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