5689-S.E AMH CORR THOC 124

  

ESSB 5689 - H AMD TO H AMD (H-2872.2/22) 1186

By Representative Corry

NOT ADOPTED 02/26/2022

On page 89, line 2 of the striking amendment, increase the motor vehicle account--state appropriation by $20,000,000

On page 89, line 9 of the striking amendment, correct the total.

On page 89, after line 17 of the striking amendment, insert the following:

"(3)(a) $20,000,000 of the motor vehicle account—state appropriation is provided solely for the department to establish a reducing rural roadway departures program to provide funding for safety improvements specific to preventing lane departures in areas where the departure is likely to cause serious injuries or death.

(b) Funding for this program may be used to:

(i) Widen roadway shoulders or modify roadway design to improve visibility or reduce lane departure risks;

(ii) Improve markings and paint on roadways, including making markings on roads more visible for vehicles with lane departure technology;

(iii) Apply high friction surface treatments;

(iv) Install rumble strips, signage, lighting, raised barriers, medians, guardrails, cable barriers, or other safety equipment, including deployment of innovative technology and connected infrastructure devices;

(v) Remove or relocate fixed objects from rights-of-way that pose a significant risk of serious injury or death if a vehicle were to collide with the object due to a lane departure;

(vi) Repair or replace existing barriers that are damaged or nonfunctional; or

(vii) Take other reasonable actions that are deemed likely to address or prevent vehicle lane departures in specific areas of concern.

(c) The department shall create a program whereby it can distribute funding or install safety improvements listed in (a) of this subsection on state, county, small city, or town roads in rural areas that have a high risk of having or have had incidents of serious injuries or fatalities due to vehicle lane departures. Any installation of safety measures that are not under the jurisdiction of the department must be done with permission from the entity that is responsible for operations and maintenance of the roadway.

(d) The department must create a form and application process whereby towns, small cities, counties, and transportation benefit districts may apply for program funding for high-risk areas in jurisdictions in need of safety improvements.

(e) The department must issue program funding for purposes defined in (a) and (b) of this subsection in a geographically diverse manner throughout the state. Criteria used to assess a location may include the inability or lack of resources of a community to make safety improvements and corrections where there have been historic disparate impacts.

(f) The department must provide a list of locations that received funding with a description of installed safety improvements to the transportation committees of the legislature and the traffic safety commission by June 30, 2023."

EFFECT:   Establishes a Reducing Rural Roadway Departures Program (program)in the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) for safety improvements to prevent lane departures in areas where the departure is likely to cause serious injuries or death. Allows the WSDOT to make improvements on state, county, small city, or town roads in rural areas that have a high risk of incidents of serious injuries or fatalities due to vehicle lane departures, with the permission from the entities that maintain the roadways. Allows local jurisdictions to apply to the WSDOT for safety improvements funding. Requires the WSDOT to provide a list of the locations receiving funding from the program to the transportation committees and the Washington Traffic Safety Commission by June 30, 2023.

FISCAL IMPACT:

 Increases Motor Vehicle Acct - State by $20,000,000.

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