BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE BILL NO: ACR 126
SENATOR MARK DESAULNIER, CHAIRMAN AUTHOR: calderon
VERSION: 5/21/12
Analysis by: Eric Thronson FISCAL: yes
Hearing date: June 26, 2012
SUBJECT:
Highway signs
DESCRIPTION:
This resolution requests that the Department of Transportation
(Caltrans) erect signs on State Highway Route (SR) 210 in Los
Angeles County directing motorists to the Western Prelacy of the
Armenian Apostolic Church of America.
ANALYSIS:
Existing law assigns Caltrans the responsibility of operating
and maintaining the state highway system, including the
installation and maintenance of highway signs. In administering
its duties, Caltrans has developed guidelines to use when
considering whether to erect non-required signage along the
state's highways, or what Caltrans refers to as "supplemental
destination signage."
Supplemental destination signs give information to motorists
regarding the location of specific destinations, such as
historical sites, cultural centers, and tourist attractions,
which are accessible from an upcoming highway exit. Caltrans
has established specific qualifying criteria for certain
destinations considered traffic generators, for example:
Post-secondary schools (public or private) with a minimum
enrollment of 1,000 students each week;
Museums, zoos, stadiums, and sports arenas (publicly owned and
nonprofit) with a minimum of 1,000,000 in annual attendance;
Convention centers (publicly owned) with a minimum of 500,000
in annual attendance;
Fairgrounds (publicly owned and operated) with a minimum of
500,000 in annual attendance;
Governmental centers with a 5,000 minimum number of employees.
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The operative theory regarding these criteria is that only those
facilities that generate a substantial amount of traffic should
be provided highway signing. For destinations such as churches,
for which attendance criteria are not specifically identified in
its manual, Caltrans considers destination signs only when
"unusual operational or safety issues become apparent that would
be mitigated by signing."
This resolution requests that Caltrans erect two signs on SR 210
in Los Angeles County directing motorists to the Western Prelacy
of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America, consistent with the
signing requirements of the state highway system, upon receiving
donations from nonstate sources sufficient to cover the erection
costs.
COMMENTS:
1.Purpose . According to the author, this resolution is
necessary to direct motorists to this important site because
of the significance of Armenian history and the good work the
Armenian Apostolic Church does today. The author states that
Armenians officially accepted Christianity in 301 AD, making
Armenia the first nation to formally adhere to that religion.
Since then, and especially following the Armenian Genocide of
1915, the Armenian Apostolic Church has had a permanent
presence throughout the Armenian Diaspora as a spiritual
center for its faithful believers. From its headquarters, the
Western Prelacy oversees the day-to-day activities of the 13
churches and day schools in its jurisdiction.
2.Is this a traffic generator ? As Caltrans' guidelines suggest,
supplemental directional signage, such as the signs proposed
by this resolution, is most appropriate when the destination
generates enough traffic to justify the signs. Otherwise, the
highway may become glutted with signs and this proliferation
will divert attention away from signs containing critical
safety (e.g., "construction ahead") and regulatory (e.g.,
speed limit) information. Typically, destination signs are
placed only for those facilities that draw hundreds of
thousands of patrons each year. The Western Prelacy of the
Armenian Apostolic Church of America is the administrative
building from which church leaders oversee the operations of
the churches and day schools within its jurisdiction.
Further, the building appears to have a very limited number of
parking spots, no more than 35 spots on a surface lot
surrounding the building. It is unclear how much traffic the
building generates, particularly from drivers who are not
ACR 126 (CALDERON) Page 3
already familiar with the location of the building and
therefore need supplemental directional signs on the nearby
highway.
3.The problem with resolutions directing the administration's
activities . It is the Legislature's prerogative, through
bills, to pass laws that direct the state administration's
activities. As part of that process, a bill is sent to the
governor for signature or veto. In this way the legislature
is able to be involved in the way the state administers the
law, while the administration has the opportunity to respond
to those directions. A resolution, on the other hand, simply
communicates a message from the Legislature, but carries no
weight of law. Passing a resolution requesting the
administration to take action may not be appropriate because
the governor neither signs nor vetoes resolutions, and
therefore the administration never has an opportunity to weigh
in on the issue.
Notwithstanding that it excludes the administration and
carries no weight of law, a resolution is still an instrument
of value and merit. While not requiring action, resolutions
urging a part of state government to act can heavily influence
what that agency or department might do. This resolution
requests Caltrans to erect signs for a constituent's interest,
and may set a precedent that could lead to so many signs on
the state highway system that important safety and regulatory
signs lose their value.
Assembly Votes:
Floor: 73 - 0
Appr: 16 - 1
Trans: 8 - 0
POSITIONS: (Communicated to the committee before noon on
Wednesday, June 20,
2012 )
SUPPORT: Armenian National Committee of America - Western
Region
OPPOSED: Turkish Peace and Justice Committee - California
ACR 126 (CALDERON) Page 4