HOUSE BILL REPORT
HB 2118
As Reported by House Committee On:
Transportation
Title: An act relating to additive transportation funding and appropriations.
Brief Description: Concerning additive transportation funding and appropriations.
Sponsors: Representatives Fey, Wylie and Riccelli.
Brief History:
Committee Activity:
Transportation: 2/21/22, 2/24/22 [DPS].
Brief Summary of Substitute Bill
  • Authorizes a total of $1.3 billion in additive transportation spending for the 2021-23 fiscal biennium for purposes associated with the Move Ahead WA transportation package.
  • Requires the Washington State Transportation Commission to conduct a study of toll revenue performance on the Interstate 405/State Route 167 corridor.
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.Signed by 17 members:Representatives Fey, Chair; Wylie, 1st Vice Chair; Bronoske, 2nd Vice Chair; Ramos, 2nd Vice Chair; Berry, Chapman, Donaghy, Duerr, Entenman, Hackney, Paul, Ramel, Riccelli, Slatter, Taylor, Valdez and Wicks.
Minority Report: Do not pass.Signed by 12 members:Representatives Barkis, Ranking Minority Member; Eslick, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Robertson, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Volz, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Dent, Goehner, Griffey, Klicker, McCaslin, Orcutt, Sutherland and Walsh.
Staff: Amy Skei (786-7109).
Background:

Washington government operates on a fiscal biennium that begins July 1 of each odd-numbered year.  Biennial budgets are typically enacted in odd-numbered years for the upcoming fiscal biennium.  Supplemental changes to the biennial budget are typically enacted in each of the following two years.  Transportation packages are periodically adopted by the Legislature to provide resources for and identify a multi-year list of statewide projects and spending priorities.  Recent transportation packages include:  the Connecting Washington Package (2015); the Transportation Partnership Package (2005); and the Nickel Package (2003).
Summary of Substitute Bill:

The bill authorizes a total of $1.3 billion in additive transportation spending for the 2021-23 fiscal biennium for purposes associated with the Move Ahead WA transportation package.  It requires the Washington State Transportation Commission to conduct a study of toll revenue performance on the Interstate 405/State Route 167 corridor focused on the sufficiency of revenues to pay for debt service and improvements to the corridor.

 

Details regarding the Move Ahead WA 16-year package plan, including spending plans and project lists, can be found at:  http://leap.leg.wa.gov/leap/budget/detail/2022/ht2022Supp.asp.
Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:

There are no changes to 2021-23 appropriated levels.  The substitute bill requires that a minimum of 15 percent of preservation and maintenance expenditures in the Move Ahead WA spending plan be allocated by lane miles to non-T1 and T2 freight lines.  The substitute bill adds $14 million to the Move Ahead WA spending plan for the Elevate Slater Road project, adds $2.57 million to bring the Bradley Road Safe Routes project to a total of $3 million, and adds $3.9 million to bring the Usk Bridge project to a total of $13.5 million.  The substitute bill adds a requirement that the Legislature receive for review any applications for Ultra High Speed Rail grants.  The substitute bill reassigns $5 million in transit project funding planned for the C-TRAN Mill Plain Bus Rapid Transit project to the C-TRAN Highway 99 Bus Rapid Transit project.
Appropriation: The sum of $1.3 billion in the 2021-23 fiscal biennium.
Fiscal Note: Not requested.
Effective Date of Substitute Bill: The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

Please refer to the February 21, 2022, recording of the public hearing on the original bill.
Persons Testifying: (In support) Representative Jake Fey, prime sponsor; Larry Luton, 350 Spokane; Neil Strege, Washington Roundtable; Kim Roscoe, City of Fife; Jerry VanderWood, Associated General Contractors; Raymond Paolella; Bryce Yadon, Transportation Choices Coalition; Alex Alston, Washington Bikes; Justin Leighton, Washington State Transit Association; Misha Lujan, Economic Alliance Snohomish County; Gordon Baxter, Puget Sound Metal Trades Council, AFL-CIO; Paige Malott; Irene Plenefisch, Microsoft Corporation; Erik Nelson; Autumn Sharp; Derek Richards; Vy Nguyen; Jeanne Cushman, Skagit County Public Works Department; Kate Johnston; and Mike Bomar, Port of Vancouver.
(Opposed) Victor Bishop, Eastside Transportation Association.
(Other) Chris Covert-Bowles, Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility; Luis Moscoso, All Aboard Washington; Michael Mann, Clean and Prosperous Washington; Enid Joffe, Electric Vehicle Charging Solutions; Thomas Lawson, Ford; Mike Ennis, Association of Washington Business; and Chris Herman, Washington Public Ports Association.
Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.