BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 2405
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 2405 (Blumenfield)
As Amended April 10, 2012
Majority vote
TRANSPORTATION 9-3
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|Ayes:|Bonnie Lowenthal, | | |
| |Blumenfield, Bonilla, | | |
| |Buchanan, Eng, Ma, | | |
| |Galgiani, Portantino, | | |
| |Solorio | | |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Jeffries, Achadjian, | | |
| |Miller | | |
| | | | |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY : Exempts qualifying clean alternative fuel vehicles
from toll charges imposed on single-occupant vehicles in
high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes, unless prohibited by federal
law. Specifically this bill provides that this exemption does
not apply to the imposition of tolls on toll roads, toll
highways, or toll bridges.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Grants the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
and local authorities, for highways under their respective
jurisdictions, general authority to permit exclusive or
preferential use of highway lanes for high-occupancy vehicles
(HOVs).
2)Allows, until January 1, 2015, qualifying clean alternative
fuel vehicles that display the proper clean air vehicle decal
to use HOV lanes, regardless of the number of occupants in the
vehicle. Qualifying vehicles include vehicles that are 100%
battery electric, hydrogen fuel cell, compressed natural gas
vehicles, and advanced technology partial zero emission
vehicles.
3)Authorizes specific HOT lane programs in Alameda, Santa Clara,
and San Diego Counties. HOT lane programs allow drivers of
AB 2405
Page 2
single-occupant vehicles to pay to use HOV lanes.
4)Grants authority to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan
Transportation Authority (Metro), in cooperation with Caltrans
and pursuant to memorandum of understanding with the United
States Department of Transportation (US DOT), to operate a HOT
lane and transit development demonstration program on State
Routes (SR) 10 and 110 in Los Angeles County.
5)Establishes the California Transportation Financing Authority
(CTFA) within the Office of the Treasurer and authorizes CTFA
to issue, or approve the issuance of, revenue bonds to finance
transportation projects. CTFA also has the authority to
approve the imposition of tolls as a part of a transportation
agency's financing plan to repay revenue bonds.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown. This bill is keyed non-fiscal by the
Legislative Counsel.
COMMENTS : HOT lanes are increasingly being implemented in
metropolitan areas around the state and the nation. HOT lanes
allow single-occupant or lower-occupant vehicles to use an HOV
lane for a fee, while maintaining free travel to qualifying
HOVs. The purported benefits of HOT lanes include enhanced
mobility and travel options in congested corridors and better
usage of underutilized HOV lanes.
Currently, there are only a handful of HOT lanes in operation in
California, including:
1)14 miles of southbound Interstate 680 through the Sunol Grade
in Alameda and Santa Clara counties.
2)20 miles of Interstate 15 in San Diego County.
These routes represent only the embryonic stage of what is sure
to be a substantial build out of HOT lanes around the state in
the very near future. The Metropolitan Transportation
Commission, for example, is in the midst of developing an
800-mile Regional HOT Network that will extend from Sonoma
County in the north to Gilroy in the south. Metro is embarking
on a one-year pilot project that includes development of HOT
lanes on the Interstate 10 and Interstate 110 in Los Angeles
County. Additionally HOT lane projects are underway in
AB 2405
Page 3
Riverside County and are being studied in the Sacramento region.
While single-occupant clean alternative fuel vehicles enjoy
access to HOV lanes in California, they do not necessarily enjoy
free passage on toll bridges or toll highways. In fact,
qualifying clean cars must pay full fare to use the toll roads
in Orange County but enjoy discounted rates to cross the San
Francisco Bay Area bridges and to use the 91 Express Lanes in
Orange and Riverside Counties. Also, there will be no
discounted rate for clean cars using Metro's Express Lanes when
they open later this year.
With the increase of HOV lanes being converted to HOT lanes, the
author is concerned that the incentives provided today to
encourage the proliferation of clean cars, namely access to HOV
lanes, remain available. In this way, the author believes that
"AB 2405 will give current and future clean car owners certainty
and will continue to provide a valuable incentive for purchasing
clean air vehicles to help offset some of the additional costs
associated with the purchase of new and expensive technology."
Opponents argue that a proliferation of hybrid vehicles into HOV
lanes will add to the congestion that buses will encounter in
those lanes. They are also concerned that allowing clean cars
free access to HOT lanes will reduce the revenue that these
lanes will generate, particularly as the number of these cars
grows.
As of the end of March 2012, almost 19,000 white stickers and
176 green stickers have been issued. Both clean car programs
are set to expire on January 1, 2015.
Analysis Prepared by : Janet Dawson / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093
FN: 0003279