Bill Text: CA AB2865 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Chaptered
Bill Title: High-occupancy toll lanes: Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2018-09-18 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 501, Statutes of 2018. [AB2865 Detail]
Download: California-2017-AB2865-Chaptered.html
| Assembly Bill No. 2865 |
| CHAPTER 501 |
An act to amend Section 149.6 of, and to add Section 149.13 to, the Streets and Highways Code, relating to transportation.
[
Approved by
Governor
September 18, 2018.
Filed with
Secretary of State
September 18, 2018.
]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 2865, Chiu.
High-occupancy toll lanes: Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority.
Existing law provides that the Department of Transportation has full possession and control of the state highway system. Existing law authorizes a regional transportation agency or the department to apply to the California Transportation Commission to develop and operate high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes or other toll facilities. Existing law provides for the review and approval by the commission of each proposed toll facility pursuant to eligibility criteria set forth in guidelines established by the commission and requires a toll facility approved by the commission to be subject to specified minimum requirements. Existing law requires revenue remaining after certain expenses are subtracted to be used in the corridor from which the revenue was generated pursuant to an expenditure plan developed by the sponsoring agency. With regard to a
facility sponsored by a regional transportation agency, existing law requires the regional transportation agency to develop an expenditure plan in consultation with the department and the governing board of the regional transportation agency to review and approve the expenditure plan and any updates.
This bill would authorize the Santa Clara Transportation Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) to apply to the commission pursuant to the above-described provisions to conduct, administer, and operate HOT lanes or other toll facilities on State Highway Route 101 and a specified portion of State Highway Route 280 in the City and County of San Francisco if the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA) approves the facilities before VTA submits an application to the commission for approval. The bill would require VTA to conduct, administer, and operate the facility in coordination with SFCTA. The bill would require SFCTA, in collaboration with the department and VTA, to develop the expenditure
plan and would require the governing board of SFCTA to review and approve the expenditure plan and any updates.
Existing law authorizes VTA to conduct, administer, and operate a value pricing high-occupancy toll (HOT) lane program on 2 corridors included in the high-occupancy vehicle lane system in the County of Santa Clara and on State Highway Route 101 in the County of San Mateo in coordination with the City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County and the San Mateo County Transportation Authority, as prescribed.
For the value pricing program authorized on State Highway Route 101 in the County of San Mateo, existing law requires all remaining revenue generated by the program after specified expenditures are made to be used in the corridor from which the revenues were generated exclusively for certain purposes.
This bill would provide that those
remaining revenues may also be used for projects that benefit the corridor, as specified. The bill would make other nonsubstantive and minor substantive changes.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NOBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 149.6 of the Streets and Highways Code is amended to read:149.6.
(a) Notwithstanding Sections 149, 149.7, and 30800, and Section 21655.5 of the Vehicle Code, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) created by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority Act (Part 12 (commencing with Section 100000) of Division 10 of the Public Utilities Code) may conduct, administer, and operate a value pricing program on any two of the transportation corridors included in the high-occupancy vehicle lane system in the County of Santa Clara in coordination with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and consistent with Section 21655.6 of the Vehicle Code.(b) Notwithstanding Sections 149, 149.7 and 30800, and Section 21655.5 of the Vehicle Code, VTA
may conduct, administer, and operate a value pricing program on State Highway Route 101 in San Mateo County in coordination with the City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County and with the San Mateo County Transportation Authority and consistent with Section 21655.6 of the Vehicle Code.
(c) (1) VTA, under the circumstances described in subdivisions (a) and (b)
may direct and authorize the entry and use of those high-occupancy vehicle lanes by single-occupant vehicles for a fee. The fee structure shall be established from time to time by VTA. A high-occupancy vehicle lane may only be operated as a high-occupancy toll (HOT) lane during the hours that the lane is otherwise restricted to use by high-occupancy vehicles.
(2) VTA shall enter into a cooperative agreement with the Bay Area Toll Authority to operate and manage the electronic toll collection system.
(d) With
the consent of the department, VTA shall establish appropriate performance measures, such as speed or travel times, for the purpose of ensuring optimal use of the HOT lanes by high-occupancy vehicles without adversely affecting other traffic on the state highway system. Unrestricted access to the lanes by high-occupancy vehicles shall be available at all times, except that those high-occupancy vehicles may be required to have an electronic transponder or other electronic device for enforcement purposes. At least annually, the department shall audit the performance during peak traffic hours and report the results of that audit at meetings of the program management team.
(e) Single-occupant vehicles that are certified or authorized by
VTA for entry into, and use of, the high-occupancy vehicle lanes in the County of Santa Clara and San Mateo County are exempt from Section 21655.5 of the Vehicle Code, and the driver shall not be in violation of the Vehicle Code because of that entry and use.
(f) VTA shall carry out a value pricing program established pursuant to this section in cooperation with the department pursuant to an agreement that addresses all matters related to design, construction, maintenance, and operation of state highway system facilities in connection with the value pricing program. An agreement to carry out the program authorized pursuant to subdivision (b) shall be subject to the review and approval by the City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County and the San Mateo County Transportation Authority.
