BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1105
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Date of Hearing: April 11, 2011
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
Bonnie Lowenthal, Chair
AB 1105 (Gordon) - As Amended: April 13, 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 its high-occupancy toll (HOT) lane on
State Route (SR) 101 into San Mateo County, subject to an
agreement with the City/County Association of Governments in
that 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 San Mateo County, upon agreement with that 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.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (sponsor)
City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Janet Dawson / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093