(1) The multiuse roadway safety account is created in the motor vehicle fund. All receipts from vehicle license fees under RCW 46.17.350(1)(r) must be deposited into the account. Moneys in the account may be spent only after appropriation. Except as provided in (e) of this subsection and subsection (3) of this section, expenditures from the account may be used only for grants administered by the department of transportation to: (a) Counties to perform safety engineering analysis of mixed vehicle use on any road within a county; (b) local governments to provide funding to erect signs providing notice to the motoring public that (i) wheeled all-terrain vehicles are present or (ii) wheeled all-terrain vehicles may be crossing; (c) the state patrol or local law enforcement for purposes of defraying the costs of enforcement of chapter 23, Laws of 2013 2nd sp. sess.; (d) law enforcement to investigate accidents involving wheeled all-terrain vehicles; and (e) during the 2025-2027 biennium grants may be made to counties and cities to (i) enhance or maintain any segment of a road within the jurisdiction in which the segment has been designated as part of a travel or tourism route for use by wheeled all-terrain vehicles; and (ii) purchase, print, develop, or use educational brochures or mapping technology that aids in the safety and direction of users of wheeled all-terrain vehicle routes.

(2) The department of transportation must prioritize grant awards in the following priority order:

(a) For the purpose of marking highway crossings with signs warning motorists that wheeled all-terrain vehicles may be crossing when an ORV recreation facility parking lot is on the other side of a public roadway from the actual ORV recreation facility; and

(b) For the purpose of marking intersections with signs where a wheeled all-terrain vehicle may cross a public road to advise motorists of the upcoming intersection. Such signs must conform to the manual on uniform traffic control devices.

(3)(a) During the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium, expenditures from the account may be used for interagency transfers to the departments of natural resources and fish and wildlife, during the second year of the fiscal biennium, with respect to roads that are comanaged by the agencies and which are open for use by wheeled all-terrain vehicles, for the purposes of:

(i) Mitigating impacts to road surfaces caused by wheeled all-terrain vehicles on public roadways authorized for wheeled all-terrain vehicle travel;

(ii) Erecting signage to identify the designation of public roadways as either open or closed to wheeled all-terrain vehicles, depending on whether the roadway has been authorized for wheeled all-terrain vehicle travel; or

(iii) Purchasing, printing, developing, or using educational brochures or mapping technology that aids in the safety and direction of users of wheeled all-terrain vehicle routes.

(b) The department of transportation must limit the interagency transfers to the departments of natural resources and fish and wildlife under this subsection (3) such that a minimum of $80,000 is available to be allocated for grants to eligible local governments during the biennium.

(c) Prior to an interagency transfer to either the department of natural resources or the department of fish and wildlife under this subsection (3), the county or counties in which the proposed project will take place must first submit a letter of support to the implementing department and to the department of transportation.

Effective date—2025 c 416: See note following RCW 36.79.020.

Effective date—2021 c 333: See note following RCW 43.19.642.

Finding—Intent—2013 2nd sp.s. c 23: See note following RCW 46.09.442.

Effective date—2013 2nd sp.s. c 23: See note following RCW 46.09.310.