WSTA Week in Review March 14, 2014

WSTA Week in Review
March 14, 2014
2014 SESSION REPORT – FINAL REPORT (Geri Beardsley, WSTA Executive Director)
Session ended yesterday. The 2013-15 Supplemental Transportation Budget, ESSB 6001, passed
and had been delivered to the Governor for signature. Remember that the Governor can veto
sections of the budget, so we won’t have the final, final, until we see the signed version.
For public transportation, the biggest news is that most funding and programs were left intact,
some language was fixed, a small amount of funding was added which was key to the CTR program
and WSDOT staffing, and the CTR tax credit program was extended through 2015. Here is a quick
summary of the key provisions/changes from the current law budget – for transit:
Section 208 (18)
• Proviso requiring Department of Licensing to establish a work group of stakeholders
to review an annual license fee in lieu of fuel tax for CNG and LNG
Section 220
• Total funding for WSDOT Public Transportation Division is $111,630,000 (most
funding for programs stays the same unless noted below)
•
JBLM vanpool proviso fixed
•
RMGP reappropriations included, no substantive change to RMGP proviso
•
CTR funding increased for STAR pass program and staff
•
Federal funding included for KCM I-90 P&R study
•
$300k in state funding for WSDOT staffing for Regional and Rural Mobility programs
included
Sections 306(8) and 602
• Provisos related to funding for AWV mitigation
Section 407
• Operating funds from Treasurer included ($13/m/yr through June 30, 2015)
Sections 704-7
• CTR tax credit extended through June 30, 2015
You can see the transportation budget that passed the legislature at this link. The transportation
project list is at this link. (See pages 30-1 for the Regional Mobility Program Project List.) And,
eventually, the final document and related lists will be posted at this link.
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Very little legislation passed. For public transportation, here are some of the key bills that passed:

ESHB 2111, regarding enforcement for fare infractions on Sound Transit

HB 2208, regarding alternative public works for heavy construction projects

SHB 2318, regarding contractor liability for non-profit NEMT brokers

ESSHB 2569, creating a diesel idle reduction account for loans for the purpose of reducing
exposure to diesel emissions and investing in diesel idle emission reduction technologies
and infrastructure

ESSB 6440, related to taxes and fees for CNG and LNG used for transportation purposes
As predicted, there was no action on a statewide transportation package this session. We may not
see discussions resume until after elections in November.
Here are links to some of the press about the budget and the transportation package:

Inslee raps Legislature for no transportation package. Spokesman-Review
http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/spincontrol/2014/mar/14/inslee-raps-legislature-notransportation-package/

Gavel comes down on the 2014 legislative session. Everett Herald
http://heraldnet.com/article/20140314/BLOG13/140319540/Gavel-comes-down-on-the2014-legislative-session

Legislative session ends with major issues unresolved. Yakima Herald-Republic
http://www.yakimaherald.com/news/lateststatenews/2012780-8/legislative-session-endswith-major-issues-unresolved

Transportation package failure could cost state more than 11.5 cents per gallon.
MyNorthwest
http://mynorthwest.com/11/2474553/Transportation-package-failure-could-cost-statemore-than-115-cents-per-gallon

Washington State Transportation Package Dies in Legislature. Spokesman-Review
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2014/mar/13/washington-transportation-packagedies-in/
OTHER UPDATES AND INFORMATION
From APTA’s Passenger Transport Express
APTA Members Advocate for Public Transit at Conference
More than 675 industry professionals came to Washington, DC, to participate in educational
sessions regarding the state of public transportation legislation and to hear from members of
Congress as part of the 39th Annual APTA Legislative Conference, March 9-11. Among the speakers
were DOT Secretary Anthony Foxx, FRA Administrator Joseph Szabo, FTA Deputy Administrator
Therese McMillan, House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chair Bill Shuster (R-PA),
Highways & Transit Subcommittee Ranking Member Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), and Rep. Earl
Blumenauer (D-OR). Several of the sessions were covered by C-SPAN, including DOT Secretary
Anthony Foxx.
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Record 10.7 Billion Trips Taken on Public Transportation
Also at the Legislative Conference, APTA Chair Peter Varga and President & CEO Michael Melaniphy
announced that Americans took 10.7 billion trips on public transportation in 2013, 115 million more
than in the previous year. It the highest annual ridership number since 1956. More than 1600 media
outlets reported on the latest ridership figures.
Ridership increased across all modes: heavy rail by 2.8 percent; commuter rail, 2.1 percent; light
rail, 1.6 percent; bus in cities with a population below 100,000, 3.8 percent; and demand response
(paratransit), 0.5 percent
U.S. Transportation Trends Demand New Funding Solutions
Public transportation investment strategies will need to transform if trends toward increased
multifamily housing, declines in driving, and increasing public transportation usage continue over
the long run, Fitch Ratings says.
FTA Region 10 Bulletins
Here are a few important FTA Region 10 Bulletins. To see all FTA Region 10 bulletins, go to this link.

