BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 1128 Page 1 CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS AB 1128 (Furutani) As Amended July 5, 2011 Majority vote ----------------------------------------------------------------- |ASSEMBLY: |75-0 |(May 26, 2011) |SENATE: |37-0 |(August 22, | | | | | | |2011) | ----------------------------------------------------------------- Original Committee Reference: TRANS. SUMMARY : Authorizes the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to issue overweight truck permits on designated roadways to allow for the movement shipping containers from the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles into the City of Carson. The Senate amendments : 1)Declare legislative intent that the City of Carson adopt an ordinance or resolution authorizing overweight truck use on local streets and roads designated in this bill. 2)Extend the local roadway segment to be used by overweight trucks. 3)Prohibit permitted overweight vehicles from operating outside of the corridors designated in this bill and specifies that doing so would result in revocation of the permit. EXISTING LAW : 1)Prescribes, according to state and federal law, maximum gross weight limits for vehicles and vehicle combinations using public highways. 2)Authorizes Caltrans to issue weight exemption permits to the operator of vehicles and loads, as specified, on the following roadways: a) On a 3.66-mile portion of State Route (SR) 47 and SR 103 known as Terminal Island Freeway, between Willow Street in the City of Long Beach and Terminal Island in the City of Long Beach and the City of Los Angeles; and, AB 1128 Page 2 b) On a 2.1-mile portion of SR 1 between Blinn Avenue in the City of Los Angeles and Harbor Avenue in the City of Long Beach. 1)Specifies that to obtain weight exemption permits from Caltrans, the vehicle and its load must meet specified criteria. 2)Prohibits Caltrans from issuing a weight exemption permit for the movement of hazardous materials. 3)Requires that the weight exemption permit issued by Caltrans contain certain criteria related to description of the load, liability waivers, and proof insurance. 4)Requires overweight trucks to carry and display the weight exemption permit and furnish a copy of the permit to the California Highway Patrol (CHP) or Caltrans, upon request. 5)Specifies that weight exemption permits issued by Caltrans are valid for one year and may be cancelled by Caltrans. AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY , this bill was substantially similar to the version passed by the Senate. FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, the only state highway affected by this bill is a stretch of Pacific Coast Highway about one-third of a mile in length. The increase in heavy vehicle traffic will cause the roadway to deteriorate much more quickly that it would under the weight of the types of vehicles to which the roadway would otherwise be limited. However, Caltrans reports the maintenance costs for the roadway to be absorbable. COMMENTS: The Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles are considered among the most active port facilities in the world and no other commercial facility in Southern California produces more vehicular traffic congestion. In light of these significant traffic congestion issues, the City of Long Beach requested the weight exemption authorized by AB 2438 (Karnette), Chapter 1037, Statutes of 1993, and later extended by SB 839 (Karnette), Chapter 358, Statutes of 1997, contending that this unique situation necessitated allowing heavier vehicles to use the roadways to AB 1128 Page 3 enhance the growth and efficiency of both ports. The City of Long Beach further asserted that without this exemption cargo could be diverted to other ports, both in California and in the Pacific Northwest. The author introduced this legislation to allow overweight vehicles carrying port cargo to use additional roadway segments in and around the City of Carson. The author contends that by doing so, underutilized warehouses in and around the City of Carson can be accessed for port cargo storage. To accomplish this, this bill would authorize Caltrans to increase the distance that overweight vehicles can travel on a relatively small section of the Pacific Coast Highway, upon the adoption of an ordinance or resolution by the City of Carson. Increasing overweight truck use on the state highway system would likely result in accelerated pavement degradation. However, the cost of this degradation is outweighed by the benefits of allowing overweight trucks to travel on an additional, relatively short, segment of state highway. This bill states the intent of the Legislature is that the City of Carson will pass a conforming ordinance or resolution designating the various roadways described in this bill as overweight vehicles corridors. The bill also expressly provides that any applicant or holder of an overweight vehicle permit who operates outside of the designated corridors or in a manner not otherwise identified in this bill would have his or her permit revoked. Previous legislation: AB 2438 (Karnette), Chapter 1037, Statutes of 1993, authorized Caltrans, upon ordinance or resolution by the City of Long Beach and the City of Los Angeles to issue a permit to certain overweight trucks carrying cargo containers for use of the Terminal Island Freeway in Los Angeles County, under certain conditions. SB 839 (Karnette), Chapter 358, Statutes of 1997, extended the January 1, 1998, sunset to January 1, 2003, authorizing Caltrans, upon the adoption of an ordinance or resolution by both the City of Long Beach and the City of Los Angeles, to issue a special permit to the operator of a vehicle that exceeds the maximum gross weight limits. AB 1128 Page 4 SB 2072 (Karnette), Chapter 229, Statutes of 2002, extended indefinitely the existing law allowing Caltrans, upon adoption of conforming ordinances by the City of Long Beach and the City of Los Angeles, for overweight vehicles. Analysis Prepared by : Victoria Alvarez / TRANS. / (916) 319- 2093 FN: 0001649