awarded.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 9.  A new section is added to chapter 81.112 RCW to read as follows:

    Notwithstanding the authority granted in this chapter, a regional transit authority shall effectively separate the function of administration of the transportation functions from actual operation of those functions.  The authority shall focus on the mission of maximizing service and ridership within public resource constraints.  The authority shall retain control over decisions relating to policy, routes, schedules, fares, vehicles, and service standards, but operation of these components must be performed by a contractor.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 10.  A new section is added to chapter 81.112 RCW to read as follows:

    (1) Notwithstanding the powers granted in this chapter, the authority shall prepare bid documents for individual routes, or logical groupings of routes, setting forth the desired schedules, equipment sizes, and all safety and service requirements pertaining to the routes and equipment, and all facilities owned and services provided by the authority.

    (2) An authority operating a transportation facility or service shall advertise invitations to bid for these facilities or services to the general public, including corporations and currently operating transit agencies if they choose to participate, and collect sealed bids, which bids must be opened in public.

    (3) An authority operating a transportation facility or service shall award the contracts to the lowest responsible bidder for that particular service or facility.

    (4) The selected bidder shall operate the facilities, services, and routes awarded.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 11.  The following acts or parts of acts are each repealed:

    (1) RCW 35.58.250 and 1965 c 7 s 35.58.250;

    (2) RCW 35.58.265 and 1965 c 91 s 1;

    (3) RCW 36.57.080 and 1975 1st ex.s. c 270 s 5 & 1974 ex.s. c 167 s 8;

    (4) RCW 36.57.090 and 1974 ex.s. c 167 s 9;

    (5) RCW 36.57A.100 and 1977 ex.s. c 44 s 4 & 1975 1st ex.s. c 270 s 20;

    (6) RCW 36.57A.120 and 1975 1st ex.s. c 270 s 22;

    (7) RCW 81.112.100 and 1992 c 101 s 10; and

    (8) RCW 81.112.110 and 1992 c 101 s 11.

 


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