BILL ANALYSIS Ó SB 415 Page 1 SENATE THIRD READING SB 415 (Price) As Amended August 21, 2012 Majority vote SENATE VOTE :Vote not relevant TRANSPORTATION 13-0 APPROPRIATIONS 17-0 ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Ayes:|Bonnie Lowenthal, |Ayes:|Gatto, Harkey, | | |Jeffries, Achadjian, | |Blumenfield, Bradford, | | |Blumenfield, Buchanan, | |Charles Calderon, Campos, | | |Eng, Furutani, Galgiani, | |Davis, Donnelly, Fuentes, | | |Logue, Miller, Norby | |Hall, Hill, Cedillo, | | |Portantino, Solorio | |Mitchell, Nielsen, Norby, | | | | |Solorio, Wagner | |-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------| | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY : Provides for the relinquishment of park-and-ride lots. Specifically, this bill: 1)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 if the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the county transportation commission or RTPA enter into an agreement providing for the relinquishment. 2)Requires that a county transportation commission or an RTPA that requests relinquishment of a park-and-ride lot agree to maintain at least as many parking spaces in the lot as there were when the property was relinquished by Caltrans. 3)Provides that the relinquishment will become 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 : SB 415 Page 2 1)Identifies, statutorily, 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. FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, Caltrans indicates that local jurisdictions frequently seek concessions-typically future maintenance funds as well as upfront rehabilitation from the department-as part of relinquishment agreements. Depending on the number of park-and-ride lots relinquished to local agencies and the condition of those lots, potential one-time special fund costs could exceed $150,000, depending on the outcome of negotiations between Caltrans and local entities and a determination that any relinquishment is in the state's best interest. Furthermore, the bill could result in ongoing savings to Caltrans from reduced maintenance and rehabilitation costs for relinquished park-and-ride lots. 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. SB 415 Page 3 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. Analysis Prepared by : Janet Dawson / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093 FN: 0005239