SENATE BILL REPORT

EHB 2440

As of February 26, 2002

Title:  An act relating to integration of transportation and land use planning.

Brief Description:  Integrating transportation and land use planning.

Sponsors:  Representatives Romero, Cooper, Fisher, Mitchell, Murray, Sullivan, Wood, Ogden and McIntire.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Transportation: 

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Staff:  Greg Doss (786‑7341)

Background:  The Governor and the Legislature created the Blue Ribbon Commission on Transportation (BRCT) in 1998 to do the following:  assess the local, regional, and state transportation system; ensure that current and future money is spent wisely; make the system more accountable and predictable; and prepare a 20‑year plan for funding and investing in the transportation system.

In recommendation five, the BRCT recommended that the state invest in maintenance, preservation, and improvement of the entire transportation system so that transportation benchmarks can be achieved.  Specifically, the commission recommended that jurisdictions integrate transportation and land use planning by developing a long‑term and effective strategy to reduce both traffic and investment costs by focusing new commercial and multi‑family growth in existing downtown, pedestrian, and transit‑friendly neighborhoods.

Summary of Bill:  City and county planning commissions, in carrying out their duties, should demonstrate how land use planning is integrated with transportation planning.

Priority programming criteria for the highway improvement program are expanded to include:  support for development in and revitalization of existing downtowns; the extent that development implements local comprehensive plans; the extent of compact, transit‑oriented development for residential and nonresidential densities; opportunities for  multimodal transportation and extent to which the project accommodates growth and economic development.  The statewide transportation plan must also take into account downtown preservation, population accommodation, and employment growth.

The Transportation Improvement Board is to consider the following criteria in funding projects:  downtown support; implementation of rural and urban densities; and whether agencies have land use planning that encourages compact development and multimodal transportation.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.