Catch up to speed with these key transportation bills traveling through the Senate

Throughout this session, AWC has tracked several transportation bills with impacts for cities that have now passed from the House chamber into the Senate. We provide a roundup of those bills here.

Transportation impact fee revenue

SB 5452, from Sen. Sharon Shewmake (D–Bellingham), authorizes cities to use transportation impact fees on bicycle and pedestrian facilities not within road right-of-way. The bill aims to provide increased flexibility, so that cities have the funding and facilities necessary for the continued growth and success of alternative commuting options. We last wrote about the proposal here.

AWC supports the bill. We encourage cities to consider testifying and to contact your legislators this week, while the bill is in committee, to express your support for this expanded use of city revenue.

SB 5452 is scheduled for a public hearing in the Hose Local Government Committee on Tuesday, March 14 at 10:30 am. It is then scheduled for executive session in the same committee on Friday, March 17 at 10:30 am.

Contact your legislators this week, while the bill is in committee, to express your support for this expanded use of city revenue.

Transportation revenue forecast

A new bipartisan bill from the chairs of the House Transportation Committee, Reps. Jake Fey (D–Tacoma) and Andrew Barkis (R–Olympia), transfers the responsibilities for the transportation revenue forecast for the transportation budget to the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council (ERFC).

HB 1838 requires ERFC to prepare and approve the transportation revenue forecast beginning with the September 2024 forecast. Legislators from the Transportation Committee and the Director of the Department of Licensing are added as Council members that would sit with the ERFC when the Council is considering and approving the transportation revenue forecast.

The bill also directs that the ERFC chair, when conducting transportation business, be selected from among the four Transportation Committee legislators and that the transportation forecast be a six-year forecast.

Further amendments were adopted in committee and on the House floor that change the makeup of the Council when it considers the forecast for the state’s operating budget.

HB 1838 passed off the House floor on a unanimous vote and currently awaits a reading in the Senate.

Freight mobility

HB 1084 makes several changes to the state’s Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board (FMSIB). The bill, introduced by Rep. Jake Fey (D–Tacoma), removes the Board’s authority related to the selection and finance of freight projects, instead directing the Board to identify a six-year program of the highest priority freight mobility investments for the state and identify critical emerging freight issues. The bill also moves the Board’s focus towards impacts of freight transportation on overburdened communities. AWC worked with Rep. Fey to address key issues earlier in the session. You can find our initial summaries of the bill’s many proposed changes to the Board here and here.

AWC supports the bill as amended.

HB 1084 received a unanimous vote of approval on the House floor and will next be heard in the Senate Transportation Committee.

Deterring bridge jumping

Known as “Zach’s Law,” HB 1004 encourages cities, towns, and counties to erect informational signs on new and existing bridges providing location-specific information about the hazards of jumping. The bill, introduced by Rep. Peter Abbarno (R – Centralia), intends for the signs to be more than just "no jumping" signs so that people can better understand the hazards related to a particular location.

AWC supports this bill and wrote more about it here.

HB 1004 also received a unanimous vote of approval on the House floor; it’s next stop is the Senate Transportation Committee.