BILL ANALYSIS Ó
------------------------------------------------------------
|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 468|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|1020 N Street, Suite 524 | |
|(916) 445-6614 Fax: (916) | |
|327-4478 | |
------------------------------------------------------------
THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 468
Author: Kehoe (D)
Amended: 5/31/11
Vote: 21
SENATE NATURAL RES. AND WATER COMMITTEE : 5-3, 4/12/11
AYES: Pavley, Evans, Kehoe, Padilla, Wolk
NOES: La Malfa, Cannella, Fuller
NO VOTE RECORDED: Simitian
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE : 6-2, 5/3/11
AYES: DeSaulnier, Kehoe, Lowenthal, Pavley, Rubio,
Simitian
NOES: Gaines, Harman
NO VOTE RECORDED: Huff
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 6-2, 5/26/11
AYES: Kehoe, Alquist, Lieu, Pavley, Price, Steinberg
NOES: Walters, Runner
NO VOTE RECORDED: Emmerson
SUBJECT : Department of Transportation:
capacity-increasing state highway projects:
coastal zone
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill prescribes coordinated duties for the
Department of Transportation, the San Diego Association of
Governments, and the California Coastal Commission with
CONTINUED
SB 468
Page
2
respect to a 40-year plan for transportation improvements
in the coastal zone in San Diego County known collectively
as the north coast corridor project.
ANALYSIS : