Cooperative agreements—Urban public transportation systems—Title to highway—Traffic regulations—Underground utilities and overcrossings—Passenger transportation—Storm sewers—City street crossings.
The highway authorities of the state, counties, incorporated cities and towns, and municipal corporations owning or operating an urban public transportation system are authorized to enter into agreements with each other, or with the federal government, respecting the financing, planning, establishment, improvement, construction, maintenance, use, regulation, or vacation of limited access facilities in their respective jurisdictions to facilitate the purposes of this chapter. Any such agreement may provide for the exclusive or nonexclusive use of a portion of the facility by streetcars, trains, or other vehicles forming a part of an urban public transportation system and for the erection, construction, and maintenance of structures and facilities of such a system including facilities for the receipt and discharge of passengers. Within incorporated cities and towns the title to every state limited access highway vests in the state, and, notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the department shall exercise full jurisdiction, responsibility, and control to and over the highway from the time it is declared to be operational as a limited access facility by the department, subject to the following provisions:
(1) Cities and towns shall regulate all traffic restrictions on such facilities except as provided in RCW 46.61.430, and all regulations adopted are subject to approval of the department before becoming effective. Nothing herein precludes the state patrol or any county, city, or town from enforcing any traffic regulations and restrictions prescribed by state law, county resolution, or municipal ordinance.
(2) The city, town, or franchise holder shall at its own expense maintain its underground facilities beneath the surface across the highway and has the right to construct additional facilities underground or beneath the surface of the facility or necessary overcrossings of power lines and other utilities as may be necessary insofar as the facilities do not interfere with the use of the right-of-way for limited access highway purposes. The city or town has the right to maintain any municipal utility and the right to open the surface of the highway. The construction, maintenance until permanent repair is made, and permanent repair of these facilities shall be done in a time and manner authorized by permit to be issued by the department or its authorized representative, except to meet emergency conditions for which no permit will be required, but any damage occasioned thereby shall promptly be repaired by the city or town itself, or at its direction. Where a city or town is required to relocate overhead facilities within the corporate limits of a city or town as a result of the construction of a limited access facility, the cost of the relocation shall be paid by the state.
(3) Cities and towns have the right to grant utility franchises crossing the facility underground and beneath its surface insofar as the franchises are not inconsistent with the use of the right-of-way for limited access facility purposes and the franchises are not in conflict with state laws. The department is authorized to enforce, in an action brought in the name of the state, any condition of any franchise that a city or town has granted. No franchise for transportation of passengers in motor vehicles may be granted on such highways without the approval of the department, except cities and towns are not required to obtain a franchise for the operation of municipal vehicles or vehicles operating under franchises from the city or town operating within the corporate limits of a city or town and within a radius not exceeding eight miles outside the corporate limits for public transportation on such facilities, but these vehicles may not stop on the limited access portion of the facility to receive or to discharge passengers unless appropriate special lanes or deceleration, stopping, and acceleration space is provided for the vehicles.
Every franchise or permit granted any person by a city or town for use of any portion of a limited access facility shall require the grantee or permittee to restore, permanently repair, and replace to its original condition any portion of the highway damaged or injured by it. Except to meet emergency conditions, the construction and permanent repair of any limited access facility by the grantee of a franchise shall be in a time and manner authorized by a permit to be issued by the department or its authorized representative.
(4) The department has the right to use all storm sewers that are adequate and available for the additional quantity of runoff proposed to be passed through such storm sewers.
(5) The construction and maintenance of city streets over and under crossings and surface intersections of the limited access facility shall be in accordance with the governing policy entered into between the department and the association of Washington cities on June 21, 1956, or as such policy may be amended by agreement between the department and the association of Washington cities.
[ 1984 c 7 s 241; 1977 ex.s. c 78 s 8; 1967 c 108 s 11; 1961 c 13 s 47.52.090. Prior: 1957 c 235 s 4; 1947 c 202 s 8; Rem. Supp. 1947 s 6402-67.]
NOTES:
Urban public transportation system defined: RCW 47.04.082.