Bill Text: CA SB980 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Introduced

California Senate Bill 980 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: High-occupancy vehicle lanes.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-02-14 - Referred to Com. on RLS. [SB980 Detail]

Download: California-2017-SB980-Introduced.html

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 980

Introduced by Senator Cannella

February 01, 2018

An act to amend Section 21655.5 of the Vehicle Code, relating to high-occupancy vehicle lanes.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 980, as introduced, Cannella. High-occupancy vehicle lanes.

Under existing law, the Department of Transportation and local authorities, with respect to highways under their respective jurisdictions, may authorize or permit exclusive or preferential use of highway lanes for high-occupancy vehicles, as specified, and are required to place and maintain signs and other traffic control devices to designate those exclusive or preferential lanes, the applicable vehicle occupancy levels, and the hours of high-occupancy vehicle use, as specified.

This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to those provisions.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO Local Program: NO

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 21655.5 of the Vehicle Code, as amended by Section 2 of Chapter 392 of the Statutes of 2017, is amended to read:

21655.5.

(a) The Department of Transportation and local ~~authorities, with respect to highways under their respective jurisdictions,~~ authorities may authorize or permit exclusive or preferential use of highway lanes for high-occupancy ~~vehicles.~~ vehicles with respect to highways under their respective jurisdiction. Prior to establishing the lanes, competent engineering estimates shall be made of the effect of the lanes on safety, congestion, and highway capacity.

(b) The Department of Transportation and local ~~authorities, with respect to highways under their respective jurisdictions,~~ authorities shall place and maintain, or cause to be placed and maintained, signs and other official traffic control devices to designate the exclusive or preferential lanes, to advise motorists of the applicable vehicle occupancy levels, and, except where ramp metering and bypass lanes are regulated with the activation of traffic signals, to advise motorists of the hours of high-occupancy vehicle ~~usage.~~ usage with respect to highways under their respective jurisdictions. A person shall not drive a vehicle upon those lanes except in conformity with the instructions imparted by the official traffic control devices. A motorcycle, a mass transit vehicle, a blood transport vehicle that is clearly and identifiably marked as such on all sides of the vehicle, or a paratransit vehicle that is clearly and identifiably marked on all sides of the vehicle with the name of the paratransit provider may be operated upon those exclusive or preferential use lanes unless specifically prohibited by a traffic control device.

(c) When responding to an existing emergency or breakdown in which a mass transit vehicle is blocking an exclusive or preferential use lane, a clearly marked mass transit vehicle, mass transit supervisor’s vehicle, or mass transit maintenance vehicle that is responding to the emergency or breakdown may be operated in the segment of the exclusive or preferential use lane being blocked by the mass transit vehicle, regardless of the number of persons in the vehicle responding to the emergency or breakdown, if both vehicles are owned or operated by the same agency, and that agency provides public mass transit services.

(d) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:

(1) “Blood transport vehicle” means a vehicle owned and operated by the American Red Cross or a blood bank that is transporting blood between collection points and hospitals or storage centers.

(2) “Mass transit vehicle” means a transit bus regularly used to transport paying passengers in mass transit service.

(3) “Paratransit vehicle” as defined in Section 462.

(e) It is the intent of the Legislature, in amending this section, to stimulate and encourage the development of ways and means of relieving traffic congestion on California highways and, at the same time, to encourage individual citizens to pool their vehicular resources and thereby conserve fuel and lessen emission of air pollutants.

(f) The provisions of this section regarding mass transit vehicles and paratransit vehicles shall only apply if the Director of Transportation determines that the application will not subject the state to a reduction in the amount of federal aid for highways.

(g) The authority for a blood transport vehicle to use exclusive or preferential lanes in accordance with subdivision (b) shall only be operative under either of the following circumstances:

(1) The Director of Transportation determines that the use of those lanes by those vehicles will not cause a reduction of federal aid funds for highways or otherwise be inconsistent with federal law or regulations, or with any agreement between the state and a federal agency or department, and the director posts that determination on the Department of Transportation’s Internet Web site.

(2) The Federal Highway Administration of the United States Department of Transportation, upon the request of the director, makes that determination and the director posts the determination on the Department of Transportation’s Internet Web site.