(g) (1) Agreements between VTA, the department, and the Department of the California Highway Patrol shall
identify the respective obligations and liabilities of those entities and assign them responsibilities relating to the program. The agreements entered into pursuant to this section shall be consistent with agreements between the department and the United States Department of Transportation relating to this program. The agreements shall include clear and concise procedures for enforcement by the Department of the California Highway Patrol of laws prohibiting the unauthorized use of the high-occupancy vehicle lanes, which may include the use of video enforcement. The agreements shall provide for reimbursement of the department and the Department of the California Highway
Patrol for their costs related to the toll facility.
(2) The revenues generated by the program shall be available to VTA for the direct expenses related to the operation, including collection and enforcement, maintenance, construction, and administration of the program. VTA’s administrative costs in the operation of the program shall not exceed 3 percent of the revenues.
(3) (A) For a value pricing program established pursuant to subdivision (a), all remaining revenue generated by the program after expenditures made pursuant to paragraph (2) shall be used in the corridor from which the revenues were generated exclusively for the preconstruction, construction, and other related costs of high-occupancy vehicle facilities, transportation corridor improvements,
and the improvement of transit service, including, but not limited to, support for transit operations pursuant to an expenditure plan adopted by VTA.
(B) For a value pricing program established pursuant to subdivision (b), all remaining revenue generated by the program after expenditures made pursuant to paragraph (2) shall be used in the corridor from which the revenues were generated or used for projects that benefit the corridor for the preconstruction, construction, and other related costs of high-occupancy vehicle facilities, transportation corridor improvements, and the improvement of transit service, including, but not limited to, support for transit operations pursuant to an expenditure plan adopted by the City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County and the San Mateo County Transportation Authority.
(h) (1) VTA may issue bonds, refunding bonds, or bond anticipation notes, at any time to finance construction and construction-related expenditures necessary to implement a value pricing program established pursuant to
subdivision (a) or (b) and construction and construction-related expenditures that are provided for in an expenditure plan adopted pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (g), payable from the revenues generated from the program.
(2) The maximum bonded indebtedness that may be outstanding at any one time shall not exceed an amount that may be serviced from the estimated revenues generated from the program.
(3) The
bonds shall bear interest at a rate or rates not exceeding the maximum allowable by law, payable at intervals determined by VTA.
(4) Any bond issued pursuant to this subdivision shall contain on its face a statement to the following effect:
“Neither the full faith and credit nor the taxing power of the State of California is pledged to the payment of principal of, or the interest on, this bond.”
(5) Bonds shall be issued pursuant to a resolution of VTA adopted by a two-thirds vote of its governing board. The resolution shall state all of the following:
(A) The purposes for which the proposed debt is to be incurred.
(B) The estimated cost of accomplishing those purposes.
(C) The amount of the principal of the indebtedness.
(D) The maximum term of the bonds and the interest rate.
(E) The denomination or denominations of the bonds, which shall not be less than five thousand dollars ($5,000).
(F) The form of the bonds, including, without limitation, registered bonds and coupon bonds, to the extent permitted by federal law, the registration, conversion, and exchange privileges, if applicable, and the time when all of, or any part of, the principal becomes due and payable.
(G) Any other matters authorized by law.
(6) The full amount of bonds may be divided into two or more series and different dates of payment fixed for the bonds of each series. A bond shall not be required to mature on its anniversary date.
(i) Not later than three years after VTA first collects revenues from any of the projects described in paragraph (1) of subdivision
(c) VTA shall submit a report to the Legislature on its findings, conclusions, and recommendations concerning the demonstration program authorized by this section. The report shall include an analysis of the effect of the HOT lanes on adjacent mixed-flow lanes and any comments submitted by the department and the Department of the California Highway Patrol regarding operation of the lanes.
SEC. 2.
Section 149.13 is added to the Streets and Highways Code, to read:149.13.
(a) VTA may apply to the commission pursuant to Section 149.7 to conduct, administer, and operate any facility or program described in subdivision (a) of that section to be located on State Highway Route 101 and the portion of State Highway Route 280 north of its junction with State Highway Route 101, or any portion thereof, in the City and County of San Francisco if SFCTA approves the facility or program before VTA submits an application to approve the facility or program to the commission pursuant to Section 149.7.(b) If the commission approves VTA’s application to conduct, administer, and operate a facility or program located on any portion of state highway described in subdivision (a), all of the following shall apply:
(1) The facility or program approved by the commission shall be subject to all of the provisions of Section 149.7 except to the extent that those provisions are inconsistent with paragraphs (2) to (5), inclusive.
(2) VTA shall conduct, administer, and operate the program in coordination with SFCTA.
(3) SFCTA shall develop the expenditure plan described in paragraph (5) of subdivision (e) of Section 149.7 in collaboration with the department and VTA.
(4) The governing board of SFCTA shall review and approve the expenditure plan described in paragraph (5) of subdivision (e) of Section 149.7 and any updates.
(5) The remaining revenue shall be used to benefit the corridor from which it was
generated pursuant to the expenditure plan.
(c) For purposes of this section, the following terms shall apply:
(1) “SFCTA” means the San Francisco County Transportation Authority.
(2) “VTA” means the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority created by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority Act (Part 12 (commencing with Section 100000) of Division 10 of the Public Utilities Code).
