BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  SB 375
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          Date of Hearing:  July 9, 2007

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
                                  Pedro Nava, Chair
                   SB 375 (Steinberg) - As Amended:  July 17, 2007

           SENATE VOTE :  21-15
           
          SUBJECT  :  Transportation planning: travel demand models:  
          preferred growth scenarios

           SUMMARY  :  Links transportation planning and funding to general  
          land use planning and the California Environmental Quality Act  
          (CEQA).  Specifically,  this bill  :  

          1)Makes findings and declarations relative to greenhouse gas  
            emissions, the emissions that are attributed to the  
            transportation sector, and the expanded uses for planning  
            models and analytical techniques to effect policy choices.  

          2)Requires the California Transportation Commission (CTC), in  
            consultation with the California Air Resources Board (ARB), to  
            adopt travel demand model guidelines by April 1, 2008, for  
            mandated use by the federally-designated metropolitan planning  
            organizations (MPOs) of which there are 18 within the state,  
            county transportation agencies in areas that have been  
            designated as nonattainment areas under the federal Clean Air  
            Act, and the Southern California Association of Governments  
            (SCAG) - that includes the Counties of Imperial, Los Angeles,  
            Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura.  Requires CTC  
            to form an advisory committee and to hold workshops.  Requires  
            the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to  
            assist CTC in preparing the guidelines upon CTC's request.   

          3)Requires the guidelines to account, at a minimum and to the  
            extent practicable, the following:  

             a)   The relationship between land use density and household  
               vehicle ownership and vehicle miles traveled.  

             b)   The impact of enhanced transit service levels on  
               household vehicle ownership and vehicle miles traveled.  

             c)   Induced travel and induced land development resulting  
               from highway or passenger rail expansion.  








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             d)   Mode splitting that allocates trips between automobile,  
               transit, carpool, and bicycle and pedestrian trips.  

          4)Requires specified regional transportation planning agencies  
            (RTPAs) and public transportation entities to disseminate the  
            methodology, results, and key assumptions of the travel demand  
            model usable and understandable to the public.  Encourages,  
            but does not require, other RTPAs (primarily representing the  
            smaller, rural areas) to use the travel demand models in the  
            development of their regional transportation plans (RTPs).  

          5)Requires specified RTPAs to report to CTC on how the travel  
            demand model supports corridor planning and small area  
            planning at the time the RTP is submitted to CTC and Caltrans.  
             

          6)Requires RTPs to include preferred growth scenario (PGS) that:  
             

             a)   Identifies areas within the region that are sufficient  
               to house all the population of the region for all income  
               categories over the course of the planning period;  

             b)   Identifies a transportation network to service the  
               transportation needs of the region;  

             c)   Identifies significant resource areas and significant  
               farmland;  

             d)   Excludes from development all publicly-owned parks and  
               open space, open space or habitat areas protected by a  
               habitat conservation plan, natural community conservation   
               plan, or other adopted natural resource protection plans,  
               lands subject to conservation easements or Williamson Act  
               contracts, and, except in specified conditions, open space  
               lands, endangered plant or animal species habitat, habitat  
               blocks, linkages, or watershed units, floodplains, and  
               "significant farmland," defined as farmland classified as  
               prime or unique farmland, or farmland that is of statewide  
               importance and located outside all existing spheres of  
               influence; and,  

             e)   Allows the regional transportation plan to comply with  
               specified provisions of the federal Clean Air Act.  








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             f)   Directs each jurisdiction within a metropolitan planning  
               organization to develop a PGS.

          7)Requires ARB, by an unspecified date, in consultation with the  
            affected transportation agencies and after at least one public  
            workshop, to set greenhouse gas emission reduction targets  
            from the automobile and light truck sector for each affected  
            region, to be achieved by 2020 and 2035.  Requires ARB to  
            update the regional targets consistent with each agency's  
            timeframe for updating its regional transportation plan under  
            federal law until 2050.  

          8)Requires a preferred growth scenario (PGS) to be consistent  
            with the state planning priorities established by AB 857  
            (Wiggins), Chapter 1016, Statutes of 2002.  

