RCW 36.81.121 requires the preparation and annual updating of a six-year comprehensive transportation program. The program shall be adopted by the county legislative authority at any time before adoption of the annual budget and shall include all anticipated road and bridge construction projects, capital ferry expenditures, paths and trails projects and any other specified capital outlays for the following six-year period. The purpose of this chapter is to implement these statutory requirements with assurance that the program is based on a realistic assessment of available funding during the program period.

Each adopted program shall designate the six-year time period included, the name of the county, the county number as assigned by the state office of financial management, the date(s) of the public hearing held to provide public input to the program, the date of the adoption by the legislative authority and the adopting resolution number. The adopted program for submittal to the county road administration board shall consist of two parts:

(1) A road fund revenue and expenditure analysis for the six-year time period; and

(2) A program listing of specific projects.

The road fund revenue and expenditure analysis shall include the county's best estimates of future road fund revenues and expenditures over each year of the six-year program period.

The anticipated revenues should include a line item for motor vehicle fuel tax, the road levy after diversion, federal transportation program grants (by program), TIB funds, RATA funds, RID funds, public works trust fund loans, state forest funds, federal forest funds, and other miscellaneous revenues.

The anticipated road fund expenditures should include line items for administration, maintenance, facilities, transfers and loan repayments, reimbursable work and miscellaneous expenditures and shall show by subtraction the amount available for construction during each year of the program period.

This listing shall include projects having an estimated cost approximately equal to the anticipated revenues for projects during the program period, clearly identifying those projects (1) for which funding is reasonably assured; (2) for which funds are not specifically assured but are within expected levels of existing programs for the applicable year; and (3), if desired, those which are unfunded within currently anticipated resources. Because of the possibility of unforeseen future circumstances at the time of approval of the six-year program, the above construction funding classification for any project shall not be considered final, but only an indication of the relative certainty of the various proposed projects.

Minimum required information for each project: Road log number, beginning and ending mile post limits, project length, federal functional classification, freight and goods classification, project name, project description or type, estimated cost and proposed/secured funding sources, and funding status.

It is recommended that provision be made in the program for one or more generic projects each year for improvements such as miscellaneous safety projects, new culvert and small bridge construction and other minor improvements.

Each county's six-year transportation program shall include all projects for which the county is seeking RATA funds during the succeeding biennium. The six-year transportation program may include a general subprogram item of which RAP projects, although not specifically listed, may be a part. A county may only include a proposed RAP project within a subprogram item if:

(1) The project(s) is not rehabilitation or reconstruction in scope;

(2) The specific listing of projects used for support of the general subprogram item was made available to the public at the time of six-year program adoption;

(3) The county provides the county road administration board with the specific project listing in writing, citing the subprogram that includes the specific project.

A six-year program shall be adopted by resolution of the county legislative authority after appropriate public hearing at any time before adoption of the annual budget. The resolution of adoption shall include reference to availability of:

(1) A priority array as required by WAC 136-14-050;

(2) An engineer's bridge condition report as required by WAC 136-20-060; and

(3) The multiyear financing plan of the transportation element of the county's comprehensive plan if required by chapter 36.70A RCW.

Within thirty days of adoption, the county legislative authority shall submit the six-year program to the county road administration board.

The adopted six-year program may not be revised except by a majority vote of the members of the legislative authority who are present when the vote is taken. Such revisions shall be by resolution of the legislative authority and only after a public hearing thereon. A copy of such adopting resolution shall be forwarded to the county road administration board as part of the annual certification for that calendar year.

Nothing in this rule shall eliminate or modify any requirements or procedures or authorities of either the Washington state department of transportation or the transportation improvement board as codified in the Revised Code of Washington or as adopted in the Washington Administrative Code.