BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1105
Page 1
Date of Hearing: April 11, 2011
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
Bonnie Lowenthal, Chair
AB 1105 (Gordon) - As Amended: March 31, 2011
SUBJECT : Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority:
high-occupancy toll lanes
SUMMARY : Modifies the authority granted to the Santa Clara
Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) to conduct, administer,
and operate a value pricing program on any two of the
high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) corridors in the county; authorizes
the use of double white lines to mark HOV lanes. Specifically,
this bill :
1)Authorizes VTA to extend one of its two authorized
high-occupancy toll (HOT) lane corridors into an adjacent
county, subject to and agreement with the transportation
authority in the other county.
2)Requires VTA and the other county to determine by agreement
how HOT lane revenues will be shared.
3)Provides for the use of double white lines to mark HOV lanes.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Authorizes VTA, in coordination with the Metropolitan
Transportation Commission (MTC), to conduct, administer, and
operate a value pricing program (i.e., HOT lane) on any two of
the existing HOV lane systems in Santa Clara County.
2)Provides that all revenues generated by the program are
available to VTA for expenses incurred to operate, maintain,
construct, and administer the program.
3)Requires any remaining revenue generated by the program to be
used exclusively for the preconstruction, construction, and
other related costs of HOV facilities and the improvement of
transit service in the corridor from which the revenues were
generated.
4)Generally prohibits persons from driving to the left of double
AB 1105
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parallel solid lines.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS: AB 2032 (Dutra) Chapter 418, Statutes of 2004,
authorized four specific transportation agencies, including VTA,
to develop HOT lanes under certain conditions. As a result, in
2008 the VTA Board of Directors approved the Silicon Valley
Express Lanes Program to implement HOT lanes in Santa Clara
County.
One of the projects VTA envisions in the program is the
conversion of a 34-mile long existing HOV lane on US 101. The
problem with this planned conversion is that VTA only has
authority to convert HOV lanes in Santa Clara County and the HOV
segment being considered for conversion extends beyond Santa
Clara County into San Mateo County by 6 miles.
VTA is seeking additional authority to extend its HOT lane
project into the adjacent county, upon agreement with the other
county. This will ensure a smooth, efficient transition for
traffic at the natural end of the existing HOV lane.
Provisions authorizing the use of double white lines to
delineate HOV lanes will bring California into compliance with
federal standards for pavement markings.
Suggested amendment: VTA reports that it is seeking the
authority set forth in this bill so that it may extend its HOT
lane on U.S. 101 into San Mateo County. The committee notes,
however, that the additional authority provided for in this bill
is notably vague. For example, the bill does not specify the
route, the adjacent county, or the length of the allowable
extension. In theory, then, this bill could conceivably allow
VTA to enter into revenue sharing arrangements with any of its
adjacent counties for HOT lanes, outside the parameters
otherwise set forth in AB 2032, the enabling legislation.
The author has agreed to take amendments in committee that would
provide specificity to the additional authority being proposed,
as follows:
On page 2, beginning on line 11, strike " One or both of the
transportation corridors selected for a value pricing program
under this section may be a corridor that extends into an
AB 1105
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adjacent county, subject to agreement of the congestion
management agency or the countywide agency responsible for
preparation of the county transportation plan pursuant to
Section 66531 of the Government Code, which is applicable, in
the adjacent county. "
and insert the following:
A high-occupancy toll lane established on U.S. 101 pursuant to
this section may extend into San Mateo County as far as the
high-occupancy vehicle lane existed as of January 1, 2011,
subject to agreement of the City/County Association of
Governments of San Mateo County.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (sponsor)
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Janet Dawson / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093