          9)Requires an RTPA to prepare a supplement to a PGS showing how  
            those greenhouse gas emission targets could be achieved  
            through additional transportation investments, land use  
            incentives, or other programs and incentives if the PGS is  
            unable to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to achieve the  
            targets established by ARB.  

          10) States that a PGS does not regulate the use of land, nor  
            shall it be subject to any state review or approval, and that  
            nothing in a PGS shall be interpreted as superseding or  
            interfering with the exercise of the land use authority of  
            cities and counties within the region.  

          11)Requires that, on and after January 1, 2009, projects and  
            improvements to be funded from the regional transportation  
            improvement programs shall be consistent with the RTPs, but  
            exempts projects programmed for funding on or before December  
            31, 2011, which are not required to be consistent with the PGS  
            if they are contained in the 2006 or 2008 Federal  
            Transportation Improvement Program or are funded pursuant to  
            Proposition 1B.  

          12)Defines the phrases "consistent with the preferred growth  
            scenario" or "consistent with the regional transportation  
            plan" to mean that the capacity of transportation projects and  
            improvements does not exceed that which is necessary to  
            provide reasonable service levels to the preferred growth  
            scenario.  








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          13)Requires that, before an RTPA can identify a significant  
            resource area or significant farmland as a development area,  
            it must make findings that the area is adjacent to urbanized  
            areas or located on infill sites; the area is served by  
            necessary utilities; there is no feasible alternative; the  
            loss of resource area is fully mitigated; and the land is  
            efficiently used with a minimum of 10 units per acre.  

          14)Requires the following projects to be consistent with the  
            preferred growth strategy for the region:

             a)   Projects to implement a regional transportation plan;  

             b)   Establishing corridors of statewide or regional  
               priority;  

             c)   As of January 1, 2009, projects and improvements funded  
               in the five-year STIP; and, 

             d)   Congestion Management Plans.  

          15)Authorize exemptions from specified California Environmental  
            Quality Act (CEQA) requirements for certain projects within an  
            eligible local jurisdiction that has amended the general plan  
            so that the land use, circulation, housing, and open space  
            elements are consistent with the PGS.  The CEQA "relief":  

             a)   Applies to cities and counties who have amended their  
               general plans (land use, circulation, housing and open  
               space elements) to be consistent with the PGS in the  
               region.  

             b)   Allows a shortened review for eligible residential and  
               residential/mixed use projects on infill sites  
               (environmental document need only examine project specific  
               impacts if environmental impact reports (EIRs) have  
               previously been certified on the PGS and the general plan  
               amendments).  

             c)   Exempts "sustainable communities" projects designated by  
               legislative body after public hearing.  

          16)Establishes criteria for sustainable communities project to  
            include:








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             a)   Utilities adequate. 

             b)   In lieu or development fees paid.  

             c)   No wetlands, riparian areas, habitat value, harm to  
               protected species.  

             d)   No hazardous waste.  

             e)   No effect on historical resources.  

             f)   No wildland fire risk, seismic, landslide, flood, etc.  

             g)   Complies with local "green" building standards.  

             h)   Located on an infill site.  

             i)   Residential or residential/mixed use.  

             j)   Not more than 8 acres.  

             aa)    Not more than 200 units.  

             bb)    No loss in affordable housing in the project area.

             cc)    No single level building over 75,000 square feet. 

             dd)    Consistent with general plan.  

             ee)    Meets specified affordability criteria, or located  
               within  mile of a major transit stop, or provides public  
               open space of at least 5 acres per 1,000 residents.

          17)Authorizes legislative bodies of urban cities and counties to  
            adopt traffic mitigation measures that apply to all future  
            residential projects at least 10 units per acre.  If adopted,  
            individual projects are relieved from requirement to comply  
            with any additional traffic mitigation measures (except for  
            impacts on pedestrian or bicycle safety).  Requires local  
            review of the traffic mitigation measures and upgrade if  
            necessary at least every five years.  

           EXISTING LAW  :   









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          1)Under Federal law, 23 United State Codes Section 134, requires  
            an MPO to be designated for each urbanized area with a  
            population of more than 50,000.  

