BILL ANALYSIS
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Date of Hearing: March 23, 2009
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
Mike Eng, Chair
ACR 12 (Blakeslee) - As Introduced: January 20, 2009
SUBJECT : State Route 101
SUMMARY : Designates a segment of State Route (SR) 101 for
inclusion in the National Purple Heart Trail. Specifically,
this bill :
1)Describes the history and significance of the National Purple
Heart Trail.
2)Designates the segment of SR 101 from the City of San Luis
Obispo to San Ardo for inclusion in the National Purple Heart
Trail.
3)Requests the Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to
determine the cost of appropriate signs, consistent with the
signing requirements for the state highway system, showing
that special designation and, upon receiving donations from
nonstate sources covering that cost, to erect those signs.
EXISTING LAW : Assigns Caltrans the responsibility of operating
and maintaining state highways. This responsibility includes
the installation and maintenance of highway signs.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : According to the website of the Military Order of the
Purple Heart of the USA, a congressionally-chartered veterans
service organization, "The Purple Heart Trail was established in
1992 by the Military Order of the Purple Heart to be a symbolic
trail throughout all 50 states to commemorate and honor all men
and women who have been wounded or killed in combat while
serving in the U.S. armed forces. The Purple Heart Trail
originates in Mount Vernon, Va., and traverses across the vast
majority of the United States. From Maine to California, and
from Florida to Alaska, currently 45 states have designated
routes that are part of the Purple Heart Trail. The trail has
also been implemented in Guam."
This bill would include a segment of SR 101 within the Purple
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Heart Trail. The author notes that the central coast is home to
many veterans' museums and memorials and the proposed Trail
location will join Camp Roberts with Camp San Luis Obispo. He
also points out that local veterans are creating a veterans'
recognition corridor and hope this location will become an
ongoing memorial for veterans and their families.
Although two smaller portions of the identified highway segment
already are designated in memory of deceased individuals and the
highway is also designated as a Blue Star Memorial Highway,
there is no particular conflict among the various designations.
Legislative history : SCR 14 (Oller), Resolution Chapter 79,
Statutes of 2001, included segments of SR 5 and SR 80 within the
National Purple Heart Trail.
Suggested technical amendment : The author may wish to consider
adding some specificity to the description of the route segment
in question in order to give guidance to Caltrans as to where
markers and signs are desired to be erected.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Aegis Medical Systems, Inc.
Atascadero Veterans Memorial Foundation
Cambria American Legion Post 432
Central Coast Leatherneck Honor Guard
Central Coast Veterans Memorial Museum, Inc.
County of San Luis Obispo Veterans Service Office
Kiwanis Club of Atascadero, Inc.
Marine Corps Reserve
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
(AFSCME)
The American Legion Riders, Chapter 50, Paso Robles, California
The American Legion, Department of California
The American Legion, Post 66, San Luis Obispo
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S., Post 2814
One letter from individual
Opposition
None received
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Analysis Prepared by : Howard Posner / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093