BILL REQ. #:  S-5229.2 

READ FIRST TIME 02/12/08.   

     AN ACT Relating to establishing goals to reduce vehicle miles traveled; adding a new section to chapter 47.01 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   Given that transportation is the source of nearly half of Washington's greenhouse gas emissions, and transportation-related emissions are expected to grow by more than twenty-five percent by 2020, the legislature finds that significant reductions in transportation-related emissions are required to meet the climate pollution reduction goals in Executive Order 07-02.
     To reduce transportation-related emissions, the state must implement multiple strategies. New technologies and cleaner fuels are vital to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, as long as annual vehicle miles traveled continue to grow, those climate change goals will remain out of reach.
     The state's ability to achieve significant vehicle miles traveled reductions depends, in large part, on the implementation and use of expanded regional and local multimodal design, tools, innovations, and investments. The legislature further finds that the reduction of vehicle miles traveled, through a partnership at the state, regional, and local levels, is critical to reaching the state's climate pollution reduction goals.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 47.01 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) To support the implementation of RCW 47.04.280 and 47.01.078(4), the department shall adopt broad statewide goals to reduce annual per capita vehicle miles traveled by 2050 consistent with the stated goals of Executive Order 07-02. Consistent with these goals, the department shall:
     (a) Establish the following benchmarks using a statewide baseline of seventy-five billion vehicle miles traveled less the vehicle miles traveled attributable to vehicles licensed under RCW 46.16.070 and weighing 10,000 pounds or more, which are exempt from this section:
     (i) Decrease the annual per capita vehicle miles traveled by eighteen percent by 2020;
     (ii) Decrease the annual per capita vehicle miles traveled by thirty percent by 2035; and
     (iii) Decrease the annual per capita vehicle miles traveled by fifty percent by 2050;
     (b) By July 1, 2008, establish and convene a collaborative process to develop a set of tools and best practices to assist state, regional, and local entities in making progress towards the benchmarks established in subsection (1) of this section. The collaborative process must:
     (i) Be jointly facilitated by the department and the department of community, trade, and economic development;
     (ii) Provide for participation from regional transportation planning organizations, the Washington state transit association, the Puget Sound clean air agency, and at least one major private employer that participates in the commute trip reduction program;
     (iii) Identify current strategies to reduce vehicle miles traveled in the state as well as successful strategies in other jurisdictions that may be applicable in the state;
     (iv) Identify potential new revenue options for local and regional governments to authorize to finance vehicle miles traveled reduction efforts;
     (v) Provide for the development of measurement tools that can, with a high level of confidence, measure annual progress toward the benchmarks at the local, regional, and state levels and can adequately distinguish between common travel purposes, such as moving freight or commuting to work;
     (vi) Establish a process for the department to periodically evaluate progress toward the vehicle miles traveled benchmarks, measure achieved and projected emissions reductions, and recommend whether the benchmarks should be adjusted to meet the state's overall goals for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions;
     (vii) Estimate the projected reductions in greenhouse gas emissions if the benchmarks are achieved, taking into account the expected implementation of existing state and federal mandates for vehicle technology and fuels, as well as expected growth in population and vehicle travel; and
     (viii) By December 1, 2008, provide a report to the transportation committees of the legislature on the collaborative process and resulting recommended tools and best practices to achieve the reduction in annual per capita vehicle miles traveled goals.
     (2) Associations representing those vehicles provided an exemption under subsection (1) of this section are encouraged to continue to pursue emission reduction efforts including use of cleaner fuels, more efficient and cleaner vehicle fleets, development of electrification at idle opportunities, and off-peak delivery schedules.