          2)Requires each RTPA to adopt and submit to CTC and Caltrans an  
            updated RTP every three years in urban regions and every four  
            years in non-urban regions.  Sets forth, as part of the  
            regional transportation planning process, development of a  
            regional transportation plan (RTP).  RTPs are to reflect the  
            mobility goals and objectives of the region and be directed at  
            achieving a coordinated and balanced regional transportation  
            system including, but not limited to, mass transportation,  
            highway, railroad, maritime, bicycle, pedestrian, goods  
            movement, and aviation facilities and services.  RTPAs and  
            MPOs are encouraged to include in their RTPs a discussion on  
            transportation demand management (TDM), which consists of  
            managing how, when, and where people travel.  TDM programs  
            include carpools, vanpools, guaranteed rides home,  
            park-and-ride lots, high-occupancy vehicle lanes, public  
            transit, telecommuting, and trip reduction strategies.  The  
            RTP must contain a policy element, an action element, and a  
            financial element and is the source for projects programmed in  
            the RTIP.  

          3)Requires CTC, in cooperation with RTPAs and Caltrans, to  
            prepare RTP Guidelines.  

          4)Requires Caltrans to prepare various transportation plans,  
            including the California Transportation Plan and the Federal  
            Transportation Improvement Plan.

          5)Requires CTC to adopt the STIP, which lists all capital  
            improvement projects that are expected to receive an  
            allocation of state transportation funds from CTC during the  
            following five fiscal years.  The STIP includes both the  
            Interregional Transportation Improvement Program (ITIP) and  
            the Regional Transportation Improvement Programs (RTIPs)  
            developed by 48 RTPAs.  Seventy-five percent of STIP funding  
            is programmed by the regions through the RTIPs.  Twenty-five  
            percent of STIP funding is programmed by Caltrans through the  
            ITIP.  

          6)Authorizes a city or county to designate an infill opportunity  
            zone that must be consistent with any general plan and  
            specific plan.  








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          7)Exempts a residential project, not exceeding 100 units, with a  
            minimum residential density of 20 units per acre and within  
            one-half mile of a transit stop, on an infill site in an  
            urbanized area, if certain other conditions are met, from the  
            requirements of CEQA.

          8)Requires lead agencies with the principal responsibility for  
            carrying out or approving a proposed discretionary project to  
            prepare a negative declaration, mitigated declaration, or  
            environmental impact report (EIR) for this action, unless the  
            project is exempt from CEQA (CEQA includes various statutory  
            exemptions, as well as categorical exemptions in the CEQA  
            guidelines).  

          9)Provides ARB, the State Energy Commission, and the California  
            Climate Action Registry with responsibilities with respect to  
            the control of emissions of greenhouse gases, and the  
            Secretary for Environmental Protection is required to  
            coordinate emission reductions of greenhouse gases and climate  
            change activity in state government.  
            
          10)Requires ARB to require the reporting and verification of  
            statewide greenhouse gas emissions and to monitor and enforce  
            compliance with this program, as specified.  Requires ARB to  
            adopt a statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit equivalent to  
            the statewide greenhouse gas emissions levels in 1990 to be  
            achieved by 2020; AB 32 (Nunez and Pavley) Chapter 488,  
            Statutes of 2006.
           
          11)Enacts Proposition 1C, the Housing and Emergency Shelter  
            Trust Fund Act of 2006, approved by the voters in the November  
            2006 general election, authorizes the issuance of $2.85  
            billion in general obligation bonds for various existing  
            housing programs, capital outlay related to infill  
            development, and other purposes.  

          12)Enacts the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply,  
            Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2006,  
            approved by the voters as Proposition 84 in the November 2006  
            general election.  Authorizes the issuance of $5.388 billion  
            in general obligation bonds for various public resources  
            projects, including $90,000,000 for planning grants and  
            planning incentives for the development of regional and local  
            land use plans that are designed to promote water  








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            conservation, reduce automobile use and fuel consumption,  
            encourage greater infill and compact development, protect  
            natural resources and agricultural lands, and revitalize urban  
            and community centers.  

          13)Enacts the Highway Safety, Traffic Reduction, Air Quality,  
            and Port Security Bond Act of 2006, approved by the voters as  
            Proposition 1B on November 7, 2006.  Provides nearly $20  
            billion for transportation and air quality improvements as  
            well as capitol funds for port and transit security.  

