BILL REQ. #:  S-0649.2 

Read first time 01/15/2007.   Referred to Committee on Transportation.

     AN ACT Relating to the reimbursement of election costs on a certain transportation replacement project ballot measure; amending 2005 c 313 s 223 (uncodified); and declaring an emergency.

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

Sec. 1   2005 c 313 s 223 (uncodified) is amended to read as follows:
FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION -- TRANSPORTATION PLANNING, DATA, AND RESEARCH -- PROGRAM T
Motor Vehicle Account -- State Appropriation . . . . . . . . . . . . $24,052,000
Motor Vehicle Account -- Federal Appropriation . . . . . . . . . . . . $16,756,000
Multimodal Transportation Account -- State Appropriation . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,279,000
Multimodal Transportation Account -- Federal
     Appropriation . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,829,000
Multimodal Transportation Account -- Private/Local
     Appropriation . . . . . . . . . . . . $100,000
Transportation Partnership Account--State
     Appropriation . . . . . . . . . . . . (($2,300,000))
       $3,300,000
          TOTAL APPROPRIATION . . . . . . . . . . . . (($48,316,000))
       $49,316,000

     The appropriations in this section are subject to the following conditions and limitations:
     (1) In order to qualify for state planning funds available to regional transportation planning organizations under this section, a regional transportation planning organization containing any county with a population in excess of one million shall provide voting membership on its executive board to any incorporated principal city of a metropolitan statistical area within the region, as designated by the United States census bureau, and to any incorporated city within the region with a population in excess of eighty thousand as of July 1, 2005. Additionally, a regional transportation planning organization described under this subsection shall conduct a review of its executive board membership criteria to ensure that the criteria appropriately reflects a true and comprehensive representation of the organization's jurisdictions of significance within the region.
     (2) $175,000 of the motor vehicle account--state appropriation is provided to the department in accordance with RCW 46.68.110(2) and 46.68.120(3) and shall be used by the department to support the processing and analysis of the backlog of city and county collision reports by January 2006. The amount provided in this subsection shall lapse if federal funds become available for this purpose.
     (3) $150,000 of the multimodal transportation account-- state appropriation is provided solely for the implementation of Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill No. 1565. If Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill No. 1565 is not enacted by June 30, 2005, the amount provided in this subsection shall lapse.
     (4) The department of transportation shall evaluate the number of spaces available for long-haul truck parking relative to current and projected future needs. The department of transportation shall also explore options for augmenting the number of spaces available, including, but not limited to, expanding state-owned rest areas or modifying regulations governing the use of these facilities, utilizing weigh stations and park and ride lots, and encouraging the expansion of the private sector's role. Finally, the department shall explore the utility of coordinating with neighboring states on long-haul truck parking and evaluate methodologies for alleviating any air quality issues relative to the issue. The department must report to the transportation committees of the legislature by December 1, 2005, on the options, strategies, and recommendations for long-haul truck parking.
     (5) $50,000 of the multimodal transportation account--state appropriation is provided solely for evaluating high-speed passenger transportation facilities and services, including rail or magnetic levitation transportation systems, to connect airports as a means to more efficiently utilize airport capacity, as well as connect major population and activity centers. This evaluation shall be coordinated with the airport capacity and facilities market analysis conducted pursuant to Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill No. 5121 and results of the evaluation shall be submitted by July 1, 2007. If Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill No. 5121 is not enacted by June 30, 2005, or if federal funds are not received by March 1, 2006, for the purpose of implementing Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill No. 5121, the amount provided in this subsection shall lapse.
     (6) $700,000 of the motor vehicle account--state appropriation is provided solely for completing funding for a route development plan of U.S. route 2.
     (7) The department shall conduct a study of the resources allocated to each of the seven department regions and the corresponding workloads. Given the magnitude of the investments in the Puget Sound region, particular emphasis shall be given to reviewing the resources allocated and corresponding workloads with respect to the urban corridors region and the northwest region. Based on the results of this study, the department shall submit recommendations by December 1, 2006, to the legislature and the office of financial management regarding reallocating resources and revising regional boundaries within the department, as appropriate, in order to better coincide allocated resources with designated regional boundaries.
     (8) $750,000 of the multimodal transportation account--state appropriation is provided solely for implementing Engrossed Substitute House Bill No. 2871. If Engrossed Substitute House Bill No. 2871 is not enacted by June 30, 2006, the amount provided in this subsection shall lapse. The regional transportation commission's duties to develop, complete, and submit a governance proposal to the 2007 legislature are highly time sensitive. As a result, the legislature finds that competitive bidding is not cost-effective or appropriate for personal service contracts entered into by the commission, and that the director of the office of financial management should, by the director's authority under RCW 39.29.011(5), exempt any such personal service contract from the competitive bidding requirements of chapter 39.29 RCW.
     (9) (($2,300,000)) (a) $3,300,000 of the transportation partnership account--state appropriation is provided solely for the costs of the regional transportation investment district (RTID) and department of transportation project oversight. The department shall provide support from its urban corridors region to assist in preparing project costs, expenditure plans, and modeling. The department shall not deduct a management reserve, nor charge management or overhead fees. These funds are provided as a loan to the RTID and shall be repaid to the state motor vehicle account within one year following the certification of the election results related to the RTID.
     (b) If an advisory ballot measure is submitted to the city voters of the city in which the Alaskan Way viaduct and Seattle Seawall replacement project is to be constructed, soliciting voter preference of the alternatives applicable to the project, then the department shall reimburse the appropriate jurisdiction for the election costs related to submission of the ballot measure.
     (10) $100,000 of the motor vehicle account--state appropriation is provided solely to the department in accordance with RCW 46.68.110(2) and 46.68.120(3) and shall be used by the department solely to conduct an analysis of expanding the transportation concurrency requirements prescribed under the growth management act, chapter 36.70A RCW, to include development impacts on level of service standards applicable to state-owned transportation facilities, including state highways and state ferry routes. The objective of the analysis is to determine how to ensure that jurisdictional divisions do not defeat growth management act concurrency goals. The department shall convene a committee to oversee the analysis, with the committee comprised of, at a minimum, four members of the transportation committees of the legislature, four members of the appropriate land use committees of the legislature, and one member each from the association of Washington cities and the Washington state association of counties, or a designee thereof. The completed study, including recommendations, must be submitted to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature, and to the office of financial management, by December 1, 2006.
     (11) The department of transportation, the Washington state economic revenue forecast council, and the office of financial management shall review and adopt a method of forecasting motor vehicle and special fuel prices, revenue, and the amount of consumption that has an increased rate of accuracy as compared to the existing method. The three agencies shall submit a report to the transportation committees of the legislature by December 1, 2006, outlining the methods researched and the criteria utilized to select and adopt the new fuel forecasting method.
     (12) $150,000 of the multimodal transportation account--state appropriation is provided solely for a transportation demand management program, developed by the Whatcom council of governments, to further reduce drive-alone trips and maximize the use of sustainable transportation choices. The community based program must focus on all trips, not only commute trips, by providing education, assistance, and incentives to four target audiences: (a) Large work sites; (b) employees of businesses in downtown areas; (c) school children; and (d) residents of Bellingham.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect immediately.