House Passes Transportation Goals Bill

Substitute Senate Bill 5412 amends the statutory policy goals for the Washington Department of Transportation. The bill sets 5 new major goals for DOT, including:

• Preservation: to maintain, preserve, and extend the life and utility of prior investments in transportation systems and services;
• Safety: to provide for and improve the safety and security of transportation customers and the transportation system;
• Mobility: to improve the predictable movement of goods and people throughout Washington;
• Environment: to enhance Washington's quality of life through transportation investments that promote energy conservation, enhance healthy communities, and protect the environment; and
• Stewardship: to continuously improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of the transportation system.

The bill as amended by the House expands upon these goals by including an additional section (section 6) that balances the needs of all transportation users including those using cars, bicycles and public transportation.

AIA/WA worked with the House Transportation Committee to also include a provision requiring the DOT to “Select engineers and architects to design environmentally sustainable, context-sensitive transportation systems that are integrated into the communities they serve.”

The bill now goes back to the Senate for concurrence with the House amendments.