The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

(1) “Board” means the governing body of a regional transportation investment district.

(2) “Department” means the Washington state department of transportation.

(3) “Highway of statewide significance” means an existing or proposed state route or federal interstate designated as a highway of statewide significance by the transportation commission, the department, or the legislature.

(4) “Lead agency” means a public agency that by law can plan, design, and build a transportation project and has been so designated by the district.

(5) “Regional transportation investment district” or “district” means a municipal corporation that has been created by county legislative authorities and a vote of the people under this chapter to implement a regional transportation investment plan.

(6) “Regional transportation investment district planning committee” or “planning committee” means the advisory committee created under RCW 36.120.030 to create and propose to county legislative authorities a regional transportation investment plan to develop, finance, and construct transportation projects.

(7) “Regional transportation investment plan” or “plan” means a plan to develop, construct, and finance a transportation project or projects.

(8) “Transportation project” means:

(a) A capital improvement or improvements to a highway that has been designated, in whole or in part, as a highway of statewide significance, including an extension, that:

(i) Adds a lane or new lanes to an existing state or federal highway; or

(ii) Repairs or replaces a lane or lanes damaged by an event declared an emergency by the governor before January 1, 2002.

(b) A capital improvement or improvements to all or a portion of a highway of statewide significance, including an extension, and may include the following associated multimodal capital improvements:

(i) Approaches to highways of statewide significance;

(ii) High occupancy vehicle lanes;

(iii) Flyover ramps;

(iv) Park and ride lots;

(v) Bus pullouts;

(vi) Vans for vanpools;

(vii) Buses; and

(viii) Signalization, ramp metering, and other transportation system management improvements.

(c) A capital improvement or improvements to all or a portion of a city street, county road, or existing highway or the creation of a new highway that intersects with a highway of statewide significance, if all of the following conditions are met:

(i) The project is included in a plan that makes highway improvement projects that add capacity to a highway or highways of statewide significance;

(ii) The secretary of transportation determines that the project would better relieve traffic congestion than investing that same money in adding capacity to a highway of statewide significance;

(iii) Matching money equal to fifteen percent of the total cost of the project is provided by local entities, including but not limited to a metropolitan planning organization, county, city, port, or private entity in which a county participating in a plan is located. Local entities may use federal grants to meet this matching requirement;

(iv) In no case may the cumulative regional transportation investment district contribution to all projects constructed under this subsection (8)(c) exceed ten percent of the revenues generated by the district;

(v) In no case may the cumulative regional transportation investment district contribution to all projects constructed under this subsection (8)(c) exceed one billion dollars; and

(vi) The specific projects are included within the plan and submitted as part of the plan to a vote of the people.

(d) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, operations, preservation, and maintenance are excluded from this definition and may not be included in a regional transportation investment plan. However, operations, preservation, and maintenance of tolled facilities where toll revenues have been pledged for the payment of contracts is expressly authorized and may be included in a regional transportation investment plan. The authority under this subsection includes operational expenses for toll enforcement.

(e) Operational expenses for traffic mitigation provided solely for transportation project construction mitigation directly related to specific projects as outlined in the plan shall be included in a regional transportation investment plan. Construction mitigation strategies may include, but are not limited to, funding for increased transit service hours, trip reduction incentives, nonmotorized mode support, and ridematching services. Prior to construction of any project, corridor mitigation plans must be developed in conjunction with the department and partner transit agencies, including local transit agencies and the regional transit authority serving the counties, with the following goals: (i) Reducing drive alone trips in affected corridors; (ii) reducing delay per person and delay per unit of goods in affected corridors; and (iii) improving levels of service that improve system performance for all transportation users in affected corridors. The regional transportation commission established under section 2, chapter 311, Laws of 2006, or a successor regional governing entity, shall review transit investments according to these performance measures to determine whether to continue funding for successful and effective operations after the construction period is completed.

(9) “Weighted vote” means a vote that reflects the population each board or planning committee member represents relative to the population represented by the total membership of the board or planning committee. Population will be determined using the federal 2000 census or subsequent federal census data.

Reviser’s note: This section was amended by 2006 c 311 § 4 and by 2006 c 334 § 13, each without reference to the other. Both amendments are incorporated in the publication of this section under RCW 1.12.025(2). For rule of construction, see RCW 1.12.025(1).

Effective date—2006 c 334: See note following RCW 47.01.051.

Findings—2006 c 311: “The legislature finds that effective transportation planning in urbanized regions requires stronger and clearer lines of responsibility and accountability.

The legislature further finds that integrated, multimodal transportation planning will help reduce transportation congestion and improve safety, and that streamlined decision making will help reduce political congestion.

The legislature further finds that coordinated planning of, investment in, and operation of transportation systems will have significant benefit to the citizens of Washington, and that it is the will of the people to fund regional transportation solutions, including improving transit service in urbanized areas and among existing, fragmented transit agencies in the region. Although equity considerations must be respected, transportation problems are broader and deeper than the sum of geographic subareas.

It is therefore the policy of the state of Washington to create a regional transportation commission to develop a proposal for a regional transportation governing entity more directly accountable to the public, and to develop a comprehensive regional transportation finance plan for the citizens of the Puget Sound metropolitan region.” [ 2006 c 311 § 1.]