Region 10 Bulletin No: 2014-20 - Extension of Low/No Emission RFP Deadline

Region 10 Bulletin No: 2014-18 - Triennial Review Workshops
WSDOT Asks for Your Help Reviewing Public Transportation Grant Programs
Washington State Department of Transportation’s (WSDOT) Public Transportation Division is asking
for volunteers for the Grants Policy Advisory Committee (GPAC). To keep things simple, I am just
inserting the WSDOT email into this Week in Review Newsletter.
From: Warner, Ryan [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2014 2:27 PM
Subject: Recruiting Members for Grants Program Advisory Committee (GPAC)
The Washington State Department of Transportation’s (WSDOT) public transportation grant
programs are required by law to be periodically reviewed. One way we do this is through the Grants
Policy Advisory Committee (GPAC). WSDOT is in need of volunteers and topics for the GPAC.
WSDOT project managers are sending this notice to all of our current grantee representatives, and I’d
like to ask you to share it with any other public, private or tribal stakeholders who may like to be
involved.
Brief history of GPAC
RCW 47.66.080 requires WSDOT to examine our public transportation grant programs. The law
states, “the department shall examine the division’s existing grant programs, and the methods used to
allocate grant funds, to determine the program’s effectiveness, and whether the methods used to
allocate funds result in an equitable distribution of the grants. The department shall submit a report of
the findings to the transportation committee of the legislature.”
Since WSDOT’s public transportation grant programs operates on a biennial schedule, it is
appropriate for this review to be completed before the solicitation of the 2015-17 grants occurs this
autumn.
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2014 GPAC
The 2014 GPAC will consist of a variety of representatives from across the state. These
representatives may include urban and rural transits; non-profit organizations; metropolitan and
regional planning organizations; social service providers; for profit organizations; local governments;
tribal governments; riders; and brokers.
The meetings will be scheduled through April and May, approximately one 2-hour meeting per week.
We are anticipating a number of topic-specific meetings will take place during this time and not all
volunteers will be expected to call in to all meetings, depending on whether the topic of the day is
germane to each volunteer’s experience and interest. All meetings will be conducted electronically
using web conferencing. However, if there is the need to attend in person, WSDOT will not be able to
provide reimbursement for travel to participate in these meetings due to current budget constraints.
How can you help?
You can help by telling us what your topics of interest are and/or participating in the GPAC.
1. Tell us your what your topics of interest are. These topics should be related to the existing grant
programs (Rural, Special Needs, Regional Mobility, Vanpool) and can be about policies and
procedures regarding these programs. Topics can be about any step in the grant planning, application,
or contracting process. Please email your topics of interest to Ryan Warner at
[email protected] by March 21st.
2. Volunteer to be on the GPAC. This is your opportunity to provide us feedback on our grant
programs. If you would like to volunteer on the GPAC please email Ryan Warner at
[email protected] by March 21st. Once all the emails are received, we will be contacting
volunteers to serve on the GPAC that represent a diverse range of size and type of organization as
well as geographic location.
Questions? If you have any questions, please contact me at 360-705-6918 or
[email protected]. Thank you for your help and we look forward to hearing from you.
Ryan Warner, Statewide ADA Coordinator, Public Transportation Office
IN THE NEWS
Groups Advocate More Highway Funding for Repairs, Not New Roads. Truckinginfo
http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/story/2014/03/groups-advocate-more-highway-funding-forrepairs-not-new-roads.aspx
How Should We Tackle America's Transportation and Infrastructure Woes Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/sites/hbsworkingknowledge/2014/03/14/how-should-we-tackle-americastransportation-and-infrastructure-woes/
Cutting Bus Service Would Hit Poor People Hardest. The Stranger
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/cutting-bus-service-would-hit-poor-peoplehardest/Content?oid=19013493
Vote to fund County transit, roads set for April 22. Mercer Island Reporter
http://www.mi-reporter.com/news/248451141.html
Panelists speak out against potential transit cuts. Daily of the University of Washington.
http://dailyuw.com/archive/2014/03/05/news/panelists-speak-out-against-potential-transitcuts#.UxiI2_ldXQg
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Sales tax and vehicle fee would fund transit, roads. Woodinville Weekly
http://www.nwnews.com/index.php/local/news/9296-sales-tax-and-vehicle-fee-would-fundtransit-roads
STA giving all-electric buses a tryout. Spokesman-Review
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2014/mar/10/sta-giving-all-electric-buses-a-tryout/
20 Percent Transit Service Growth. Snohomish Times
http://www.snohomishtimes.com/snohomishNEWS.cfm?inc=story&newsID=3216
Yakima to Ellensburg bus route likely to end . Yakima Herald-Republic
http://www.yakimaherald.com/news/latestlocalnews/1991320-8/yakima-to-ellensburg-bus-routelikely-to-end
Yakima council rejects ban on e-cigs, tables transit talks. Yakima Herald-Republic
http://www.yakimaherald.com/news/yhr/wednesday/2004036-8/yakima-council-rejects-ban-on-ecigs-tables-transit
ODOT Shuts Down Planning For CRC Bridge. OPB
http://www.opb.org/news/article/odot-shuts-down-planning-for-crc-bridge/
Is the CRC finally dead? Portland Tribune
http://portlandtribune.com/pt/9-news/213388-72082-is-the-crc-finally-dead
UPCOMING EVENTS
WSTA Events
Here are the upcoming WSTA meetings. Click here for the 2014 WSTA Calendar.
 March 21: WSTA HR Roundtable Meeting, Everett, WA - Registration Open
 March 21: WSTA Officer’s Call
 March 26: WSTA Finance Committee, Ocean Shores, WA - Registration Open
 March 26-28: WSTA Operations Committee Meeting, Richland, WA - Registration Open
 May 29-30: WSTA Spring Maintenance Forum, Olympia, WA
Washington State Transportation Training Coalition Events
For more information and registration, please go to this link.
 Recruiting and Interviewing, March 25, 2014 ~ Olympia
 Strategies for Successfully Managing Workplace Conflict, April 01, 2014 ~ Olympia
 Passenger Service and Safety (PASS) Trainer Certification, April 08- 10, 2014 ~ Richland
 TSI Transit Supervisor Certification Course, June 09- 13, 2014 ~ Everett
Please feel free to share the WSTA Week in Review with others. If you would like to be added to the mailing list or
taken off of it, please contact Melanie Espinoza at [email protected].
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