|
In 1983 the Washington State legislature created the RAP to help finance
(via the Rural Arterial Trust Account - RATA) the reconstruction of rural arterial roads which faced severe
deterioration in the wake of railroad abandonments. This huge road system
(12,605 miles) owned by the counties, provides the
initial transportation link of Washington State's harvested resources to
the marketplace. RAP was so successful in addressing local haul road
needs that the initial funding of 0.33 cents of the Motor Vehicle Fuel
Tax (MVFT) was increased to 0.58 cents by the 1990 legislature. See
the RAP FAQ page for answers to questions
that CRAB receives regarding RAP.
Eligible roads are
granted RAP funds in consideration of the following:
 Structural ability to support loaded
trucks;
Ability to move traffic at reasonable speeds;
Adequacy of alignment and related geometry;
Accident and fatal accident experience;
Local significance.
Since its beginning
in 1983, RAP has funded over 1120 projects, 84% of which are complete.
Most of the projects involve rehabilitation and reconstruction of
existing roads and bridges to current and safer design standards.
The program has also remained flexible enough to meet the additional
environmental and public involvement responsibilities county engineers
have faced.
Some areas of
flexibility are:
All RAP projects are locally planned,
designed and administered.
Priority rating procedures are developed in partnership with
the county engineers to reflect regional diversity.
Additional rating points are assigned for local public
significance.
Enough project funds are obligated so that design, right of
way, environmental, and local concerns are fully addressed.
CRAB staff review each proposed project site and design to
assist the county in grant application.
In addition to
serving county wide commercial transport needs, RAP funds are often used
to improve rural roads which are primarily residential or recreational.
This has been encouraged by Federal and State Growth Management
requirements. Those statutes stress multi-modal transportation facilities
and cooperation among the local groups that acquire road funding.
Counties are now
facing many new and dynamic issues while trying to make road and bridge
improvements. These include a growing population and additional planning,
environmental and budget requirements. The CRABoard will therefore
continue in close communication with the counties to assure that funds go
where the needs are, and the Rural Arterial Program will keep its focus
on the road needs of local communities.
Refer to the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) chapter 136 for more details.
Forms for RAP Program project funding requests and
expense reporting.
|
