BILL NUMBER: AB 1175	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Torlakson

                        FEBRUARY 27, 2009

   An act to add Section 188.61 to the Streets and Highways Code,
relating to transportation, and making an appropriation therefor.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1175, as introduced, Torlakson. Toll bridges: seismic safety
retrofit program.
   Existing law specifies the powers and duties of the Department of
Transportation, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, and the
Bay Area Toll Authority with respect to the collection and
expenditure of toll revenue from the 7 state-owned toll bridges
within the geographic jurisdiction of the commission. Existing law
provides a funding plan from various sources, including bridge tolls
and state funds, for seismic safety improvement projects for certain
of the state-owned toll bridges pursuant to a statutory schedule of
cost estimates for each toll bridge. Existing law identifies
specified cost overruns beyond those cost estimates for bridges in
the geographic jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Transportation
Commission, provides a funding plan in that regard, and appropriates
various revenues for this purpose. Existing law requires the Bay Area
Toll Authority to provide the funding for any additional cost
overruns beyond the amounts identified in the funding plan, including
revenues from increasing the $1 seismic toll surcharge. Existing law
provides for revenues identified in the funding plan to be shared
between the state and the authority pursuant to a specified formula
to the extent the cost overruns are less than estimated.
   This bill would add seismic safety improvement projects on the
Antioch and Dumbarton Bridges to the toll bridge seismic safety
program. The bill would provide that surplus cost overrun revenues to
be shared between the state and the Bay Area Toll Authority be
redirected to the authority for the Antioch and Dumbarton seismic
safety projects, and would appropriate those funds for that purpose.
The bill would require the authority to provide all remaining funds
necessary to complete those seismic safety projects. The bill would
provide for the authority to increase tolls on all Bay Area
state-owned toll bridges in that regard.
   Existing law provides for a cooperative agreement between the
Department of Transportation and the Bay Area Toll Authority and
imposes other related requirements relative to project oversight and
control responsibilities for the Bay Area toll bridge seismic safety
projects.
   This bill would provide that those provisions would also apply to
the Antioch and Dumbarton bridge seismic safety projects.
   Existing law provides for maintenance expenditures on Bay Area
state-owned toll bridges to be funded from the State Highway Account
or from toll revenues, as specified.
   This bill would provide that maintenance expenditures that are to
be funded from toll revenues shall be funded from toll revenues
remaining after payment of all obligations of the Bay Area Toll
Authority that are secured by toll revenues.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 188.61 is added to the Streets and Highways
Code, to read:
   188.61.  (a) The Legislature finds and declares that in order to
provide maximum safety for the traveling public and to ensure
continuous and unimpeded operation of the state's transportation
network, the Antioch Bridge and the Dumbarton Bridge are each in need
of a seismic safety retrofit. The current estimated cost of the
retrofits is ____ dollars ($____).
   (b) The Antioch Bridge and the Dumbarton Bridge are hereby deemed
to be part of the state toll bridge seismic retrofit program
described in Section 188.5. Notwithstanding subdivision (c) of
Section 188.6 or any other provision of law, the cost overrun savings
described in that subdivision shall not be shared between the state
and the Bay Area Toll Authority, but shall instead be transferred to
the Bay Area Toll Account, and are hereby appropriated to the
authority for expenditure on the Antioch Bridge and the Dumbarton
Bridge seismic safety retrofit projects. All other funds required to
complete the Antioch Bridge and the Dumbarton Bridge seismic safety
retrofit projects shall be provided by the authority. The authority
may increase the amount of the tolls collected on the toll bridges
described in Section 30910 pursuant to Sections 30887 and 31011 for
the purpose of completing these projects.
   (c) All of the requirements of Sections 30952.05, 30952.1,
30952.2, and 30952.3 shall also be applied to the seismic retrofit of
the Antioch Bridge and the Dumbarton Bridge. The Toll Bridge Program
Oversight Committee, established by Section 30952.1, shall have
project oversight and control responsibilities for these projects to
the same extent as for the Benicia-Martinez Bridge project.
   (d) All maintenance expenditures required to be funded by Section
188.4 with authority toll revenues shall be funded from toll revenues
remaining after provision is made for payment of all obligations of
the authority that are secured by a pledge of toll revenues.