Gov. Inslee signs bridge-access bill

Gov. Inslee signs bridge-access bill

SEATTLE – March 29, 2016 – Paddlers in the Northwest could benefit from a bill signed Friday that requires the Washington Department of Transportation to consider access to the water when building or refurbishing bridges.

Senate Bill 6363 hopes to improve public access at bridge right-of-ways by requiring the state to include a formal evaluation of opportunities for water access within the public right-of-way on future bridge projects.

“When a bridge is constructed, it represents an important opportunity to evaluate how the public is using the site for river access and identify opportunities to both improve public safety and enhance the quality of the user experience,” said Thomas O’Keefe of American Whitewater.

The Bill was introduced in the fall of 2014 following a recommendation from the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Task Force to address access to recreational opportunities. Based on a similar provision in the California State Highway Code, the bill passed the full Senate on March 5, 2015. However, due to issues with the bill language, the bill failed to make it out of the Rules Committee when time ran out for the 2015 legislative session.


On January 8, 2016, the bill was re-introduced by American Whitewater and the Northwest Marine Trade Association. With revised language approved by the House Transportation Committee and Washington Dept. of Transportation, the bill was passed by the Senate on Feb.17 with a unanimous 49-0 vote and the House with a 58-39 vote on March 3, 2016.

"This is a big deal for our friends in the paddling community," said Peter Schrappen, Northwest Marine Trade Association's Vice President who was the lead on the bill. "Unfortunately, our state's department of transportation has periodically built bridges and wiped out access to the water. An example of this occurred on Highway 2 over the Wenatchee River. While this doesn't always happen, this bill provides a safeguard for us."

 In Washington state, approximately 11 percent of the state’s population participates in non-motorized boating. This number grows every year and bridge construction represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to include access to the water in its design.

 For more information on this Bill, visit http://app.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=6363&year=2015

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Contact

Peter Schrappen

NMTA Director of Government Affairs

(206) 634-0911

peter@nmta.net