Transp. improvement board

AN ACT Relating to the transportation improvement board; amending 1
RCW 47.26.084, 47.26.086, 47.26.121, 47.26.140, 47.26.420, and 2
47.26.500; repealing RCW 47.26.170 and 47.26.300; and declaring an 3
emergency. 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:5
Sec. 1. RCW 47.26.084 and 2011 c 120 s 6 are each amended to 6
read as follows: 7
(1) The transportation improvement account is hereby created in 8
the motor vehicle fund. The intent of the program is to:9
(a) Improve mobility of people and goods in Washington state by 10
supporting economic development and environmentally responsive 11
solutions to our statewide transportation system needs;12
(b) Improve the arterial street system of the state by improving 13
mobility and safety while supporting an environment essential to the 14
quality of life of the citizens of the state; and 15
(c) Maintain, preserve, and extend the life and utility of prior 16
investments in transportation systems and services.17
(2) ((The small city program, as provided for in RCW 47.26.115, 18
is implemented within the transportation improvement account.19
(3))) Within one year after board approval of an application for 20
funding, a county, city, or transportation benefit district shall 21
H-1093.1
HOUSE BILL 1823
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representative Low
Read first time 02/04/25. Referred to Committee on Transportation.
p. 1 HB 1823
provide written certification to the board of the pledged local 1
and/or private funding. Funds allocated to an applicant that does not 2
certify its funding within one year after approval may be reallocated 3
by the board. 4
Sec. 2. RCW 47.26.086 and 2011 c 120 s 7 are each amended to 5
read as follows: 6
Transportation improvement account projects selected for funding 7
programs after fiscal year 1995 are governed by the requirements of 8
this section. 9
The board shall allocate funds from the account by June 30th of 10
each year for the ensuing fiscal year to urban counties, cities 11
((with a population of five thousand and over )), and to 12
transportation benefit districts. Projects may include, but are not 13
limited to, multiagency projects and arterial improvement projects in 14
fast-growing areas. The board shall endeavor to provide geographical 15
diversity in selecting improvement projects to be funded from the 16
account. 17
To be eligible to receive these funds, a project must be 18
consistent with the Growth Management Act, the Clean Air Act 19
including conformity, and the Commute Trip Reduction Law and 20
consideration must have been given to the project's relationship, 21
both actual and potential, with the statewide rail passenger program 22
and rapid mass transit. Projects must be consistent with any adopted 23
high capacity transportation plan, must consider existing or 24
reasonably foreseeable congestion levels attributable to economic 25
development or growth and all modes of transportation and safety, and 26
must be partially funded by local government or private 27
contributions, or a combination of such contributions. Priority 28
consideration shall be given to those projects with the greatest 29
percentage of local or private contribution, or both.30
Within one year after board approval of an application for 31
funding, the lead agency shall provide written certification to the 32
board of the pledged local and private funding for the phase of the 33
project approved. Funds allocated to an applicant that does not 34
certify its funding within one year after approval may be reallocated 35
by the board. 36
Sec. 3. RCW 47.26.121 and 1996 c 49 s 1 are each amended to read 37
as follows: 38
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(1) There is hereby created a transportation improvement board of 1
((twenty-one)) 21 members, six of whom shall be county members and 2
six of whom shall be city members. The remaining members shall be: 3
(a) One representative appointed by the governor who shall be a state 4
employee with responsibility for transportation policy, planning, or 5
funding; (b) two representatives from the department of 6
transportation; (c) two representatives of public transit systems; 7
(d) a private sector representative; (e) a member representing the 8
ports; (f) a member representing ((nonmotorized)) active 9
transportation; and (g) a member representing special needs 10
transportation. 11
(2) Of the county members of the board, one shall be a county 12
engineer or public works director; one shall be the executive 13
director of the county road administration board; one shall be a 14
county planning director or planning manager; one shall be a county 15
executive, councilmember, or commissioner from a county with a 16
population of ((one hundred twenty-five thousand )) 125,000 or more; 17
one shall be a county executive, councilmember, or commissioner of a 18
county who serves on the board of a public transit system; and one 19
shall be a county executive, councilmember, or commissioner from a 20
county with a population of less than ((one hundred twenty-five 21
