(1) The department may carry out special transportation planning studies to resolve specific issues with the development of the state transportation system or other statewide transportation issues.

     (2) The department shall conduct multimodal corridor analyses on major congested corridors where needed improvements are likely to cost in excess of one hundred million dollars. Analysis will include the cost-effectiveness of all feasible strategies in addressing congestion or improving mobility within the corridor, and must recommend the most effective strategy or mix of strategies to address identified deficiencies. A long-term view of corridors must be employed to determine whether an existing corridor should be expanded, a city or county road should become a state route, and whether a new corridor is needed to alleviate congestion and enhance mobility based on travel demand. To the extent practicable, full costs of all strategies must be reflected in the analysis. At a minimum, this analysis must include:

     (a) The current and projected future demand for total person trips on that corridor;

     (b) The impact of making no improvements to that corridor;

     (c) The daily cost per added person served for each mode or improvement proposed to meet demand;

     (d) The cost per hour of travel time saved per day for each mode or improvement proposed to meet demand; and

     (e) How much of the current and anticipated future demand will be met and left unmet for each mode or improvement proposed to meet demand.

     The end result of this analysis will be to provide a cost-benefit analysis by which policymakers can determine the most cost-effective improvement or mode, or mix of improvements and modes, for increasing mobility and reducing congestion.

[2002 c 5 § 404; 1993 c 446 § 13.]

NOTES:

     Effective date -- 2002 c 5 §§ 401-404: See note following RCW 47.05.010.

     Captions not law -- Severability -- 2002 c 5: See notes following RCW 47.04.280.