HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 2461

As Reported by House Committee On:

Transportation

Title: An act relating to including health in the state transportation system policy goals.

Brief Description: Including health in the state transportation system policy goals.

Sponsors: Representatives Riccelli, Entenman, Fitzgibbon, Lovick, Ortiz-Self, Stonier, Cody, Shewmake, Ramos, Valdez, Mead, Kloba, Thai, Robinson, Santos, Macri, Pollet, Wylie and Doglio.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Transportation: 1/22/20, 2/11/20 [DP].

Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 17 members: Representatives Fey, Chair; Wylie, 1st Vice Chair; Slatter, 2nd Vice Chair; Valdez, 2nd Vice Chair; Chapman, Doglio, Duerr, Entenman, Gregerson, Kloba, Lovick, Mead, Ortiz-Self, Paul, Ramos, Riccelli and Shewmake.

Minority Report: Do not pass. Signed by 13 members: Representatives Barkis, Ranking Minority Member; Walsh, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Young, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Boehnke, Chambers, Dufault, Eslick, Goehner, Irwin, McCaslin, Orcutt, Van Werven and Volz.

Staff: David Munnecke (786-7315).

Background:

There are currently six statewide transportation system policy goals for the planning, operation, performance of, and investment in, the state's transportation system. The powers, duties, and functions of state transportation agencies are required to be performed in a manner consistent with the goals. These policy goals are identified as follows:

• economic vitality: to promote and develop transportation systems that stimulate, support, and enhance the movement of people and goods to ensure a prosperous economy;

• preservation: to maintain, preserve, and extend the life and utility of prior investments in transportation systems and services;

• safety: to provide for and improve the safety and security of transportation customers and the transportation system;

• mobility: to improve the predictable movement of goods and people throughout Washington, including congestion relief and improved freight mobility;

• environment: to enhance Washington's quality of life through transportation investments that promote energy conservation, enhance healthy communities, and protect the environment; and

• stewardship: to continuously improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of the transportation system.

The Office of Financial Management (OFM), in consultation with the Washington State Transportation Commission (WSTC), is directed to establish objectives and performance measures for all state transportation agencies in order to assure that transportation system performance attains the six policy goals established in statute. The OFM is required to submit these objectives and performance measures to the Legislature and the WSTC in each even-numbered year.

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is also required to perform certain duties to support attainment of the statewide transportation system policy goals. These duties include: (1) maintaining an inventory of the condition of structures and corridors, as well as a list of structures and corridors in most urgent need of retrofit or rehabilitation; (2) developing long-term financing plans that sustainably support ongoing maintenance and preservation of the transportation infrastructure; (3) balancing system safety and convenience to accommodate all users of the system to safely, reliably, and efficiently provide mobility to people and goods; (4) developing strategies to reduce vehicle miles traveled; (5) considering efficiency tools to manage system demand, including high occupancy vehicle and toll lanes, corridor-specific and systemwide pricing strategies, active traffic management, and commute trip reduction; (6) promoting integrated multimodal planning; and (7) considering engineers and architects to design environmentally sustainable, context-sensitive transportation systems.

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Summary of Bill:

A seventh statewide transportation system policy goal is added as follows:

• health: to improve the health of Washington's residents, by considering health implications and encouraging active transportation when designing, building, and maintaining Washington's transportation system.

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Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) The connection between transportation and health is indisputable, and the transportation system can effect our health in both positive and negative ways. This bill would help shift the lens of the WSDOT and improve the health of our state. Not looking at health would be costly.

Including health in the transportation policy goals helps address pollution and climate change, and thus builds healthier communities. Planning is tilted towards motor vehicles, and undervalues health and equity. This bill would help with children's readiness to learn and lead to greater equity.

Transportation and health are linked, and improving one can improve the other. Sidewalks, bike lanes, and trails can improve health and help children learn. Safe routes to schools and bike lanes already do this and more of them should be built.

(Opposed) Health is already covered by the current transportation policy goals.

(Other) Health is treated as a part of the state's transportation policy goals for the purposes of the Washington Transportation Plan.

Persons Testifying: (In support) Representative Riccelli, prime sponsor; Lindsay Hovind, American Heart Association; Alex Wehinger, Washington State Medical Association; and Vic Colman, Childhood Obesity Prevention Coalition.

(Opposed) Mike Ennis, Association of Washington Business.

(Other) Paul Parker, Washington State Transportation Commission.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.