A new “Connecting Washington” transportation package was released this week by state Rep. Judy Clibborn and others. According to the project overview, it would “raise nearly $10 billion for Washington’s transportation system.”

The package has been introduced in the House as HB 1954, 1955, 1956 and 1957.

HB 1957 notes that “the legislature intends the department to deliver the projects and activities listed in LEAP Transportation Document 2013-1.”

HB 1956 would authorize $3.2 billion of general obligation bonds.

HB 1955 would make appropriations to various accounts, totaling about $700 million. Of that, $371.7 million would go to the connecting Washington account for Program I projects, including $9.2 million for SR 509/I-5/SR 167, and $230.0 million for the I-5/Columbia River Crossing project. Of the connecting Washington appropriation, up to $230.0 million would come from the sale of toll revenue bonds. An additional $120.0 million would also go to the connecting Washington account for ferry construction and terminal replacement (up to $110.0 million would come from the sale of bonds).

Other revenues come from HB 1954:

• The bill would increase the motor vehicle fuel tax rate and special fuel tax rate by two cents each year through fiscal year 2018, increasing the tax rate by a total of 10 cents over that period. (The total tax rate would be 47.5 cents as of July 1, 2017.) Motor fuel and special fuel tax revenues go to the motor vehicle fund and are then distributed for various purposes. Under the bill, of the remaining amounts collected from the increase in tax rates, 20 percent would go to the maintenance, operations, and preservation account (for the state highway system); 16 percent to the Puget Sound ferry operations account; 6.5 percent to counties; 6.5 percent to cities; 1.9 percent to the transportation improvement account; 1.1 percent to the county arterial preservation account; and the remainder to the connecting Washington account.
• The bill would impose a statewide motor vehicle excise tax of 0.7 percent on passenger cars, SUVs, motorcycles (not including commercial, farm, collector, for hire, or rental vehicles, or school buses) and electric and off-road vehicles. A motor vehicle excise tax of 0.35 percent would be imposed on motor homes and travel trailers. These taxes would be “in addition to any other fee or tax required by law.” Of proceeds from the motor vehicle excise tax, 33.34 percent would go to transit authorities, 8.25 percent would go to counties, and 8.25 percent would go to cities. Additionally, $1.5 million would go annually to the essential rail assistance account, $5 million would go annually to the transportation improvement account, and the rest would go to the connecting Washington account.
• Vehicles with gross weights of 10,000 pounds or more would have to pay a freight project fee of 15 percent of the license fee, which they also have to pay. (License fees run from $60 to $3,310.)
• The bill would impose a new service fee of $5 for each vehicle registration renewal and $12 for each certificate of title transaction.
• The bill would increase the amount a transportation benefit district may impose in vehicle fees from $20 to $40.
• Counties with populations of at least 1 million would be able to impose local motor vehicle excise taxes of up to 0.7 percent annually on the value of every vehicle registered to a resident of the county (if approved by a majority of voters or a majority of the county council). (According to OFM, as of the 2010 census, only King County had at least 1 million people.) The county must use 60 percent of the funds (after administrative expenses) “for the operation, maintenance, or capital needs of public transportation systems.” The rest must be used “for the operations and maintenance of local roads.”
• A public transportation benefit area in a county with at least 500,000 people (King, Pierce, Snohomish) that also contains a city with at least 75,000 people may impose a local motor vehicle excise tax of up to 0.7 percent annually on the value of every vehicle registered to a resident of the area, if approved by a majority of voters. The funds would be “for the sole purpose of providing funds for the operation, maintenance, or capital needs of public transportation systems.”
• The bill would levy a $25 fee per new bicycle that costs at least $500.
• Lastly, it would increase the hazardous substance tax rate from 0.7 percent to 1 percent. Currently all revenues from the tax go to the toxics control accounts; under the bill, 30 percent would go to the state transportation storm water pollution and fish passage barrier account, the transportation improvement board storm water pollution account, the county road administration board storm water pollution account, and the department of ecology storm water pollution account (all of which are newly created by the bill).