BILL REQ. #: S-3677.1
State of Washington | 58th Legislature | 2004 Regular Session |
Read first time 01/20/2004. Referred to Committee on Highways & Transportation.
AN ACT Relating to high-occupancy vehicle lane restrictions; and amending RCW 46.61.165, 47.52.025, and 81.100.020.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1 RCW 46.61.165 and 1999 c 206 s 1 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) The state department of transportation and the local
authorities are authorized to reserve all or any portion of any highway
under their respective jurisdictions, including any designated lane or
ramp, for the exclusive or preferential use of the following vehicles
when the limitation will increase the efficient use of the highway
facility or will aid in the conservation of energy resources: (a)
Public transportation vehicles ((or)); (b) private motor vehicles
carrying no fewer than a specified number of passengers ((when such
limitation will increase the efficient utilization of the highway or
will aid in the conservation of energy resources)); or (c) motorcycles.
(2) Regulations authorizing such exclusive or preferential use of
a highway facility may be declared to be effective at all times or at
specified times of day or on specified days except the weekend periods
of Friday at 7:00 p.m. to Monday at 6:00 a.m. The Interstate 90
reversible lanes facilities are not subject to the weekend exception.
(3) Violation of a restriction of highway usage prescribed by the
appropriate authority under this section is a traffic infraction.
Sec. 2 RCW 47.52.025 and 1974 ex.s. c 133 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) Highway authorities of the state, counties, and incorporated
cities and towns, in addition to the specific powers granted in this
chapter, shall also have, and may exercise, relative to limited access
facilities, any and all additional authority, now or hereafter vested
in them relative to highways or streets within their respective
jurisdictions, and may regulate, restrict, or prohibit the use of such
limited access facilities by various classes of vehicles or traffic.
Such highway authorities may reserve any limited access facility or
portions thereof, including designated lanes or ramps, for the
exclusive or preferential use of the following vehicles when the
limitation will increase the efficient use of the highway facility or
will aid in the conservation of energy resources: (a) Public
transportation vehicles((, privately owned buses, or)); (b) private
motor vehicles carrying not less than a specified number of passengers
((when such limitation will increase the efficient utilization of the
highway facility or will aid in the conservation of energy resources));
or (c) motorcycles.
(2) Regulations authorizing such exclusive or preferential use of
a highway facility may be declared to be effective at all time or at
specified times of day or on specified days except the weekend periods
of Friday at 7:00 p.m. to Monday at 6:00 a.m. The Interstate 90
reversible lanes facilities are not subject to the weekend exception.
Sec. 3 RCW 81.100.020 and 1990 c 43 s 13 are each amended to read
as follows:
Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in
this section apply throughout this chapter.
(1) "Transit agency" means a city that operates a transit system,
a public transportation benefit area, a county transportation
authority, or a metropolitan municipal corporation.
(2) The "high-occupancy vehicle system" includes high-occupancy
vehicle lanes, related high-occupancy vehicle facilities, and high-
occupancy vehicle programs.
(3) "High-occupancy vehicle lanes" mean lanes reserved for public
transportation vehicles only or public transportation vehicles and
private vehicles carrying no fewer than a specified number of
passengers under RCW 46.61.165 and 47.52.025.
(4) "Related facilities" means park and ride lots, park and pool
lots, ramps, bypasses, turnouts, signal preemption, and other
improvements designed to maximize use of the high-occupancy vehicle
system.
(5) "High-occupancy vehicle program" means advertising the high-
occupancy vehicle system, promoting carpool, vanpool, and transit use,
providing vanpool vehicles, and enforcement of driving restrictions
governing high-occupancy vehicle lanes.