RCW 36.79.060 provides that the county road administration board shall administer the rural arterial program (RAP) established by chapter 36.79 RCW. This chapter describes the manner in which counties may request RATA funds for specific rural arterial projects and the manner in which the county road administration board will select projects and allocate RATA funds to such projects.

The RAP biennial program cycle consists of the following basic steps:

(1) The CRABoard establishes a funding period if it determines that sufficient future RATA funds are available to provide for new RAP projects. This determination takes place during the CRABoard's regularly scheduled fall meeting in odd-numbered years.

Consistent with WAC 136-130-020, should the board determine there are adequate RATA funds available to be allocated to each region and, under advisement from each region, the board's action shall include the determination of the amount to be allocated to each project type within each region. The board's RATA funding allocation may include all or any subset of the project types described under WAC 136-130-020, and this decision may be unique to each region and may vary between funding periods.

(2) Each eligible county prepares and submits a preliminary prospectus to the county road administration board;

(3) County road administration board staff conducts a field review of each preliminary prospectus and provides to each submitting county an evaluation and scoring of all priority elements which are based on a visual examination, using that region's priority rating process;

(4) Each eligible county prepares and submits a final prospectus to the county road administration board;

(5) For each final prospectus submitted, county road administration board staff computes the total priority rating score and assembles all projects into rank-ordered arrays by region; and

(6) The county road administration board reviews the rank-ordered arrays in each region and, based upon the RATA funds projected to be allocable for the next project program period (see WAC 136-161-070), selects and approves specific projects for RATA funding.

By March 1st of each even-numbered year prior to a funding period, each eligible county shall, for each project for which it seeks RATA funds estimated to be available in the next project program period, submit a preliminary prospectus to the county road administration board. The format and content of the preliminary prospectus shall be prescribed by the county road administration board. Each preliminary prospectus shall be signed by the county engineer. The number of preliminary prospectuses submitted and the total amount of RATA funds requested by each eligible county should be sufficient to assure that, based upon such prospectuses, each county will be able to compete up to its county limit within its region, subject to the supplemental limitations under WAC 136-130-030 through 136-130-070.

After all preliminary prospectuses are received, the county road administration board will schedule and conduct an on-site field review of each project. During the field review, conducted jointly with the county engineer or his/her designee (unless waived by the county engineer), the assigned county road administration board staff person will review the overall project scope with the county representative and, using that region's priority rating process, determine the rating score of all priority elements which are based on a visual examination. To ensure both uniformity and professional judgment in the visual ratings, the assigned county road administration board staff person shall be a licensed professional civil engineer in the state of Washington, and the same person shall review and rate all projects within a region. All field reviews will be completed, each project's type will be set, and the visual rating scores returned to each submitting county, by July 1st of each even-numbered year prior to a funding period.

By September 1st of each even-numbered year prior to a funding period, each eligible county shall submit a final prospectus for each project for which it seeks RATA funds. Each final prospectus shall be submitted on forms provided by the county road administration board and shall include a vicinity map, a typical cross-section (existing and proposed), and, if a design deviation is required, an evaluation and determination by the county engineer. If a project is for the improvement of a road which continues into an adjacent county and the project terminus is within 1,000 feet of the county line, the prospectus shall include a statement signed by the county engineer of the adjacent county certifying that the adjacent county will cooperate with the applicant county to the extent necessary to achieve a mutually acceptable design. All final prospectuses shall indicate that the design of the project shall begin not later than one year from the date of project approval by the county road administration board, and that construction of the project shall begin not later than six years from the date of project approval by the county road administration board. All final prospectuses shall come from the pool of preliminary prospectuses submitted and field reviewed as specified in WAC 136-161-030 and 136-161-040. All counties shall use current cost pricing to estimate project costs. Inflation and contingency rates will be applied by the county road administration board based upon project type.

County road administration board staff will review all final prospectuses and ensure that:

(1) All necessary information is included;

(2) The project is from the pool of preliminary prospectuses;

(3) The project is eligible for RATA funding;

(4) The project schedule indicates that preliminary engineering will begin not later than one year from the date of project approval by the county road administration board, and that the construction of the project will begin not later than six years from the date of project approval by the county road administration board; and

(5) The total project priority rating is mathematically correct and the visual rating scores determined during the field review are included.

(6) Existing and proposed roadway cross sections, project narrative, and preconstruction photos are attached.

