Dear friends,
Transportation-related bills continued to move slowly through the Washington State Legislature last week.
One bill we support, which would eliminate driver’s license requirements for jobs when driving isn’t an essential function, will have a public hearing in the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee tomorrow, Feb. 4, at 10:30 AM. (Read more about it here from our friends at Disability Rights Washington). You can let legislators know that you support the bill here by marking your position as “Pro.”
We’re also happy to see that House Bill 1491, which promotes transit-oriented development, is scheduled for an executive session in the House Committee on Housing tomorrow.
Any day now, we expect Representative Fey to drop a Road Usage Charge bill to help secure new long-term funding for transportation. We’ve learned that a portion of the revenue raised will be dedicated exclusively to highways, similar to the gas tax, and a separate portion will be available for multimodal investments.
It’s critical that we get this right and secure the long-term funding for transit, sidewalks, streets, and trails that Washingtonians deserve. We can’t afford to make another 100-year mistake by shortchanging more sustainable ways of getting around. Stay tuned for updates and ways to take action when the bill drops.
Check out our 2025 Bill Tracker for the status of other priority transportation bills we’re monitoring and supporting. And keep reading for more details on what to expect this week and what happened last week.
Ride on!
– Transportation Choices
What's Coming Up This Week
Tomorrow, Tuesday, Feb. 4
- A bill to eliminate driver’s license requirements for jobs when driving isn’t an essential function (SB 5501) will be heard in the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee at 10:30 AM. This bill is being led by our partners at Disability Rights Washington and would help ensure nondrivers are not unfairly barred from job opportunities. Join us in signing in “Pro” on this bill.
- A bill to promote transit-oriented housing development (HB 1491) will be discussed in an executive session of the House Housing Committee at 4 PM. This bill would require cities to allow more density near light rail and bus rapid transit stops. Learn more about it from our friends at The Urbanist here.
What Happened Last Week
- A bill to add two voting members that are transit users to the governing body of public transportation benefits areas (HB 1418) had a public hearing in the House Transportation Committee
- A bill to include tribal representation in certain transportation activities (SB 5374) had a public hearing in the Senate Transportation Committee.
- The House version of the bill to eliminate driver’s license requirements for jobs when driving isn’t an essential function (HB 1402) had a public hearing in the House Committee of Labor & Workplace Standards.
- A bill to promote transit-oriented housing development (HB 1491) had a public hearing in the House Housing Committee.
