BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 1706
Author: Eng (D)
Amended: 8/21/12 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMM : 8-0, 7/3/12
AYES: DeSaulnier, Gaines, Kehoe, Lowenthal, Pavley, Rubio,
Simitian, Wyland
NO VOTE RECORDED: Harman
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 7-0, 8/13/12
AYES: Kehoe, Walters, Alquist, Dutton, Lieu, Price,
Steinberg
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 64-8, 5/31/12 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Vehicles: transit bus weight
SOURCE : California Transit Association
DIGEST : This bill provides that transit buses procured
through a solicitation process which was issued before
January 1, 2013, are not subject to the existing statutory
limits on bus weights, and allows, until January 1, 2015, a
publicly owned and operated transit system to replace
existing buses which exceed the current weight limits with
a new model with the same or less weight as specified.
ANALYSIS : For vehicles that travel on public streets,
roads, and highways (highways), existing law generally
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limits the gross weight that wheels on any one axle of any
vehicle can impose on the highway to 20,000 pounds. Buses
of any type, however, may impose a gross vehicle weight on
any one axle of up to 20,500 pounds.
This bill:
1.Provides that transit buses procured through a
solicitation process which was issued before January 1,
2013, are not subject to the existing statutory limits on
bus weights.
2.Allows, until January 1, 2015, a publicly owned and
operated transit system or an operator of a transit
system under contract with a publicly owned and operated
transit system to do the following:
A. Replace existing buses which exceed the current
weight limits with a new model with the same or less
weight.
B. Procure and operate a new bus in excess of the
current weight limits to incorporate a new fleet class
into its inventory if the governing board adopts a
finding at a public hearing that the change is
necessary to address a need to serve a new or existing
market pursuant to its most recently adopted
short-range transit plan, or to meet federal, state or
regional statutory or regulatory requirements.
1.Requires the governing board provide written notice of
the meeting to those cities and counties on whose road
the bus would travel, and place in the public record any
comment or concerns it receives regarding the
procurement.
2.Defines "fleet class" means a group of transit buses
which have two or more of the following characteristics:
A. Length.
B. Seating capacity.
C. Number of axles.
D. Fuel or power system.
E. Width.
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F. Structure.
G. Equipment package.
1.Specifies no transit bus shall operate on the highway
system in excess of the federal weight limitations.
2.Requires a state agency that is required to promulgate
administrative regulations, including, but not limited
to, the State Air Resources Board, the California
Environmental Protection Agency, the State Energy
Resources Conservation and Development Commission, and
the Department of Motor Vehicles, take into account
vehicle weight impacts and the ability of vehicle
manufacturers or vehicle operators to comply with laws
limiting the weight of vehicles.
Comments
State law since 1975 has mandated that the weight on any
single axle of a transit bus may not exceed 20,500 pounds.
Due to numerous state and federal mandates, including
Americans with Disability Act requirements and mandated
emissions reduction equipment, transit buses today may
often exceed that weight, especially when carrying a large
number of passengers.
As a result, some local police departments have cited
transit buses for violation of the Vehicle Code weight
limits. Merely relying on the current procedures in state
law for overweight vehicles -- paying fines resulting from
citations or paying fees and administering thousands of
annual overweight vehicle permits on a city-by-city basis
-- will prove costly and time consuming for transit
agencies and other local governments statewide. Moreover,
such an approach would continue to ignore the underlying
problem: the Vehicle Code limit was created more than 35
years ago and simply does not contemplate today's operating
environments or legal and regulatory requirements.
The author points out that California's public transit
systems carry thousands of passengers each day, providing
mobility to Californians from all walks of life.
Additionally, he notes that public transit is helping to
achieve the goals of AB 32 and SB 375 by reducing car
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trips, thereby reducing congestion and greenhouse gas
emissions and providing better air quality for California's
communities. He introduced this bill because, with the
important role that public transit plays, the state needs
state and local government stakeholders to collaboratively
develop a balanced solution to the problem of overweight
buses.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: Yes
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:
Unknown, likely moderate costs in any fiscal year to
various state agencies to consider vehicle weight impacts
and the impact that regulations may have on the ability
to comply with statutory weight limits (various special
funds).
Unquantifiable minor to significant impact on pavement
maintenance costs by allowing the operation of overweight
transit buses (state highway account, local funds). Due
to the numerous factors that may result in pavement
degradation, it is impossible to calculate the isolated
impacts and costs associated with continued operation of
overweight transit buses on state highways and local
streets and roads.
SUPPORT : (Verified 8/21/12)
California Transit Association (source)
Alameda - Contra Costa Transit District
City of Arcata
City of Torrance
El Dorado National - California
Long Beach Transit
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Metropolitan Transit District Santa Barbara
Monterey-Salinas Transit
Sacramento Regional Transit District
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District
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ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 64-8, 05/31/12
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Beall,
Bill Berryhill, Block, Blumenfield, Bonilla, Bradford,
Brownley, Buchanan, Butler, Campos, Carter, Cedillo,
Chesbro, Conway, Cook, Davis, Dickinson, Eng, Feuer,
Fong, Fuentes, Furutani, Galgiani, Garrick, Gatto,
Gordon, Hagman, Hall, Hayashi, Roger Hernández, Hill,
Huber, Hueso, Huffman, Jeffries, Jones, Knight, Lara,
Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Miller, Mitchell, Monning,
Nestande, Pan, Perea, V. Manuel Pérez, Portantino, Silva,
Skinner, Smyth, Solorio, Swanson, Torres, Wagner,
Wieckowski, Williams, Yamada, John A. Pérez
NOES: Beth Gaines, Grove, Halderman, Harkey, Logue,
Morrell, Nielsen, Olsen
NO VOTE RECORDED: Charles Calderon, Donnelly, Fletcher,
Gorell, Mansoor, Mendoza, Norby, Valadao
JJA:n 8/21/12 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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