FINAL BILL REPORT

                 HJM 4006

                    As Passed Legislature

Brief Description:  Requesting the Transportation Commission to update the system of Highways of Statewide Significance.

Sponsors:  Representatives Fisher, K. Schmidt, Mitchell, Radcliff, Skinner, Hankins, Wood, Cooper and Ogden.

House Committee on Transportation

Senate Committee on Transportation

Background:

The 1998 Legislature passed a law commonly known as the Level of Service (LOS) bill.  One section of the LOS bill broadly identified facilities of "statewide significance," such as intercity high-speed ground transportation, the freight rail system, the interstate, and interregional state principal arterials.

Although the legislation broadly identified facilities of statewide significance, it also required the Transportation Commission to designate a state highway system of statewide significance during the interim session and then submit this list for adoption by the 1999 Legislature.  The designated system is required, at a minimum, to include interstate highways and principal arterials that connect major communities across the state and support the state's economy. 

The Transportation Commission is also directed to give a higher priority to correcting capacity related deficiencies on the designated system and is given the authority to set the level of service on the designated system. Level of service is an engineering formula that measures the flow of traffic on a particular facility. An LOS standard "A" means free flowing; an LOS "F" means traffic is at a standstill.

Non-designated state highways are considered to be regionally significant state highways.  Regional transportation planning organizations, in cooperation with the Department of Transportation, determine the level of service on these highways.

Maintenance, preservation, safety, and other non-capacity improvements to the entire state highway system continue to be addressed through state and federal requirements.

The 1998 LOS bill did not include legislative direction on how to address future updates to the highways of statewide significance system, including how to adopt new routes or delete routes from the designated system.

Summary:

This joint memorial concurs with the Transportation Commission's designated highway system of statewide significance.  It also directs the Transportation Commission to conduct a review and update the system, as necessary, at least every five years.  The update process may include the deletion or adoption of routes to the designated highway system of statewide significance.

Votes on Final Passage:

House941

Senate450