BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE BILL NO: AB 344
SENATOR ALAN LOWENTHAL, CHAIRMAN AUTHOR: Caballero
VERSION: 4/15/09
Analysis by: Art Bauer FISCAL: yes
Hearing date: June 23, 2009
SUBJECT:
State highway relinquishments
DESCRIPTION:
This bill relinquishes a segment of State Route (SR) 146 to the
City of Soledad, and a segment of SR 1 (Pacific Coast Highway)
and a portion of SR 55 to the City of Newport Beach.
ANALYSIS:
Existing law:
Identifies the California state highway system through a
description of segments of the state's regional and
interregional roads that are owned and operated by the
Department of Transportation (Caltrans).
Defines a "state highway" as any roadway that is
acquired, laid out, constructed, improved, or maintained as
a state highway according to legislative authorization.
Specifies that it is the intent of the Legislature for
the routes of the state highway system to connect the
communities and regions of the state, and that they serve
the state's economy by connecting centers of commerce,
industry, agriculture, mineral wealth, and recreation.
Provides that any expansion or deletion of the state
highway system is through a statutory process requiring the
California Transportation Commission (CTC) to make findings
that it is in the best interest of the state to include or
delete a specified portion of roadway from the system.
AB 344 (CABALLERO) Page 2
This bill :
1. Authorizes the CTC to relinquish to the City of Soledad
a 1-mile segment of State Route (SR) 146, upon terms and
conditions CTC finds to be in the best interest of the
state.
2. Requires the City of Soledad to provide signage
indicating the continuation of SR 146 through the city.
3. Authorizes the CTC to relinquish to the City of Newport
Beach a 4.12-mile portion of SR 1 (Pacific Coast Highway)
from the Santa Ana River Bridge to Jamboree, and a .18-mile
portion of SR 55 (Newport Boulevard) from Finley Street to
the Newport Channel Bridge.
4. Requires the City of Newport Beach to provide signage
indicating the continuation of SR 1 and SR 55 through the
city.
5. Requires the City of Newport Beach to ensure that
traffic flows on the relinquished segments through the use
of traffic signal synchronization and other means.
6. Provides that the relinquishments will become effective
immediately following the county recordation of the
relinquishment resolutions containing the CTC's approval of
the specified terms and conditions.
7. Specifies that following the effective date of
relinquishment the relinquished segments will no longer be
state highways and may not be considered for future
adoption as state highways.
COMMENTS:
Purpose . For several years, the City of Soledad has been
planning and implementing various beautification projects within
the city, focused primarily on Front Street. A segment of SR 146
coincides with of Front Street. Because the beautification
features planned by the city are inconsistent with state highway
design standards, the relinquishment of SR 146 to the city will
allow the city to implement a consistent design standard for the
entire length of Front Street.
SB 290 (Transportation Committee bill), Statutes of 2001,
AB 344 (CABALLERO) Page 3
relinquished a portion of SR 1 to the City of Newport Beach. The
relinquishment authorizes by this bill is a continuation of the
earlier relinquishment. The city would like to take over the
ownership of this segment of SR 1 so that it can maintain the
entire length of the highway through the community to the level
that it desires and at the time of low traffic volumes.
Assembly Votes:
Floor: 79-0
Appr: 17-0
Trans: 10-0
POSITIONS: (Communicated to the Committee before noon on
Wednesday,
June 17, 2009)
SUPPORT: City of Soledad (co-sponsor)
City of Newport Beach (co-sponsor)
Soledad Historical Society
Soledad Unified School District
Transportation Agency for Monterey County
OPPOSED: None received.