BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                  SCR 35
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   June 27, 2011

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
                               Bonnie Lowenthal, Chair
                  SCR 35 (Simitian) - As Introduced:  April 5, 2011

           SENATE VOTE  :  38-0
           
          SUBJECT  :  State Route 280

           SUMMARY  :  Designate a bicycle and pedestrian bridge that crosses 
          State Route (SR) 280 as the Don Burnett Bicycle-Pedestrian 
          Bridge.  Specifically,  this bill  :  

          1)Recounts the life and career of Don Burnett, a bicycle 
            advocate who served the Valley Transportation Authority as a 
            volunteer on the Citizens Advisory Committee and Citizens 
            Watchdog Committee.  


          2)Designates the bicycle and pedestrian bridge which crosses SR 
            280 at Mary Avenue between the cities of Cupertino and 
            Sunnyvale in the County of Santa Clara as the Don Burnett 
            Bicycle-Pedestrian Bridge.  


          3)Requests the Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to 
            determine the cost of appropriate signage showing this special 
            designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate 
            sources covering that cost, to erect those signs.  


           EXISTING LAW  :  Assigns Caltrans the responsibility to operate 
          and maintain state highways.  This includes the installation and 
          maintenance of highway signs.  

           FISCAL EFFECT :  Unknown

           COMMENTS  :  According to the author, the concept for the 
          bicycle-pedestrian bridge was originated in the early 1990s by 
          bicycle advocate Don Burnett.  As a Cupertino city councilman, 
          Mr. Burnett played a major role in galvanizing support for the 
          bicycle-pedestrian bridge, currently referred to as the Mary 
          Avenue Bridge.  When the steel suspension bridge opened on April 
          30, 2009, Mr. Burnett was one of four honorary residents to take 








                                                                  SCR 35
                                                                  Page  2

          the maiden bicycle ride across the bridge.  On September 11, 
          2010, Mr. Burnett lost his battle with cancer.  The purpose of 
          the resolution is to recognize Don Burnett for his numerous 
          achievements and contributions, especially to the cycling 
          community, by re-dedicating the Mary Avenue Bridge as the "Don 
          Burnett Bicycle-Pedestrian Bridge."  

           REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION  :

           Support 
           
          None on file

           Opposition 
           
          None on file

           
          Analysis Prepared by  :   Howard Posner / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093