The Legislature passed the 2019-21 transportation budget, HB 1160, over the weekend. The budget provides funding for several city-related studies. The budget also fully funds the Transportation Improvement Board and the Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board. The budget now heads to the Governor’s desk for signature. Below are details on some of the city-related studies.
City Gas Tax Funded Culvert study: $350,000 is provided solely for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to work with AWC to inventory and assess fish passage barriers associated with city roads located in the U.S. v. Washington case area. The study is a continuation of previous inventories, and priority must be given to the assessment of sites that have not yet been inventoried. The initial goal of the study is to finalize the inventory of all city-owned fish passage barriers within the case area. A report of the study must be provided to the office of financial management and the transportation committees of the Legislature by July 1, 2020.
Joint Transportation Committee studies: $450,000 is provided for a study on the electrification of public fleets. The study must include:
- An inventory of existing public fleets for state agencies, counties, a sampling of cities, and public transit agencies.
- A review of currently available battery and fuel cell electric vehicle alternatives to the vehicle types most commonly used by the state, counties, cities, and public transit agencies.
- The projected costs of achieving substantial conversion to battery and/or fuel cell electric fleets by 2025, 2030, and 2035 for the state, counties, cities, and public transit agencies.
The bill also provides $450,000 for a comprehensive assessment of statewide transportation needs and priorities. The study will review existing and potential transportation funding mechanisms to address those needs and priorities. The assessment must include:
- Recommendations on critical state and local transportation projects, programs, and services needed to achieve an efficient, effective, statewide transportation system over the next ten years.
- A comprehensive menu of funding options for the Legislature to consider for identified transportation system investments.
- An analysis of the economic impacts of a range of future transportation investments.