BILL REQ. #:  H-2117.3 

Read first time 02/21/2007.   Referred to Committee on Transportation.

     AN ACT Relating to funding qualifying projects through the urban corridor program of the transportation improvement board; amending RCW 47.26.282; creating a new section; and making an appropriation.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that Washington state's quality of life is based on a number of factors, including a strong economy, affordable housing, and appropriate infrastructure. The legislature finds that existing funding levels are insufficient to meet current and future demands for infrastructure, especially infrastructure that is necessary to accommodate new population growth. The legislature finds also that the transportation improvement board's urban corridor program provides a mechanism to ensure that infrastructure funding is directed to projects that are necessary to accommodate growth. The legislature, therefore, intends to establish requirements pertaining to funding growth infrastructure projects from the urban corridor program, and dedicate funding to the transportation improvement board for grants to fund qualifying infrastructure programs that are consistent with these requirements.

Sec. 2   RCW 47.26.282 and 2002 c 189 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) In any project funded by the transportation improvement board, except for projects in cities having a population of less than five thousand persons, and in addition to any other items required to be considered by statute, the board also shall consider the land use implications of the project, such as whether the programs and projects:
     (((1))) (a) Support development in and revitalization of existing downtowns;
     (((2))) (b) Implement local comprehensive plans for rural and urban residential and nonresidential densities;
     (((3))) (c) Have land use planning and regulations encouraging compact development for rural and urban residential and nonresidential densities; and
     (((4))) (d) Promote the use of multimodal transportation.
     (2)(a) In any project funded by the transportation improvement board's urban corridor program, the board must consider, in addition to any other considerations required by law, the following factors when determining whether to make grants to local governments to accommodate projected growth:
     (i) Whether the project will improve the minimum levels of service on transportation facilities that will accommodate planned growth. For the purposes of this subsection, "minimum levels of service" means an "a" through "d" level of service on an "a" to "f" scale or other generally accepted transportation measurement scale;
     (ii) Whether the project will enable the local government to implement its comprehensive and capital facilities plans to accommodate projected population and employment growth; and
     (iii) Whether the local government has sufficient quantities of buildable land and development regulations to accommodate projected population and employment growth related to the project.
     (b) In addition to the criteria in (a) of this subsection, the board must give preference to proposals from local governments with adopted policies that:
     (i) Provide or encourage the provision of housing for all economic segments of the community;
     (ii) Ensure that land use regulations will not result in a net loss of housing capacity; and
     (iii) Provide receiving zones for the transfer of development rights.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   The sum of twenty million dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 2009, from the state motor vehicle fund to the urban arterial trust account for the purposes of this act.