Senate hears bill on 'accident risk zones' to fast‑track safety fixes and fund enforcement

Senate Bill 6,066 would establish a process for counties, cities/towns or the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to designate "accident risk zones" on public roads with concentrated crashes, require engineering and traffic investigations to identify safety improvements (including speed adjustments), hold a public hearing before designation, and coordinate enforcement. Where signage is posted indicating doubled penalties, the monetary penalty for certain traffic infractions would be doubled and half of the additional revenue would be deposited into a dedicated account for the zone.

Karen Epps, committee staff, said the bill creates a local option to identify roads with a multitude of accidents and to implement interim safety steps while longer‑term projects are planned. Sponsor Senator Nikki Torres said the bill responded to constituent concerns about a stretch of US‑395 near Pasco with hundreds of crashes since 2021 and that interim measures like j‑turns or signage may be needed when large capital projects are not immediately feasible.

Local government witnesses supported the bill’s goals but urged clearer liability protections and technical refinements. Steven Ellis (Association of Washington Cities) and Axel Swanson (Association of Counties) backed the policy but asked for drafting changes; Brad Tower (Washington Counties Risk Pool) recommended liability shielding so jurisdictions implementing restrictions are not exposed to new payouts. Harold Stewart, city manager of Pasco, recounted multiple fatal and serious injury crashes in recent years and said targeted, lower‑cost fixes could save lives.

The committee closed testimony after stakeholder comments and said staff and the sponsor will work on language to address liability and implementation questions.