           FISCAL EFFECT  :  According to the Senate Committee on  
          Appropriations:  

          1)CTC costs associated with the adoption of guidelines would be  
            in the range of $200,000.  

          2)Caltrans costs for participating in the process for adopting  
            guidelines for travel demand models would be absorbable.  

          3)ARB would require three positions at a cost of $330,000 and  
            approximately $300,000 in contracted work to develop regional  
            targets and complete site-specific modeling work in order to  
            implement the provisions of this bill.  

          4)By requiring larger regional planning entities to apply the  
            specified travel demand models to their regional  
            transportation plans, and requiring all RTPAs to include a  
            preferred growth scenario in regional transportation plans,  
            this bill would result in a reimbursable state mandate of  
            unknown significant costs, potential in the range of several  
            million dollars.  

           COMMENTS  :  

          Purpose:  According to the author, SB 375 provides a mechanism  
          for reducing greenhouse gases from the single largest sector of  
          emissions, cars and light trucks.  The environmental  
          organizations sponsoring this legislation maintain that changes  
          in land use and transportation policy must be made to achieve  
          the goals of AB 32.  Although greenhouse gas emissions can be  
          reduced by producing more fuel efficient cars and using low  
          carbon fuel, reductions in vehicle miles traveled will also be  
          necessary.  Thus, the travel demand models used by metropolitan  
          planning organizations to develop regional transportation plans  








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          must assess the effects of land use decisions, transit service,  
          and economic incentives.  This bill will help implement AB 32 by  
          amending programs that are beyond the current authority of ARB.   
          It creates new provisions for the preparation of regional  
          transportation plans and it creates a new subchapter in CEQA to  
          encourage the implementation of plans for greenhouse gas  
          reductions at the local level.  

          Accordingly, this bill contains three principal provisions:  

          1)The regional transportation plans for each region that will  
            include a PGS in which growth is located where it will achieve  
            greenhouse gas reduction targets set for the region by ARB.   
            The author and sponsors have been at pains to state that the  
            RTPs have no regulatory power over land use.  

          2)Local governments would have fiscal "incentives" to implement  
            SB 375.  This bill provides that future transportation  
            projects would have to be consistent with the PGS.  When local  
            governments make land use decisions that implement the PGS,  
            they will be rewarded with transportation funding.  Existing  
            transportation projects in the funding pipeline through 2011  
            will not be affected.  

          3)Local governments would have regulatory incentives to  
            implement SB 375.  Those local governments who choose to amend  
            their land use plans to conform to the PGS, will be authorized  
            to utilize new provisions of CEQA which are designed to assist  
            in implementing the PGS, while preserving public participation  
            and transparency.  

          Preferred Growth Scenario (PGS):  According to the author, the  
          PGS will be adopted by all regional transportation planning  
          agencies using the procedures now utilized for the adoption of  
          RTPs.  These procedures include local government participation  
          and extensive public outreach.  Each region will have the  
          flexibility to design the PGS that best meets its needs within  
          four general  parameters set by the state.  First, each PGS must  
          identify housing sites for the region's population, including  
          all economic segments of the population and including all the  
          population growth.  Second, the housing sites must be located to  
          achieve that region's share of the greenhouse gas reduction  
          targets.  Third, the housing sites must avoid significant  
          natural resource areas unless certain orderly growth findings  
          are made.  Fourth, the housing sites must avoid significant  








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          farmland unless certain findings are made.  Each region must  
          attempt to achieve the greenhouse gas reduction targets  
          established by ARB to the greatest extent feasible.  If,  
          however, a region cannot design a preferred growth scenario that  
          will accomplish the necessary reductions, the region must  
          prepare a supplement that will identify how that region could  
          achieve the targets if it had additional resources or programs.   


          The author maintains that the PGS is an evolutionary step beyond  
          the regional blueprints or visions that have been adopted in  
          some regions.  Regional blueprints in Los Angeles and Sacramento  
          suggest that future growth could meet these criteria of the PGS  
          with about 50% of new housing being constructed on infill sites  
          and about 50% being constructed in greenfield subdivisions.   
          These new subdivisions tend to be closer to the urban core and  
          slightly more dense.  These designs will reduce greenhouse gas  
          emissions by resulting in shorter vehicle trips and increased  
          transit use.  

