Streamlining transportation projects.

HB 2718 requires Washington's Department of Transportation to streamline permitting for transportation projects by creating a multiagency program that coordinates with regulatory agencies and federally recognized tribes. The bill sets specific timeframes: agencies must hold meetings within 30 days to discuss permit expediting, and permit decisions must be reached within 90 days, with automatic approval if no comments are received within 60 days. It also mandates the DOT to develop standardized templates, improve communication about permit progress, and create programmatic permits to reduce paperwork and costs for projects like road improvements and fish passage corrections. This directly affects the DOT, state/federal permitting agencies (e.g., Ecology, Fish and Wildlife), local governments, and tribes involved in transportation project approvals.