Transportation Improvement Board cleanup bill framed as overdue statutory housekeeping

The Senate Transportation Committee heard testimony on Substitute House Bill 1823, a package of statutory updates for the Transportation Improvement Board (TIB).

Committee staff summarized the bill as replacing references to "non‑motorized" with the term "active transportation" (defined in the bill to include walking, cycling, wheelchairs and small personal devices), and removing obsolete statutory provisions such as outdated long‑range arterial planning submissions and a 1974 legislative finding about bicycle routes. The staff briefing noted the bill removes vestigial references that no longer fit TIB's modern statutory framework.

Ashley Probart, TIB executive director, called the measure a "cleanup bill" requested under the prior administration, saying some statutory cross‑references create unnecessary local reporting obligations and audit risk. Probart said TIB still requires bicycle and pedestrian facilities as part of many arterial projects and that the agency now administers active‑transportation programs and complete streets criteria.

Probart urged the committee to pass the legislation as a way to reduce administrative burden while preserving current design and safety requirements embedded in grant criteria.