HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 SHB 1125

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                       Transportation

Title:  An act relating to transportation funding and appropriations.

Brief Description:  Funding transportation for the 1999-01 biennium.

Sponsors:  House Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Representatives Fisher, K. Schmidt, Radcliff, O'Brien, Fortunato, Eickmeyer, Hankins, Cooper, Murray, Wood and Mitchell; by request of Governor Locke).

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Transportation:  1/21/99, 3/31/99 [DPS].

           Brief Summary of Substitute Bill

$Adopting the 1999-01 Transportation Budget.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 24 members:  Representatives Fisher, Democratic Co-Chair; K. Schmidt, Republican Co-Chair; Cooper, Democratic 1st Vice Chair; Ericksen, Republican Vice Chair; Hankins, Republican Vice Chair; Buck; G. Chandler; DeBolt; Haigh; Hatfield; Hurst; Lovick; McDonald; Mielke; Mitchell; Murray; Ogden; Pflug; Radcliff; Romero; Schindler; Schual-Berke; Skinner and Wood.

Minority Report:  Do not pass.  Signed by 1 member:  Representative Morris.

Staff:  Brad Lovaas (786-7307).

Background:

The transportation budget provides appropriations to the major transportation agencies C the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Washington State Patrol (WSP), the Department of Licensing (DOL), the Transportation Improvement Board (TIB), and the County Road Administration Board (CRAB).  It also provides appropriations to many smaller transportation agencies and appropriates transportation funds and accounts to general government agencies.

The 1997-99 transportation budget totaled $3 billion.

Summary of Substitute Bill:

Department of Transportation

State Highways

$$1.13 billion for state highway improvements:

‑$226 million for design, right of way and construction of core HOV projects on I‑5, I‑405, SR 16, SR 167, and SR 520.

‑ $85 million for Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board (FMSIB) identified freight mobility projects on the state highway system (including WSDOT share), including SR 519 intermodal access, I‑90 snowshed, completing SR 509 to I‑5, etc.

‑ $422 million for statewide capacity improvements on state highways.

‑ $167 million to improve the safety of state highways.

‑ $159 million for economic initiatives including all-weather roads, improvements on     the freight and goods system (SR 18) bridge height restrictions, etc.

‑ $43 million for environmental projects, including fish passage barriers, storm water     runoff, wetland banking and mitigation, noise walls, etc.

$$611 million to re-pave roadways, repair and rebuild bridges, repair unstable slopes,    etc.

$Provides $248 million to maintain the state highways which includes snow and ice removal, patching roadways, pavement striping, maintaining traffic signals, etc.

Ferry System

$Provides $97 million to expand the passenger only ferry service from Southworth    and Kingston to Seattle.  This amount includes starting construction of terminal facilities and five passenger only boats.

$$191 million to preserve existing terminals and vessels.

$$1.5 million for design of a new fast auto vessel.

$$301 million to operate the system.

Rail

$Approximately $20 million to provide service from Seattle to Portland and Vancouver, British Columbia.

$$9.4 million to renovate King Street Station.

$Approximately $68 Million for track improvements, maintenance facility, etc.

$$4 Million freight rail grants and loans.

$$8 Million for the purchase of a new train set.

Public Transportation

$ Approximately $8.5 million for Commute Trip Reduction.

$$3.5 million is provided for rural mobility grants.

Washington State Patrol

$Provides $4.2 million for 36 new COPS troopers utilizing federal matching funds.

$Provides $1.2 million in funding for eight auto theft investigators to work on  statewide organized auto theft activities.

$Maintains rebuild inspections and eliminates out-of-state inspections and the  associated fees charged.

$Provides $937,000 in addition to the agency's existing technology replacement  funding for replacing identified outdated technology.

$Provides funding of $291,000 for four temporary staff to complete the entry of the  1997 and 1998 accident reports into the Collision Reporting Accident and Statistical agencies.

$Replaces two existing aerial aircraft for $380,000.

$Funds pursuit vehicles for $2.3 million in addition to the agency's existing funding at a replacement mileage of 100,000 miles with vehicle maintenance staff.

$Provides $222,000 in funding for the Mobile Computer Network Infrastructure.

$Funds minor works for Washington State Patrol facilities and the replacement of the  Squak mountain communication tower for $833,000.

Department of Licensing

$Provides $2.9 million funding for an improved secure driver's license.

$Provides funding of $105,000 for a systems and data integrity auditor.

$Provides $46,000 in incentives for the commute trip reduction program.

$Funds a project for $175,000 search and query to analyze the linking of drivers and vehicle data.

$$328,000 is provided to upgrade system software to the Windows NT Production environment.

$Provides $462,000 in network systems improvements to increase the capacity of  communication links between Department of Licensing facilities.

$Funds $553,000 in upgrades to the Licensing Service Offices (LSO) lobby management system.

$Adds a person for $75,000 to provide motor carrier services in the recently  completed Vancouver Licensing Service Office.

$Provides $133,000 for a person to support the Department of Licensing's portion of the Commercial Vehicle Information Systems and Networks (CVISN).

$$445,000  provided for upgrades to the service counters at the Licensing Service  Offices (LSO) to accommodate LSO access and technology requirements.

$Provides $847,000 in funding for needed corrections and to fix requirements not in the existing computer programs that have been placed on hold due to other    technology efforts.

$Funds five temporary staff for $500,000 to maintain the existing accident report    backlog in the Collision Reporting Accident Statistical History System (CRASH).

Other Agencies

$Traffic Safety Commission

Funding from TEA‑21 incentive grants is provided to develop and implement a seat-belt use campaign, an .08 blood alcohol law campaign, impaired driving programs, and crash data record improvement programs.

$State Parks and Recreation ‑ Capital

Funding is provided for improvement projects at Beacon Rock State Park and Cama Beach State Park.

$Transportation Commission

Funding is provided at current level for the administration of the commission.

$Legislative Evaluation and Accountability Program

Funding is provided to assist in the implementation of the Local Government Finance Reporting project and the Transportation Infrastructure Database and Reporting System.

$Transportation Improvement Board

Provides approximately $237 million for projects.

$Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board

Provides funding for administration of the board.

$County Road Administration Board

Provides approximately $103 million for projects.

$Special Appropriations to the Governor

Provides $1 million for tort claims prior to 1990.

$Board of Pilotage Commissioners, Marine Employees Commission, Department of Agriculture, and State Parks and Recreation Commission operating budget are funded at current levels.

Local Government

$Provides approximately $48 million for distribution to cities.

$Provides approximately $48 million for distribution to counties.

$Provides $85 million for the state program share of local freight mobility projects.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  The substitute bill changes appropriations and funding sources for transportation agencies and projects.

Appropriation:  $3,886 billion is appropriated in the 1999-01 transportation budget.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date of Substitute Bill:  The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.