Transportation & Infrastructure

Transportation Budgets

The House just passed SSB 6241, the transportation budget. In striking SSB 6241 with their own proposed budget, it is fundamentally similar to the Senate version (please see the February 17 Bulletin for highlights). However, there are a few key differences:

• Financing: The House included HB 3315, which would bond $50 million to address existing safety projects (i.e. rock slides) and provided $100 million to proactively address identified safety concerns. This bond approach allowed several fund shifts and "different colors of state and federal funds" to balance their budget. The bond bill would require a 60% vote in both the House and Senate. The Senate has expressed reluctance to take a bond vote. If the Senate prevails, we can expect late hours by budget staff to reconcile the two budgets.
• The use of Federal funds. As noted in the Bulletin two weeks ago, the Senate redirected and appropriated federal funds to the Transportation Improvement Board. This caused significant alarm by Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs). The House took a different approach. They appropriated federal "flexible" funds (essentially new federal dollars) on local projects, directed the Department of Transportation to provide more transparent accounting of how federal funds are spent, and required MPOs to prioritize their funds on high priority investments.

Regional Transportation (ESHB 2871)

The Senate has replaced ESHB 2871 with their own brand of regional transportation. The bill passed the Senate 36-10 and now we can expect the conference committee process to begin. In terms of policy differences between the House and the Senate, they remain the same. The Transportation Benefit District portions remain in the bill. If the bill does pass, then jurisdictions within King, Pierce, and Snohomish County would now enjoy this authority (The other 36 counties already have this authority). It also repeals the requirement that funds generated are to be proportionately used for Highways of Statewide Significance (60% minimum) and 40% maximum for local purposes.

Revising Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) Provisions (ESHB 3089/ESSB 6566)

The House just passed ESSB 6566 on a 98-0 vote. In addition, both the Senate and House Transportation budget bills (SSB 6241) include $4.65 million in additional funds for CTR. The policy differences between the bills are primarily technical and should be able to be resolved before session ends. These bills would revise the CTR provisions to include the following:

• Modify the scope of the CTR Program to focus on urban growth areas with the most congested state highways.
• Create a new CTR Board with expanded duties.
• Allow local jurisdictions to create growth and transportation efficiency centers to obtain funding and flexibility in implementing programs.
• Expand the role of the Department of Transportation and regional transportation planning organizations in CTR planning.

Of note, the Senate budget bill included $300,000 for the Whatcom Council of Governments to develop a Transportation Demand Management program while the House version did not.

Modifying Transportation Accounts and Revenue Distributions (ESSB 6839)

This bill just passed the House 92-6 and has been delivered to the Senate for concurrence, refusal, or for conference committee. The only controversial House amendment centers around the re-instatement of $4 million to perform a WSDOT performance audit. The Senate version had reduced the $4 million to $2 million to reflect the enactment of I-900. The following are key elements of this bill:

• Eliminates the requirement for Projects in Puget Sound to reprioritize projects if RTID does not have an adopted plan by January 2007.
• Directs new funding for ferry operations purposes.
• Provides certainty for $7 million of the Transportation Improvement Board’s funding for each biennium. This includes $2 million for the Small City Paving Program.
• Provides certainty for $3 million of the County Road Administration Board’s funding for each biennium.
• Clarifies the use of freight mobility funding and allows freight projects to proceed.
• Includes the $4 million audit proviso from last year’s transportation package in the House striker; the Substitute Senate Bill is at $2 million.

Harmonizing and Updating the Urban Arterial Program (SB 6162)

This bill proposes three changes to the Transportation Improvement Board (TIB):

• The names of several programs are changed to better align with funding sources and program delivery;
• The number of TIB members is reduced from 21 to 20 by eliminating one of the public transit system appointments. The Executive Director of CRAB is also removed from the TIB Board and replaced by a county engineer or public works director from a county with a population of less than 125,000; and
• The Governor makes TIB appointments instead of the Secretary of the Department of Transportation.

This bill is still in House Rules.

Regulating Train Speed (ESSB 6679)

This bill proposes that before increasing operating speeds, a railroad operator must provide 60 days written notice to the Utilities and Transportation Commission and the applicable local government or road authority. This bill has passed the House on a 98-0 vote.

Public Works

Authorizing Project Loans Recommended by the Public Works Board (SHB 2337 and HB 2544)

These bills combined authorize the fifty-one Public Works Board projects. HB 2544 passed the Senate on a 45-0 vote. SHB 2337 is still in Senate Rules.

Authorizing a Contract Extension for Reimbursement by Property Owners for Street, Road, and Water Sewer Projects (ESHB 3192)

This bill will allow for an extension of the current 15 year period if a moratorium, phasing ordinance, or concurrency designation or other governmental action that restricts new developments from being applied for within the benefit area is implemented. The bill now includes notice requirements and the ability for local jurisdictions to collect fees. The bill passed the Senate on a 45-0 vote.

Providing Additional Funding to the Prevailing Wage Program (SSB 5236)

This bill provides for additional funding to the Department of Labor and Industries’ prevailing wage program by discontinuing the transfer of moneys from the public works administration account to the state general fund. AWC supports this legislation to ensure that L&I has adequate resources to conduct sound prevailing wage surveys. The bill passed the House on a 96-1 vote.

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