From: Tim Sweeney/WUTC Policy Specialist <wutcpol1@wln.com>
Subject: WUTC Notice of Inquiry re: PayPhone Call Restriction

*************** Public Announcement ******************


Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission
1300 S. Evergreen Park Dr. S.W.
P.O. Box 47250
Olympia, WA 98504-7250
(206) 753-6423

COMMENTS INVITED REGARDING POSSIBLE PAY TELEPHONE CALL
RESTRICTIONS TO MINIMIZE NUISANCE AND ILLICIT BEHAVIORS: 

          The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission
has established an inquiry, on a subject of possible rulemaking,
to discover information and to evaluate options to reduce
disruptive or illicit activity at locations of public pay
telephones in the State.

          The Commission has recognized the troublesome nature of
complex conflicting public interests: in public safety and
freedom from illicit activity, on the one hand, and in convenient
and predictable telephone access, on the other.  

          The Commission also recognizes that complete removal of
a pay telephone is a possible alternative if other measures,
including law enforcement intervention, cannot control illicit
activity that interferes with personal security or public safety. 
When that happens, no public telephone service at all is
available.  

          To learn more about these pay telephone problems and to
consider options, the Commission has ordered that a Notice of
Inquiry be issued and that the Commission and its Staff gather
information and promote dialogue aimed at understanding and
resolving conflicting public interests.

     Traditionally, Commission inquiries have been open to the
public but have rarely gone beyond comment from the regulated
industries, its major customers, and other interested persons. 
The discussion paper includes a summary of background factors and
potential issues, and a list of questions for commenters to
address.  The Commission is actively seeking a wide range of
comment from potentially affected groups, consumers, and
institutions.  Comments are due by March 9, 1994.

     The Notice of Inquiry, with the associated discussion paper
is available in ASCII text form via anonymous FTP on the
Internet. 

Connect to the host at:   FTP.GOVT.WASHINGTON.EDU,
   cd to the directory:   /wutc/payphone
              then get:   NOI_ON_PAYPHONE_RESTRICTION.txt   

Hard copies can be acquired by sending a request with a postal
address to the Commission.  The Commission is requesting that
formal comment be submitted both in hard copy and on disk in
electronic form.