BILL ANALYSIS Ó SB 415 Page 1 Date of Hearing: July 2, 2012 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION Bonnie Lowenthal, Chair SB 415 (Price) - As Amended: June 26, 2012 SENATE VOTE : Not relevant SUBJECT : Park-and-ride lots: relinquishments SUMMARY : Provides for the relinquishment of park-and-ride lots. Specifically, this bill grants permission to the California Transportation Commission (CTC) to relinquish to a county transportation commission or to a regional transportation planning agency (RTPA) park-and-ride lots within their respective jurisdictions, on terms and conditions that the CTC finds to be within the best interests of the state, under the following conditions: 1)The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the county transportation commission or RTPA enter into an agreement providing for the relinquishment; and, 2)The relinquishment becomes effective on the date following the county recorder's recordation of the relinquishment resolution containing the CTC's approval of the terms and conditions of the relinquishment. EXISTING LAW : 1)Statutorily identifies state highway system routes; defines "state highway" as any roadway that is acquired, laid out, constructed, improved, or maintained as a state highway pursuant to constitutional or legislative authorization. 2)Provides for the expansion or deletion of the state highway system through a process whereby CTC makes a finding that it is in the best interest of the state to include or delete a specified portion of roadway to the system. 3)Provides for the relinquishment of a portion of state highway to a city or county under an agreement between the local jurisdiction and Caltrans when an act of the Legislature has deleted the portion of highway from the state highway system. SB 415 Page 2 FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown COMMENTS : Each session, numerous bills authorizing CTC to relinquish segments of the state highway segments to local jurisdictions are passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor. Relinquishment transactions are generally preceded by a negotiation of terms and conditions between the local jurisdiction and Caltrans. Once an agreement has been established, CTC typically approves the relinquishment and verifies its approval via a resolution. The final step is for the Legislature to delete these segments from current law. State highway relinquishments provide recipient agencies with greater control over a local transportation segment and relieve Caltrans of any further responsibility to improve, maintain, or repair it. This bill, unlike typical relinquishment bills, will allow the state to transfer to county transportation commissions or to an RTPA, park-and-ride lots. This bill is sponsored by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). SB 415 will allow Metro to enter into agreements with Caltrans to take ownership of selected state-owned park-and-ride lots, under terms set forth in the bill. As planned, Metro will assume ownership, as well as maintenance and operations, of the lots as part of its efforts to promote public transit ridership. Some of its planned improvements include leasing spaces to increase activity in the lots, better advertising and signage to manage parking amongst different lots, and increased security and improved maintenance to encourage greater utilization of the lots. REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION : Support None on file Opposition None on file SB 415 Page 3 Analysis Prepared by : Janet Dawson / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093