BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                      SCR 35
                                                                      Page  1


         SENATE THIRD READING
         SCR 35 (Simitian)
         As Introduced  April 5, 2011
         Majority vote 

          SENATE VOTE  :38-0  
          
          TRANSPORTATION      11-1        APPROPRIATIONS      15-1         
          
          -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
         |Ayes:|Bonnie Lowenthal,         |Ayes:|Fuentes, Harkey,          |                          |
         |     |Jeffries, Achadjian,      |     |Blumenfield, Bradford,    |                          |
         |     |Blumenfield, Bonilla,     |     |Charles Calderon, Campos, |                          |
         |     |Buchanan, Eng, Galgiani,  |     |Donnelly, Gatto, Hall,    |                          |
         |     |Logue, Miller, Portantino |     |Hill, Lara, Mitchell,     |                          |
         |     |                          |     |Nielsen, Solorio, Wagner  |                          |
         |     |                          |     |                          |                          |
         |-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------+--------------------------|
         |Nays:|Norby                     |Nays:|Norby                     |                          |
         |     |                          |     |                          |                          |
          -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
          SUMMARY  :  Designates a bicycle and pedestrian bridge that crosses 
         State Highway 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.  







                                                                      SCR 35
                                                                      Page  2



          FISCAL EFFECT  :  According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, 
         minor costs to Caltrans to make and erect appropriate signs; these 
         costs are covered by donations.  (State Highway Account.)  

          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 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."  
          

         Analysis Prepared by  :   Howard Posner / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093 FN: 
         0001506