Chapter 175, Laws of 1998 provides that the freight mobility strategic investment board shall adopt reasonable rules and procedures necessary to implement the freight mobility program.

It is the policy of the state of Washington that limited public transportation funding and competition between freight and general mobility improvements for the same fund sources require strategic, prioritized freight investments that reduce barriers to freight movement, maximize cost-effectiveness, yield a return on the state's investment, require complementary investments by public and private interests, and solve regional freight mobility problems. State financial assistance for freight mobility projects must leverage other funds from all potential partners and sources, including federal, county, city, port district, and private capital.

The freight mobility strategic investment board (FMSIB) is a twelve-member board, organized under the provisions of chapter 175, Laws of 1998. The board administers the freight mobility strategic investment program for the purpose of financing freight mobility projects. The following board members are appointed by the governor for terms of four years, except that five members initially are appointed for terms of two years:

(1) Two members, one of whom is from a city located within or along a strategic freight corridor, appointed from a list of at least four persons nominated by the association of Washington cities or its successor;

(2) Two members, one of whom is from a county having a strategic freight corridor within its boundaries, appointed from a list of at least four persons nominated by the Washington state association of counties or its successor;

(3) Two members, one of whom is from a port district located within or along a strategic freight corridor, appointed from a list of at least four persons nominated by the Washington public ports association or its successor;

(4) One member representing the office of financial management;

(5) One member appointed as a representative of the trucking industry;

(6) One member appointed as a representative of the railroads;

(7) The secretary of the department of transportation;

(8) One member representing the steamship industry; and

(9) One member of the general public.

Regular public meetings of the board shall be held on the third Friday of every odd numbered month. Each such regular meeting shall be held in SeaTac, Washington, and begin at the hour of 9:00 a.m. unless otherwise designated by the board and at which time will be posted to the register and FMSIB website at least twenty days prior to the meeting.

A special meeting of the board may be called by the chairperson or by a majority of the members of the board, by delivering personally or by mail written notice to all other members of the board at least twenty-four hours before the time of such meeting as specified in the notice. The notice calling a special meeting shall state the purpose for which the meeting is called and the date, hour, and place of such meeting, and all provisions of chapter 42.30 RCW shall apply.

Persons wishing to obtain information or to make submissions or requests of any kind shall address their correspondence to:

Executive Director,

Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board

505 Union Avenue S.E., Suite 350

Post Office Box 40965

Olympia, Washington 98504-0965

For purposes of implementing the requirements of chapter 175, Laws of 1998, relative to the freight mobility strategic investment board, the following definitions shall apply:

(1) "Board" means the freight mobility strategic investment board (FMSIB).

(2) "Department" means the department of transportation.

(3) "Freight mobility" means the safe, reliable, and efficient movement of goods within and through the state to ensure the state's economic vitality.

(4) "Director" is the executive director of the freight mobility strategic investment board.

(5) "Local governments" means cities, towns, counties, special purpose districts, port districts, and any other municipal corporations or quasi-municipal corporations in the state excluding school districts.

(6) "Public entity" means a state agency, city, town, county, port district, or municipal or regional planning organization.

(7) "Partnership" means the public entities sponsoring a project. The partnership as used in this chapter does not include the board.

(8) "Lead agency" refers to the agency selected by the project partnership to be the point of contact with the board for a particular project.

(9) "Original matching ratio" refers to the board's share of the project cost when it was initially approved for funding.

(10) "Strategic freight corridor" means a transportation corridor of great economic importance within an integrated freight system that:

(a) Serves international and domestic interstate and intrastate trade;

(b) Enhances the state's competitive position through regional and global gateways;

(c) Carries freight tonnages of at least:

(i) Four million gross tons annually on state highways, city streets, and county roads;

(ii) Five million gross tons annually on railroads; or

(iii) Two and one-half million net tons on waterways; and

(d) Has been designated a strategic corridor by the board. However, new alignments to, realignments of, and new links to strategic corridors that enhance freight movement may qualify, even though no tonnage data exists for facilities to be built in the future.

The board costs for necessary services and facilities that are attributable to the freight mobility strategic investment program shall be paid from the biennial appropriation.