          In their letter of concern, Housing California indicates that a  
          major concern centers on "how the PGS will interact with the  
          statutorily-mandated housing element.  Will the PGS reflect  
          important factors that currently apply to the housing needs  
          allocation process, including reducing income  
          segregation/increasing integration?  What measurement of housing  
          need will the PGS be based on?  If it uses the Regional Housing  
          Needs Assessment numbers produced by the Department of Housing  
          and Community Development every five years, how will they sync  
          up with the four-year RTP schedule?"  

          This bill requires that the regional transportation plans  
          include a preferred growth scenario and that the regional  
          transportation improvement programs be consistent with the  
          regional transportation plans in order to receive state  
          transportation funds.  The bill further requires that only the  
          18 metropolitan planning organizations, counties within air  
          quality non-attainment areas, and SCAG use the travel demand  
          computerized models that are essential in the development of  
          PGSs.  However, the smaller rural areas in the state that are  
          currently in air quality attainment areas are not required to  
          use the computerized travel demand models.  Accordingly, could  
          an adequate PGS be developed by these rural entities without the  
          use of the travel demand models and still meet the test of  
          regional transportation improvement program conformity with the  








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          regional transportation plan to the extent that state  
          transportation funding would not be curtailed?  The committee or  
          author may wish to consider amending this bill to exclude these  
                    rural areas from the provisions of the bill or to allow  
          participation on a voluntary basis and, if an entity options to  
          participate in the development of a PGS, then the applicable  
          provisions on funding restrictions would apply.  

          On the matter of locally-funded transportation projects, as  
          approved by the local voters, should such projects be exempt  
          from the bill's provisions and treated currently in the same  
          manner as projects funded by Proposition 1B or identified in the  
          current or 2008 federal transportation improvement program?  

          CEQA incentive:  SB 375 enacts a new subchapter to CEQA,  
          "Implementation of the Preferred Growth Scenario."  The  
          provisions of this subchapter apply to land use decisions within  
          local jurisdictions that have amended their general plans to  
          conform to the PGS.  There are three new provisions.  First, if  
          a residential or mixed use project can satisfy the environmental  
          and land use criteria on a sustainable communities checklist, it  
          does not have to engage in any further compliance with CEQA.   
          Second, for projects that do not qualify as sustainable  
          communities projects, those projects will only have to analyze  
          their project specific impacts under CEQA.  Third, local  
          governments will be authorized to establish traffic mitigation  
          polices for residential projects in advance.  Developed as  
          "incentives" the CEQA exemptions and streamlining provisions  
          appear overly prescriptive and unworkable.  The author may wish  
          to amend the bill to have its CEQA exemption provisions be less  
          prescriptive, especially as CEQA currently allows for limited  
          infill exemptions, in order to actualize such incentives.  

          Greenhouse gas emissions:  SB 375 is one of the first attempts  
          in the post-AB 32 world to attempt to implement programs to  
          achieve that landmark bill's goals.  It chooses to do so through  
          the regulation of land use.  While the sense of urgency  
          underlying the rapid development of this bill is understandable,  
          the Committee may wish to consider some of the serious policy  
          implications of its provisions, and whether rushing forward  
          without taking at least a little more time to work through some  
          of these implications is a prudent course, given the potentially  
          profound impacts SB 375 would have, especially in terms of the  
          mandate placed upon ARB to develop emission targets for each  
          region by the proposed amended date of June 30, 2008.  The  








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          author or the committee may wish to clarify whether the  
          "targets" carry the same connotation as statewide greenhouse gas  
          "limits" that are required to be adopted by ARB by January 1,  
          2008, pursuant to AB 32?  

          Coordination or impacts upon other local and state plans:  

          1)Strategic Growth Plan (SGP) calls for a $222 billion  
            infrastructure improvement program to fortify the state's  
            transportation system, education, housing, and waterways.  The  
            SGP includes a historic and comprehensive transportation  
            investment package designed to decrease congestion, improve  
            travel times, and increase safety, while accommodating future  
            growth in the population and the economy.  The SGP deploys  
            demand-management strategies, such as dedicated truck lanes  
            and high occupancy toll lanes, and builds new capacity.  It  
            will enable more traffic to move through existing roadways,  
            rehabilitate thousands of lane miles of roads, add new lanes,  
            and increase public transportation ridership.  This requires  
            innovation in transportation planning, construction and  
            management, sustained coordination between regional  
            transportation agencies and the state, and dedicated funding.   
            The SGP, however, does not include specific considerations for  
            greenhouse gas emission and criteria air pollutant reductions.  
             

