The Move Ahead Washington transportation package (SB 5974) continues full steam ahead, passing the Senate floor on February 15, on a partisan
vote. While the bill largely remains unchanged, a few key amendments were adopted in the Senate Transportation Committee and on the floor.
Amendments of note to cities are as follows:
- Delays the implementation of the 6-cent export fuel tax by six months (to begin on June 30, 2023);
- Eliminates telephone services from the city utility tax option;
- Exempts city attorneys from paying the driver’s abstract fee when using the document in criminal proceedings;
- Clarifies that $500 million of state preservation and maintenance funds must be used to enhance stormwater runoff treatment from existing roads and infrastructure;
- Creates a new railroad crossing grant program within the Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board (FIMSB); and
- Establishes the Rural Roadway Departure Program within WSDOT.
Additionally, of the $3 billion allocated to WSDOT for state highway preservation projects, $80 million has now been identified for main street preservation. This comes in response to AWC’s strong advocacy in arguing that state highways that also
function as main streets should be prioritized in WSDOT’s preservation and maintenance cycles and that this would cost the state no additional funding. We would like to thank the bill sponsors for recognizing main street preservation as a priority
and we request that additional guardrails be added to ensure the priority. Lastly, we are still advocating for local investments in preservation and maintenance, including for the Transportation Improvement Board (TIB).
The transportation package’s companion bill (HB 2119) was heard in the House Transportation committee on Thursday, February 17.
As with SB 5974, AWC testified in support but requested that local preservation and maintenance funding be provided directly to cities, along with more investments in TIB.
Dates to remember
HB 2119 is scheduled for executive session in the House Committee on Transportation on February 22 at 3:30 pm.