[atlas:bill]

AN ACT Relating to creation of the trip reduction program; and adding a new chapter to Title 47 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The trip reduction program is hereby created. The purpose of the program is to provide incentive grants to public and private entities for developing innovative projects and programs that reduce the trips made by single-occupancy vehicles. The transportation improvement board shall develop rules necessary to implement the program.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) The trip reduction program account is hereby created in the transportation fund. The transportation improvement board shall adopt rules and procedures to govern the allocation of funds in the account when funds become available.

(2) The board shall allocate funds from the account by June 30th of each year for the ensuing fiscal year and shall endeavor to provide geographic diversity in selecting trip reduction projects or programs to be funded from the account.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. (1) To be eligible for funds from the trip reduction program account, a project or program must:

(a) Be proposed by a business, traffic management area, nonprofit organization, city, town, or county, and be partially funded by local government or private contributions, or a combination of these contributions; and

(b) Demonstrate how trip reductions will be achieved as a direct result of the project or program.

(2) The transportation improvement board shall develop and implement criteria for ranking trip reduction projects and shall allocate funds from the trip reduction program account for projects or programs that demonstrate innovation and yield measurable benefits. The criteria may include, but are not limited to:

(a) Providing preferential parking, reduced parking charges, or both, for high-occupancy vehicles;

(b) Instituting or increasing parking charges for single-occupancy vehicles;

(d) Providing subsidies for transit fares;

(e) Providing vans for van pools;

(f) Providing subsidies for car pooling and van pooling;

(g) Permitting the use of employers' vehicles for car pooling and van pooling;

(h) Permitting flexible work schedules to facilitate employee use of transit, car pools, or van pools;

(i) Cooperating with transportation providers to provide additional regular or express service to the worksite;

(j) Providing a program of parking incentives, such as rebates for employees who do not use parking facilities;

(k) Establishing a program to permit employees to work part or full time at home, or at an alternative worksite closer to home;

(l) Establishing a program of alternative work schedules, such as compressed work week schedules to reduce commuting; and

(m) Implementing other measures designed to facilitate the use of high-occupancy vehicles, such as on-site day care facilities and emergency taxi services.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The legislature intends for each regional office within the department of transportation to propose innovative transportation-demand management strategies to meet demands on existing state infrastructure. To provide incentives, the corridor transportation demand management program is hereby created. The purpose of the program is to encourage corridor demand management strategies for existing state transportation facilities.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. The department shall develop and implement a program that provides incentive grants available to transportation regions on a competitive basis. Funding for this grant program may be derived from any fund source designated by the legislature, by specific legislative appropriation, or through the administration of funds within the department's discretion.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. The department is authorized to adopt and implement rules necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. The pedestrian safety and access program is hereby created. The purpose of the program is to provide grants to counties, cities, towns, and other political subdivisions of the state for constructing, maintaining, or promoting pedestrian facilities and programs that contribute to pedestrian safety or improve pedestrian access.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. The pedestrian safety and access program account is hereby created in the transportation fund. The transportation improvement board shall adopt rules and procedures to govern the allocation of funds in the account when funds become available.

The board shall allocate funds from the account by June 30th of each year for the ensuing fiscal year and shall endeavor to provide geographic diversity in selecting pedestrian safety and pedestrian access projects and programs to be funded from the account.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. The transportation improvement board is authorized to adopt rules necessary to implement the pedestrian safety and access program.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 10. The bicycle facilities program is hereby created. The purpose of the program is to provide grants to counties, cities, towns, and other political subdivisions of the state for constructing, maintaining, or promoting bicycle facilities and programs that contribute to bicycle safety, reduce congestion, or improve bicycle facilities.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 11. The bicycle program account is hereby created in the transportation fund. The transportation improvement board shall adopt rules and procedures to govern the allocation of funds in the account when funds become available.

The board shall allocate funds from the account by June 30th of each year for the ensuing fiscal year and shall endeavor to provide geographic diversity in selecting bicycle facilities projects and programs to be funded from the account.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 12. The transportation improvement board is authorized to adopt rules necessary to implement the bicycle facilities program.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 13. Sections 1 through 12 of this act constitute a new chapter in Title 47 RCW.