BILL NUMBER: AB 1298	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Blumenfield

                        FEBRUARY 18, 2011

   An act to amend Section 149 of the Streets and Highways Code,
relating to high-occupancy vehicle lanes.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1298, as introduced, Blumenfield. High-occupancy vehicle lanes.

   Existing law authorizes the Department of Transportation to
construct exclusive or preferential lanes for buses only or for buses
and other high-occupancy vehicles and requires that, prior to
constructing those lanes, the department conduct competent
engineering estimates of the effect of those lanes on safety,
congestion, and highway capacity.
   This bill would require the department to conduct those
engineering estimates with respect to the effect on congestion
mitigation and would make grammatical, nonsubstantive changes to
those provisions.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 149 of the Streets and Highways Code is amended
to read:
   149.  The department may construct exclusive or preferential lanes
for buses only or for buses and other high-occupancy vehicles, and
may authorize or permit  such   that 
exclusive or preferential use of designated lanes on existing
highways that are part of the State Highway System. Prior to
constructing  such   those  lanes, the
department shall conduct competent engineering estimates of the
effect of  such   those  lanes on safety,
congestion  mitigation  , and highway capacity.
   To the extent they are available, the department may apply for and
use federal aid funds appropriated for the design, construction, and
use of  such   those  exclusive or
preferential lanes, but may also use other State Highway Account
funds, including other federal aid funds, for those purposes where
proper and desirable.
   This section shall be known and may be cited as the Carrell Act.