Any proposal for the establishment of eligible toll facilities shall consider the following policy guidelines:

     (1) Overall direction. Washington should use tolling to encourage effective use of the transportation system and provide a source of transportation funding.

     (2) When to use tolling. Tolling should be used when it can be demonstrated to contribute a significant portion of the cost of a project that cannot be funded solely with existing sources or optimize the performance of the transportation system. Such tolling should, in all cases, be fairly and equitably applied in the context of the statewide transportation system and not have significant adverse impacts through the diversion of traffic to other routes that cannot otherwise be reasonably mitigated. Such tolling should also consider relevant social equity, environmental, and economic issues, and should be directed at making progress toward the state's greenhouse gas reduction goals.

     (3) Use of toll revenue. All revenue from an eligible toll facility must be used only to improve, preserve, manage, or operate the eligible toll facility on or in which the revenue is collected. Additionally, toll revenue should provide for and encourage the inclusion of recycled and reclaimed construction materials.

     (4) Setting toll rates. Toll rates, which may include variable pricing, must be set to meet anticipated funding obligations. To the extent possible, the toll rates should be set to optimize system performance, recognizing necessary trade-offs to generate revenue.

     (5) Duration of toll collection. Because transportation infrastructure projects have costs and benefits that extend well beyond those paid for by initial construction funding, tolls on future toll facilities may remain in place to fund additional capacity, capital rehabilitation, maintenance, management, and operations, and to optimize performance of the system.

[2008 c 122 § 5.]