S-3342.1  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 6126

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      56th Legislature     2000 Regular Session

By Senators Benton, Rossi, Stevens, Swecker, Finkbeiner, Johnson, Hale, Deccio, Horn and Oke

Read first time 01/10/2000.  Referred to Committee on Transportation.

Prioritizing traffic congestion relief projects.

    AN ACT Relating to transportation; and adding a new section to chapter 47.04 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 47.04 RCW to read as follows:

    The department is required to identify all transportation projects and activities that are primarily intended to reduce traffic congestion.  Once identified, the department must prioritize the projects using the following criteria:

    (1) The department must review the capacity of those highways known to have congestion problems, and determine at what percentage of capacity the highway is operating.  Those highways that are closest to capacity or most over capacity shall receive the highest priority; and

    (2) Each of the department's geographic administrative regions must complete its congestion reduction projects in the order of their prioritized ranking.  The highest priority projects in each region must be completed before starting on lower priority projects.

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