SB 5581, from Sen. Sharon Shewmake (D–Bellingham), expands the state’s active transportation and Complete Streets policies with impacts to cities and towns.

The bill incorporates “shared use paths,” in the state’s requirements for active transportation planning. The state and local governments must plan for and accommodate shared use paths in the same way they currently do for trails.

A shared use path is a “facility designed for active transportation use and physically separated from motorized vehicular traffic within the highway right-of-way or on an exclusive right-of-way with minimal crossflow by motor vehicles.”

The bill removes consideration of cost as compared to need or probable use from the required considerations agencies must make before building such paths. It also gives WSDOT authority to expend reasonable amounts received from statewide fuel tax collections for planning, construction, and operation of active transportation facilities.

SHB 5581 also removes references to “circular intersection” and introduces a definition for “roundabout,” to apply to the state transportation system and general rules of the road:

“an intersection of two or more joining highways characterized by a one-way traffic pattern that travels counterclockwise around a central island, and in which traffic entering the intersection must yield to circulating traffic within the intersection as indicated by official traffic control devices.”

A roundabout is considered a single intersection of all joining roadways.

The legislation also addresses complete streets law, specifying that:

• The state Dept. of Transportation (WSDOT) must consult with local governments to confirm existing or planned active transportation facilities on local routes that provide access to the same destinations as the state route.
• Identify existing or planned active transportation facilities on publicly owned or tribally owned property.
  • If WSDOT determines that a facility provides equal or better access to a destination, it may identify such facility as an appropriate active transportation network connection providing mitigation in lieu of fulfilling Complete Streets requirements, subject to a cooperative agreement with the local jurisdiction or tribe and if certain conditions (specified in the bill) are met.
• WSDOT may use Complete Streets project funds to participate in local or tribal system projects and construct necessary wayfinding connections from the state highway to the local or tribal facility.
• WSDOT may implement and require compliance with Complete Streets policy for Safe Routes to School Program, Sandy Williams Connecting Communities Program, and Bike and Pedestrian Grant Program recipients when there are changes on state rights-of-way.

Given the wide scope of the legislation, AWC is working to understand its implications and impacts on cities. Please contact AWC staff to share your comments and concerns.

Date to remember

SB 5581 is scheduled for a public hearing in the Senate Transportation Committee on Monday, February 10 at 4 pm.