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: 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 Page 2 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