BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1600
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Date of Hearing: March 21, 2012
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Cameron Smyth, Chair
AB 1600 (Torres) - As Amended: March 12, 2012
SUBJECT : Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction
Authority
SUMMARY : Extends Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension
Construction Authority's (Authority) light rail project to
include the City of Montclair, and makes several other changes
to the Authority's enabling act. Specifically, this bill :
1)Authorizes the Authority to extend the "Gold Line" light rail
project to the City of Montclair and adds the City of
Montclair to the list of "extension cities" for purposes of
board membership for the Authority.
2)Revises language that allows the Authority to accept grants,
fees, allocations, and transfers of funds from federal, state,
and local agencies.
3)Requires the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation
Authority (LACMTA) to assume responsibility for operating all
completed phases of the Gold Line project and provides that
LACMTA has the authority to operate the portion of the Gold
Line project located in San Bernardino County.
4)Specifies that all contracts approved and awarded by the
executive director must comply with laws generally applicable
to local agency procurements and contracts, subject to
provisions of the Authority's enabling act, and requires the
Authority to adopt an administrative code that includes laws
generally applicable to local agency procurements and
contracts.
5)Provides that no reimbursement is required because the only
costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school
district are the result of a program for which legislative
authority was requested by that local agency or school
district.
EXISTING LAW :
AB 1600
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1)Creates the Authority, formerly known as the Pasadena Metro
Blue Line Construction Authority, for the purpose of awarding
and overseeing all design and construction contracts for the
completion of the Gold Line light rail project.
2)Specifies the Authority's powers, duties, governing board
membership, board member terms and compensation.
3)Defines the Gold Line project as the Los Angeles-Pasadena
Foothill Extension Gold Line light rail project, formerly
known as the Los Angeles-Pasadena Metro Blue Line, extending
from Union Station in the City of Los Angeles to Sierra Madre
Villa Boulevard in the City of Pasadena and any mass transit
guideway that may be planned east of Sierra Madre Villa
Boulevard along the rail right-of-way extending to the City of
Claremont.
4)Defines "extension cities" to include the cities of Arcadia,
Monrovia, Duarte, Irwindale, Azusa, Glendora, San Dimas, La
Verne, Pomona, and Claremont.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS :
1)The Pasadena Metro Blue Line Construction Authority, now known
as the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction
Authority (Authority) was statutorily created ÝSB 1847
(Schiff), Chapter 1021, Statutes of 1998] to oversee the
planning, design, and construction of a light rail line,
referred to as the Gold Line (formerly the Blue Line). Current
law provides for the Authority's powers and duties, the
membership of the Authority's governing board, and details the
process for the construction of the Gold Line.
2)According to the author, the Authority has determined that the
extension of the Gold Line to the City of Montclair will have
beneficial environmental and traffic impacts. The Authority
believes that Montclair, as a regional transportation center,
is the logical terminus for the Gold Line, and allows for the
maximum intermodal interface points through the corridor.
This bill seeks to authorize the Authority to extend the Gold
Line to Montclair, and adds that City to the list of
"extension cities" for purposes of board membership.
AB 1600
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This bill contains express authorization for the Authority to
accept federal funding, and clarifies that the Authority is
required to comply with procurement and contracting laws that
are generally applicable to local agencies. AB 1600 also
authorizes LACMTA to operate the light-rail project in San
Bernardino County, a change which the author is seeking
because approximately 3050 feet of the Gold Line extension to
Montclair is located in San Bernardino County, which is
outside the current jurisdiction of LACMTA.
Additional provisions in AB 1600 specify that no reimbursement
is necessary to implement provisions of the bill because the
costs incurred by local agencies are the result of a program
for which legislative authority was requested by the local
agency (in this case, the Authority).
3)Support argument : Supporters believe that a future extension
of the Gold Line to Montclair is important for the people who
will one day ride the line, adding connections between Los
Angeles and San Bernardino counties by light rail.
Opposition argument : None at this time.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority
ÝSPONSOR]
Cities of: Duarte, La Verne, Montclair, Ontario Pasadena
Opposition
None on file Analysis Prepared by : Debbie Michel / L. GOV.
/ (916) 319-3958