thousand)) 125,000. All county members of the board, except the 22
executive director of the county road administration board, shall be 23
appointed. Not more than one county member of the board shall be from 24
any one county. No more than two of the three county elected 25
officials may represent counties located in either the eastern or 26
western part of the state as divided north and south by the summit of 27
the Cascade mountains. 28
(3) Of the city members of the board one shall be a chief city 29
engineer, public works director, or other city employee with 30
responsibility for public works activities, of a city with a 31
population of ((twenty thousand )) 20,000 or more; one shall be a 32
chief city engineer, public works director, or other city employee 33
with responsibility for public works activities, of a city of less 34
than ((twenty thousand )) 20,000 population; one shall be a city 35
planning director or planning manager; one shall be a mayor, 36
commissioner, or city councilmember of a city with a population of 37
((twenty thousand )) 20,000 or more; one shall be a mayor, 38
commissioner, or city councilmember of a city who serves on the board 39
of a public transit system; and one shall be a mayor, commissioner, 40
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or councilmember of a city of less than ((twenty thousand )) 20,000 1
population. All of the city members shall be appointed. Not more than 2
one city member of the board shall be from any one city. No more than 3
two of the three city-elected officials may represent cities located 4
in either the eastern or western part of the state as divided north 5
and south by the summit of the Cascade mountains. 6
(4) Of the transit members, at least one shall be a general 7
manager, executive director, or transit director of a public transit 8
system in an urban area with a population over ((two hundred 9
thousand)) 200,000 and at least one representative from a rural or 10
small urban transit system in an area with a population less than 11
((two hundred thousand)) 200,000. 12
(5) The private sector member shall be a citizen with business, 13
management, and transportation related experience and shall be active 14
in a business community-based transportation organization.15
(6) The port member shall be a commissioner or senior staff 16
person of a public port. 17
(7) The ((nonmotorized)) active transportation member shall be a 18
citizen with a demonstrated interest and involvement with ((a 19
nonmotorized)) an active transportation group. 20
(8) The specialized transportation member shall be a citizen with 21
a demonstrated interest and involvement with a statewide specialized 22
needs transportation group. 23
(9) Appointments of county, city, Washington department of 24
transportation, transit, port, ((nonmotorized)) active 25
transportation, special needs transportation, and private sector 26
representatives shall be made by the secretary of the department of 27
transportation. Appointees shall be chosen from a list of two persons 28
for each position nominated by the Washington state association of 29
counties for county members, the association of Washington cities for 30
city members, the Washington state transit association for the 31
transit members, and the Washington public ports association for the 32
port member. The private sector, ((nonmotorized)) active 33
transportation, and special needs members shall be sought through 34
classified advertisements in selected newspapers collectively serving 35
all urban areas of the state, and other appropriate means. Persons 36
applying for the private sector, ((nonmotorized)) active 37
transportation, or special needs transportation member position must 38
provide a letter of interest and a resume to the secretary of the 39
department of transportation. In the case of a vacancy, the 40
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appointment shall be only for the remainder of the unexpired term in 1
which the vacancy has occurred. A vacancy shall be deemed to have 2
occurred on the board when any member elected to public office 3
completes that term of office or is removed therefrom for any reason 4
or when any member employed by a political subdivision terminates 5
such employment for whatsoever reason or when a private sector, 6
((nonmotorized)) active transportation, or special needs 7
transportation member resigns or is unable or unwilling to serve.8
(10) Appointments shall be for terms of four years. Terms of all 9
appointed members shall expire on June 30th of even-numbered years. 10
The initial term of appointed members may be for less than four 11
years. No appointed member may serve more than two consecutive four-12
year terms. 13
(11) The board shall elect a chair from among its members for a 14
two-year term. 15
(12) Expenses of the board shall be paid in accordance with RCW 16
47.26.140. 17
(13) For purposes of this section((, "public)):18
(a) "Active transportation" means forms of pedestrian mobility 19
including walking or running, the use of a mobility assistive device 20