After county road administration board staff review, all accepted final prospectuses within each region will be placed in a declining total project rating array. After review by the county road administration board at its next regular meeting, the priority array for each region will be provided to each county in the region. These arrays will be preliminary only and will be provided to the counties to assist them in their internal budgeting and programming. No notations as to whether a particular project will or will not be funded will be included. Projects not adopted in the six-year transportation program by December 31st of the submittal year will be dropped from the array of eligible projects and the revised array will be presented to the county road administration board at its next regularly scheduled meeting.

(1) At its last regular meeting before the beginning of each biennium, the county road administration board will select projects and allocate anticipated RATA funds to projects in each region. The preliminary priority arrays as developed in WAC 136-161-060 will be updated to exclude any county which is ineligible under chapter 136-150 WAC, and projects will be selected from these arrays. Selections will be made in each region in declining priority rank order, provided that:

(a) No county shall be allocated RATA funds in excess of its regional county limit as specified in WAC 136-161-080; and

(b) Any projects which were partially funded in the prior biennium shall, unless otherwise requested by the county, be fully funded before new projects are selected. Ties in total rating points will be broken by the county road administration board in favor of the county having the lesser total amount of previously allocated RATA funds.

(2) The statewide net amount of RATA funds available for allocation to projects in the funding period will be based on the most recent state fuel tax revenue forecast prepared quarterly by the department of transportation, less estimated administrative costs, and less any amounts set aside for emergent projects as described in WAC 136-163-020. The total amount of RATA funds available for allocation to projects in a region (i.e., "forecasted regional apportionment amount") will be based on the regional apportionment percentages of the statewide net amount as determined in chapter 136-100 WAC.

(3) Project program periods and the corresponding funding periods shall both begin on July 1st of odd numbered years and end on June 30th of odd numbered years, unless modified by resolution of the board.

(4) The RATA amounts allocated to projects in the first year of the biennium are limited to no more than ninety percent of the net amount estimated to be allocable to each region for the project program period, with the remaining percentage allocated at such time as deemed appropriate by the county road administration board.

(5) Acceptance of the RATA allocation for a project by the full execution of a CRAB/county contract as described in chapter 136-170 WAC constitutes agreement to complete the project in compliance with the scope, design and project limits in the final prospectus. All material changes to the scope, design or project limits must be approved by the county road administration board prior to commencement of construction.

For any project program period, no county shall receive a RATA fund allocation greater than the following maximum project RATA contribution, or percentage of the forecasted regional apportionment amount:

(1) PSR: No maximum project RATA contribution; 40 percent limit on percentage of the forecasted regional apportionment amount;

(2) NWR: No maximum project RATA contribution; 20 percent limit on percentage of the forecasted regional apportionment amount;

(3) NER: No maximum project RATA contribution; 12 1/2 percent limit on percentage of the forecasted regional apportionment amount;

(4) SWR: No maximum project RATA contribution; 15 percent limit on percentage of the forecasted regional apportionment amount;

(5) SER: No maximum project RATA contribution; percentage varies by county as follows:

(6) The county limits for all eligible and applying counties in each region will be adjusted to include by equal share the funding limit of any ineligible or nonapplying county.

(7) Projects must have a total estimated cost of $250,000 or greater to be eligible for RATA funding.

RATA funds requested and allowed to a project are limited to the match requirements established by county road administration board policy following 36. 79.120 RCW. The match requirements will be applied to the total eligible project development costs, which include preliminary engineering and construction costs in all regions, and non 2R project type right-of-way costs in the PSR, NWR, NER and SER.

Even though additional and eligible project development costs may be incurred by a county for a specific project, the maximum amount of RATA funds for that project is limited to the amount allocated and shown in the CRAB/county contract (see chapter 136-170 WAC), unless the allocation is increased pursuant to chapter 136-165 WAC.

A county with an approved RAP project may use any other funds available for such project including federal, other state, private, and local funds. The minimum match of RATA funds allocated to the project shall be set by county road administration board policy following RCW 36.79.120.

(1) Counties may request advancing RATA funds for partially funded projects. Such a request by a county shall demonstrate the ability to proceed with the project ahead of the regular funding schedule, and shall acknowledge that advancing RATA funds will correspondingly reduce the limit of RATA funds that may be allocated to the county in the next project program period.

(2) In considering a request to advance RATA funding, the county road administration board will review the county's justification, the current RATA account balance, expected reimbursements, and the most current transportation revenue forecast.

(3) The executive director shall approve or deny a county's request for advancing RATA funds. 

(a) If the request is approved, in whole or in part, the executive director is authorized to execute an amendment to the CRAB/county contract. Upon execution of a contract amendment under this chapter, the executive director will advise board members of the amendment details at the next CRAB board meeting.

(b) If the request is denied, in whole or in part, the county may appeal the executive director's decision at the board's next regularly scheduled board meeting.