          2)The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) is  
            engaged in a land use/growth plan entitled "The Compass  
            Blueprint 2% Strategy."  It is a guideline for how and where  
            SCAG can implement the growth vision for Southern California's  
            future.  The strategy calls for modest changes to current land  
            use and transportation trends on only 2% of the land area of  
            the region - the 2% Strategy Opportunity Areas.  The 2%  
            Strategy proposes increasing the region's mobility by:  

             a)   Encouraging transportation investments and land use  
               decisions that are mutually supportive.  

             b)   Locating new housing near existing jobs and new jobs  
               near existing housing.  

             c)   Encouraging transit-oriented development and promoting a  
               variety of travel choices.  

          1)MTC:  According to MTC, "Proposition 1C (the statewide housing  








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            bond) contains $850 million for a "Regional Planning, Housing  
            and Infill Incentive Account" while Proposition 84 (the park  
            bond) includes $90 million for planning grants and revolving  
            loan funds for local and regional agencies to reduce  
            automobile use, among other goals.  In coordination with the  
            Joint Policy Committee, MTC will work to ensure that  
            legislation adopted to guide the distribution of these funds  
            complements and rewards the region's ongoing smart growth  
            efforts, such as our Transportation for Livable Communities  
            and Housing Incentive Program, our Transit Oriented  
            Development Policy, and the Focusing Our Vision effort  
            spearheaded by the Association of Bay Area Governments.  

          2)California Transportation Commission:  The CTC has recently  
            initiated efforts in June 2007 to update the RTP guidelines to  
            incorporate meeting AB 32 greenhouse gas emission reduction  
            targets and to enhance the use of regional blueprint plans.   
            According to CTC, "Senator Perata has requested that CTC  
            report back its findings and recommendations to the  
            Legislature by the end of 2007."  

           ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT:   According to the author, "Current  
          planning models used for transportation decisions and air  
          quality planning must be improved to assess policy choices.   
          This includes encouraging more compact development patterns,  
          expanding transit service, creating walkable communities, and  
          providing incentives.  It is also necessary to achieve  
          significant greenhouse gas reductions from changed land use  
          patterns and improved transportation to meet AB 32 standards."   
          The author notes that "transportation and CEQA incentives are  
          needed for greater housing choices, shorter commutes, reduced  
          climate emissions, less air pollution, less fossil fuel  
          consumption, and greater conservation of farmlands and habitat."  
           

           ARGUMENTS IN OPPOSITION:   According to numerous groups opposed  
          to this bill, "SB 375 could seriously compromise the existing  
          long-term funding rules for a broad spectrum of state and local  
          transportation programs and projects including critical  
          long-term funding through the State Transportation Improvement  
          Program (STIP).  

          "SB 375 changes the well-established criteria for funding  
          transportation projects through the STIP by imposing new,  
          limiting criteria to determine if a project qualifies for  








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          funding.  That new criteria focuses primarily on the location of  
          a project.  If a project is located within a preferred growth  
          are it will likely qualify for funding. If the project is  
          outside of a preferred growth area it doesn't even qualify to be  
          considered for funding.  

          "The most recent amendments to SB 375 acknowledge the impact on  
          STIP funding by modestly exempting projects programmed to be  
          funded in the 2006 and 2008 STIP. Beyond this narrow band of  
          exempted projects, projects included in the 2010 STIP (and  
          beyond) must comply with the requirements of SB 375."  

          According to the Department of Finance they state that "This  
          bill could result in a potentially costly reimbursable state  
          mandate by requiring local agencies to either alter existing  
          travel models or acquire new travel models to include new  
          assumptions.  Few or none of the existing models currently in  
          use by RTPAs could comply, so most or all would need to either  
          reprogram existing models or develop new models.  It is possible  
          that substantial data collection would be required in order to  
          develop the new formulas in these models and to populate them  
          with data on local attributes.  Development of improved models  
          is underway by Caltrans and several other agencies.  There is no  
          accepted best practice at present and further research efforts  
          are needed before any new modeling technique is mandated."  

