OLYMPIA — Since being elected to the Legislature in 2004, Sen. Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, has kept a sharp eye on the iconic symbol at the gateway to Gig Harbor Peninsula — and for the second time this year, his efforts have yielded results for users of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. 

On Tuesday, Gov. Chris Gregoire signed Senate Bill 5795, which Kilmer sponsored to restrict the use of toll revenues to expenditures directly related to the financing, operation, maintenance, management and necessary repairs of the bridge. The move comes two weeks after the governor signed another Kilmer law, SB 5556, which ensures that toll violators whose fines are reduced still pay the portion of their ticket that is dedicated to the TNB toll account.

“Every dollar we can save is one less dollar that we have to pay in tolls, and I want to make sure that the dollars going into the Tacoma Narrows Bridge toll account are spent efficiently.  These bills are about accountability and protecting toll payers,” said Kilmer.

Kilmer sponsored SB 5795 to ensure that toll funds go directly to paying down bridge debt rather than other overhead costs such as staff training, travel and meetings. It also enhances transparency by requiring the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to post quarterly expenditure reports on its web site.

“We’ve contracted out the toll collections to a private contractor, so I see no good reason why we would take on these extra costs,” Kilmer said.

Rep. Larry Seaquist sponsored a companion bill to SB 5795 and was integral in the efforts to get the bill passed out of the House.

The bill passed both chambers of the Legislature on unanimous votes.

“I want to thank the governor for seeing the importance of setting these important reforms in statute,” said Kilmer. “Having these guardrails on the use of toll dollars and having oversight and rule making by the Transportation Commission provides important safeguards for toll payers. I’m confident this bill will make a real difference.”

The governor signed the legislation in a ceremony attended by Kilmer and Rep. Larry Seaquist, who sponsored a companion bill in the House of Representatives.