BILL REQ. #:  H-2272.1 

Read first time 04/05/13.   Referred to Committee on Transportation.

     AN ACT Relating to the Columbia river crossing project; adding a new section to chapter 47.01 RCW; creating a new section; and declaring an emergency.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) The legislature finds that the design alternative selected by the state department of transportation, the federal highway administration, and the federal transit administration for a new Interstate 5 bridge that connects Vancouver, Washington to Portland, Oregon is not acceptable as currently designed.
     (2) The legislature further finds that:
     (a) The United States coast guard has not approved the design alternative due to a lack of clearance between the Columbia river and the bridge deck, which will adversely affect the free movement of maritime freight and future economic development;
     (b) The inclusion of light rail in the design alternative results in a cost increase to the project of over nine hundred twenty-five million dollars for taxpayers, while imposing a commute time penalty of one hundred twenty-five percent for Vancouver transit riders;
     (c) The citizens of Clark county voted in November 2012 not to fund the costs of operating and maintaining light rail; and
     (d) The current design alternative will not reduce congestion as it only offers three full span vehicular lanes in each direction, which is the same as the current Interstate 5 bridge.
     (3) Therefore, it is the intent of the legislature that no funds be spent to further the selected design alternative.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 47.01 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The department is prohibited from expending funds on the design or construction of any project that replaces the bridges on Interstate 5 between Vancouver, Washington and Portland, Oregon as designed in the December 7, 2011, record of decision.
     (2)(a) The department must prepare a new design alternative that includes the following:
     (i) A clearance height between the bridge deck and the Columbia river that accommodates all existing and future river users and accommodates those river users' reasonable and foreseeable future needs; and
     (ii) A third bridge in addition to the Interstate 5 and Interstate 205 bridges to accommodate more lanes of traffic.
     (b) The design alternative must not include light rail.
     (3) Any new design must either expand general lane capacity or create a measurable improvement of congestion and commute times.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   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.