          Author's amendments:  The author proposes the following  
          amendment to allow the individual counties within the SCAG area  
          to develop transportation objectives to serve their own county  
          residents, providing an option to having the preferred growth  
          scenario independently developed through SCAG's regional  
          governance perspective:

            Within a multi-county regional transportation agency, a  
            county and the cities within the county may propose to the  
            regional transportation agency a preferred growth scenario  
            for that county. The regional transportation planning agency  
            may adopt the county preferred growth scenario as part of  
            the region's preferred growth scenario provided that the  
            region's preferred growth scenario is consistent with the  
            other provisions subparagraph (b)(2).
           
          Related bills:  AB 842 (Jones) 2007, would provide implementing  
          language for the expenditure of funds from Proposition 1C  
          (Regional Planning, Housing, and Infill Incentives Account and  








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          the Transit-Oriented Development Account) and Proposition 84  
          (funds earmarked for local and regional planning).  Among its  
          other provisions, would require CTC to update its RTP guidelines  
          to include a requirement that each RTP provide for a 10%  
          reduction in the growth increment of vehicle miles traveled.   
          The bill is a two-year bill.  

          AB 665 (DeSaulnier) 2007, would require the Governor's Office of  
          Planning and Research to review and provide comments on existing  
          and future regional transportation plans.  That bill passed out  
          of the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee and has been  
          referred back to the Senate Rules Committee.  

          AB 867 (Davis) 2007, would require MPOs and most RTPAs when  
          preparing an RTP, to factor the mobility of low-income and  
          minority residents into the travel demand forecast underlying  
          the RTP.  That bill passed out of the Senate Transportation and  
          Housing Committee as amended and is scheduled for hearing in the  
          Senate Appropriations Committee.  

          SB 303 (Ducheny) 2007, would require the housing element of the  
          general plan to identify land to accommodate a 10-year supply of  
          housing, requires local governments to zone for five years of  
          housing within one year of adopting the housing element, changes  
          requirements related to the conservation and open-space elements  
          of the general plan, and specifies that all other general plan  
          elements be updated every 10 years.  That bill was held in  
          Assembly Local Government Committee.  

          AB 1020 (Hancock) 2006, would have required the CTC to adopt  
          guidelines related to the travel demand models used by RTPAs in  
          the development of regional transportation plans.  The travel  
          demand models would be capable, to the extent practicable, of  
          evaluating a number of specified policy choices related to land  
          use decisions, transit use, and economic incentives on travel  
          demand.  The Governor vetoed that bill indicating that the bill  
          would impose costly and unnecessary requirements upon the CTC,  
          Caltrans, and RTPAs.  Further, he indicated that his  
          administration is already moving forward with a comprehensive  
          approach to integrating land use and transportation planning  
          through the Strategic Growth Plan.  

           REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION  :

           Support 








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          California League of Conservation Voters (co-sponsor)
          Natural Resources Defense Council (co-sponsor)
          Alpine Meadows
          American Farmland Trust
          American Lung Association of California
          Breathe California
          California Coalition for Rural Housing
          California Council of Land Trusts
          California Nurses Association
          Coalition for Clean Air
          Defenders of Wildlife
          Environment California
          Homewood Mountain Resort
          JMA Ventures, LLC
          New Voice of Business  
          Planning and Conservation League
          Southern California Association of Governments
          Trust for Public Land

           Opposition 
           
          Asphalt Pavement Association of California
          Associated General Contractors of California
          California Association of Realtors
          California Building Industry Association
          California Business Properties Association  
          California Chamber of Commerce  
          California Hotel and Lodging Association
          California Major Builders Council 
          California Manufacturers and Technology Association
          California Retailers Association
          California State Association of Counties
          Consulting Engineers and Land Surveyors of California
          Contra Costa Transportation Authority
          County of San Diego
          Department of Finance  
          Housing California (concerned)
          Inland Empire Transportation Council  
          Orange County Business Council 
          Orange County Transportation Authority
          Regional Council of Rural Counties
          Resource Landowners Coalition
          Transportation California 









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           Analysis Prepared by  :    Ed Imai / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093