Transportation Commission Meeting on June 13, 14, and 15
Posted 6.8.06

Transportation Commission Office - PO Box 47308 - Olympia, WA 98504-7308
(360) 705-7070

Date: June 8, 2006

OLYMPIA – Next week, the Washington State Transportation Commission will continue its work toward developing policy recommendations related to statewide tolling and hear the results of several outreach sessions with stakeholders concerning rail. The Commission will also discuss the toll setting process for the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, and how fuel prices are affecting Washington State Ferries.

The Commission’s monthly meeting will start at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, June 13, and reconvene at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, June 14. In addition, the Commission’s work team for the Washington Transportation Plan will meet on Thursday, June 15, at 9 a.m. All meetings will be held at the Transportation Building, 310 Maple Park Avenue SE in Olympia, and are open to the public.

On Tuesday, the Commission will be reviewing current legal and regulatory laws that will affect tolling in Washington, reviewing the draft policy recommendations for tolling, and discussing final plans for the Commission’s outreach effort to take place later this month. The Commission will be visiting five cities in the state during the last half of June to meet with public officials, address editorial boards, and hold public open houses. More detail about the tolling study is available on the Commission’s Web site at: www.wstc.wa.gov/Tolling. The study’s final report and recommendations will be submitted to the Legislature later this year.

The Commission will also consider a Rail Study Summary Report, which provides information and comments from stakeholders gathered during a series of listening sessions that were held in various cities in April and May. Participants were asked to describe what they believed were the most strategic opportunities for the rail system, the most important things the state could do for rail, and what they would consider a successful result of the Rail Study. The Commission will provide the Legislature with its final report and recommendations in January 2007. More details about the study are available at www.wstc.wa.gov/Rail.

Also, the Commission will discuss activities related to tolls on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Washington State Department of Transportation staff will update the Commission on the status of a new Citizen Advisory Committee, the toll setting schedule, and the fiscal impacts of discounted tolls for users of “Good to Go!,” the prepaid, electronic toll card.

Rising fuel costs are not only affecting vehicle owners, but transit systems like Washington State Ferries as well. On Wednesday, WSF Executive Director Mike Anderson will discuss with the Commission the budget impacts of high fuel costs on ferry operations.

In addition, the Commission will elect the Chair and Vice-Chair for the 2006/2007 fiscal year, which begins on July 1. The Commission will also designate a member to serve on the Ferry System Finance Study Advisory Committee being conducted by the Joint Transportation Committee.

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