Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

AGLO 1982 NO. 24 >

(1) Motor vehicles otherwise lawfully participating in a funeral procession, whether or not accompanied by escort vehicles, are required to obey the instructions of any official traffic control device applicable thereto unless the particular funeral procession is escorted or controlled by a traffic or police officer who otherwise directs. (2) A county or city ordinance purporting to provide an exemption for funeral processions not provided for by the state motor vehicle code would be invalid.

AGO 1963 NO. 25 >

The term "public highway" as used in the state motor vehicle code (Title 46 RCW) means any place, way, street, etc., where people are accustomed to congregate in automobiles in numbers sufficient to constitute a use by the public.

AGLO 1974 NO. 32 >

To the extent that House Bill No. 1295 (chapter 141, Laws of 1974, 1st Ex. Sess.) is constitutionally valid, it permits municipalities to use gasoline tax revenues for the construction of bicycle paths.

AGLO 1975 NO. 35 >

The state motor vehicle fund may be used to finance the operation of a proposed state department of transportation only to the extent that the activities and services of such a department would be related to highway purposes within the meaning of Article II, § 40 (Amendment 18) of the state constitution.

AGLO 1974 NO. 41 >

The city of Seattle may not use moneys in its arterial street fund to repay the urban arterial board for state funds expended by that city in the purchase of right-of-way for the now abandoned Bay Freeway project.

AGLO 1974 NO. 46 >

(1) A police officer may employ the services of a commercial towing truck to move a parked automobile from a highway under RCW 46.61.565. (2) In such a case, the tow truck operator will have a statutory lien against the owner of the automobile for payment of his charges, and will also have a contractual right to payment by the county or city which retained his services if the vehicle involved later turns out to have been abandoned and is not claimed by its owner.

AGLO 1974 NO. 47 >

If a person has lawfully erected and maintained a sign visible from the main traveled way of the primary highway system within commercial and industrial areas on June 1, 1971, such sign is permitted to remain and be maintained after May 10, 1974 because of RCW 47.42.063, even though it does not comply with such provisions as RCW 47.42.040, RCW 47.42.045 and RCW 47.42.060.

AGLO 1973 NO. 51 >

The department of game is not entitled to compensation under Article I, § 16 (Amendment 9) of the state Constitution when the state highway department acquires property for a highway through an area designated by the game department as a game reserve pursuant to RCW 77.12.040.

AGO 1951 NO. 70 >

Motorists smearing freshly painted traffic lines of highway paint crews may be charged with a misdemeanor and convicted of violating several provisions of the motor vehicle code.

AGO 1951 NO. 86 >

Sales of merchandise along a state highway from boxes carried by the vendor or from pushcarts are prohibited by section 78, chapter 53, Laws of 1937, unless the vendor has a permit.