2019 Washington Legislature

In the Washington Legislature, we work closely with partners at Healthy Living Collaborative, Childhood Obesity Prevention Coalition, and Washington Bikes to track bills. Our primary focus is on improving health outcomes, increasing safety for people who walk, bike, and access transit, and securing funding for transportation projects to achieve those goals. 

February 28 update: 

Oregon AV Task Force: Testing policy headed to Legislature, Deployment recommendations up next

The Oregon Autonomous Vehicle (AV) Task Force reconvened this week, kicking off phase two of its work. For the last 6 months, the Task Force has been focused on developing recommendations for an AV testing policy framework. These recommendations can be found in the 2018 Final Report, and we can expect this report to inform legislation in 2019. A draft bill was shared with AV Task Force members at this week’s meeting, but has not yet been shared with the public.

Oregon MPO Priorities in 2019: Connect Oregon, Safe Routes to School & Speed Limits

The Oregon Municipal Planning Organization Consortium (OMPOC) is getting closer to establishing legislative priorities for 2019. OMPOC is a forum for Oregon’s 8 MPOs to coordinate on transportation issues of mutual interest. The list of possible concepts for Oregon MPOs to address in 2019, has been narrowed down to three topics.

Cherriots STIF Advisory Committee update: Lower Fares for Youth & Expanded Services

The STIFAC held lengthy discussions on the importance of a free Youth Pass for the region and received impactful testimony from youth who rely on, but often can’t afford to ride the bus. Working within strict time constraints, a free youth pass would have required a major shift in Cherriots’ proposed projects (including weekend and evening services requested by the community), and was unattainable in the current application cycle. At the last meeting, the STIFAC agreed with Cherriots staff to revisit a free Youth Pass in the next STIF application period, and approved the following proposed youth rates as a “starting point” for the initial biennium:

Lane & Mid-Willamette Valley MPOs consider legislative priorities for 2019

The Mid-Willamette Valley Council of Governments (MWVCOG) and Lane Council of Governments (LCOG) are preparing possible policy agendas for the upcoming 2019 Legislative Session. The Policy Committee for the Salem-Keizer Active Transportation Study (SKATS), also the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the area, met today to discuss next steps for the Mid-Willamette Valley region.

Oregon Task Force on Autonomous Vehicles gets closer to policy framework

The Task Force on Autonomous Vehicles (AV) held their third meeting yesterday to firm up their recommendations for a framework for autonomous vehicle policy in Oregon, which is not currently addressed in state law. ODOT staff will summarize these recommendations into a final report, which will be reviewed by the Task Force and submitted to the Legislature, who will ultimately make any policy decisions going forward. The final report is expected to become available next week, at which time both the AV Task Force and public are encouraged to submit formal comments.

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