ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1980
State of Washington
69th Legislature
2025 Regular Session
By House Transportation (originally sponsored by Representatives Zahn, Salahuddin, Parshley, Springer, Timmons, Street, Berg, Leavitt, Thai, and Low)
READ FIRST TIME 02/28/25.
AN ACT Relating to allowing certain private employer transportation services to use certain public transportation facilities; and amending RCW 47.52.025 and 46.61.165 .
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW 47.52.025 and 2023 c 290 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) Highway authorities of the state, counties, and incorporated cities and towns, in addition to the specific powers granted in this chapter, shall also have, and may exercise, relative to limited access facilities, any and all additional authority, now or hereafter vested in them relative to highways or streets within their respective jurisdictions, and may regulate, restrict, or prohibit the use of such limited access facilities by various classes of vehicles or traffic. Such highway authorities may reserve any limited access facility or portions thereof, including designated lanes or ramps for the exclusive or preferential use of (a) public transportation vehicles, (b) privately owned buses, (c) motorcycles, (d) private motor vehicles carrying not less than a specified number of passengers, (e) organ transport vehicles transporting a time urgent organ or a time sensitive organ or tissue donor as defined in RCW 68.64.010 , or (f) the following private transportation provider vehicles if the vehicle has the capacity to carry eight or more passengers, regardless of the number of passengers in the vehicle, and if such use does not interfere with the efficiency, reliability, and safety of public transportation operations: (i) Auto transportation company vehicles regulated under chapter 81.68 RCW; (ii) passenger charter carrier vehicles regulated under chapter 81.70 RCW, except marked or unmarked stretch limousines and stretch sport utility vehicles as defined under department of licensing rules; (iii) private nonprofit transportation provider vehicles regulated under chapter 81.66 RCW; and (iv) private employer transportation service vehicles, when such limitation will increase the efficient utilization of the highway facility or will aid in the conservation of energy resources. Regulations authorizing such exclusive or preferential use of a highway facility may be declared to be effective at all time or at specified times of day or on specified days.