such as a wheelchair, bicycling, and cycling irrespective of the 21
number of wheels, and the use of small personal devices such as foot 22
scooters or skateboards. "Active transportation" includes both 23
traditional and electric-assisted bicycles and other devices.24
(b) "Public transit system" means a city-owned transit system, 25
county transportation authority, metropolitan municipal corporation, 26
public transportation benefit area, or regional transit authority.27
Sec. 4. RCW 47.26.140 and 2011 c 120 s 9 are each amended to 28
read as follows: 29
The transportation improvement board shall appoint an executive 30
director, who shall serve at its pleasure and whose salary shall be 31
set by the board, and may employ additional staff as it deems 32
appropriate. All costs associated with staff, together with travel 33
expenses in accordance with RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060, shall be 34
paid from the ((public transportation systems account and the )) 35
transportation improvement account in the motor vehicle fund as 36
determined by the biennial appropriation. 37
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Sec. 5. RCW 47.26.420 and 2007 c 519 s 6 are each amended to 1
read as follows: 2
In order to provide funds necessary to meet the urgent 3
construction needs on county and city arterials within urban areas, 4
there are hereby authorized for issuance general obligation bonds of 5
the state of Washington, the first authorization of which shall be in 6
the sum of ((two hundred fifty million dollars )) $250,000,000, and 7
the second authorization of which, to be known as series II bonds, 8
shall be in the sum of ((sixty million dollars)) $60,000,000, and the 9
third authorization of which, to be known as series III bonds, shall 10
be in the sum of ((one hundred million dollars )) $100,000,000, which 11
shall be issued and sold in such amounts and at such times as 12
determined to be necessary by the transportation improvement board. 13
The amount of such bonds issued and sold under the provisions of RCW 14
47.26.420 through 47.26.427 in any biennium shall not exceed the 15
amount of a specific appropriation therefor, from the proceeds of 16
such bonds, for the construction of county and city arterials in 17
urban areas. The issuance, sale, and retirement of said bonds shall 18
be under the supervision and control of the state finance committee 19
which, upon request being made by the transportation improvement 20
board, shall provide for the issuance, sale, and retirement of coupon 21
or registered bonds to be dated, issued, and sold from time to time 22
in such amounts as shall be requested by the transportation 23
improvement board. If any bonds authorized in this chapter have not 24
been issued by June 30, 2025, the authority of the state finance 25
committee to issue such remaining unissued bonds expires June 30, 26
2025.27
Sec. 6. RCW 47.26.500 and 2000 2nd sp.s. c 6 s 1 are each 28
amended to read as follows: 29
In order to provide funds necessary to meet the urgent 30
construction needs on state, county, and city transportation 31
projects, there are hereby authorized for issuance general obligation 32
bonds of the state of Washington in the sum of ((one hundred million 33
dollars)) $100,000,000, which shall be issued and sold in such 34
amounts and at such times as determined to be necessary by the state 35
transportation improvement board. The amount of such bonds issued and 36
sold under the provisions of RCW 47.26.500 through 47.26.507 in any 37
biennium shall not exceed the amount of a specific appropriation 38
therefor, from the proceeds of such bonds, for the construction of 39
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state, county, and city transportation projects. The issuance, sale, 1
and retirement of the bonds shall be under the supervision and 2
control of the state finance committee which, upon request being made 3
by the board, shall provide for the issuance, sale, and retirement of 4
coupon or registered bonds to be dated, issued, and sold from time to 5
time in such amounts as shall be requested by the board. If any bonds 6
authorized in this chapter have not been issued by June 30, 2025, the 7
authority of the state finance committee to issue such remaining 8
unissued bonds expires June 30, 2025.9
NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. The following acts or parts of acts are 10
each repealed:11
(1) RCW 47.26.170 (Long-range arterial construction planning — 12
Arterial inventory data) and 2005 c 319 s 131, 1994 c 179 s 16, 1988 13
c 167 s 19, 1984 c 7 s 156, 1971 ex.s. c 291 s 2, & 1967 ex.s. c 83 s 14
23; and 15
(2) RCW 47.26.300 (Bicycle routes — Legislative declaration) and 16
1974 ex.s. c 141 s 1. 17
NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. This act is necessary for the immediate 18
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of 19
the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes 20
effect immediately.21
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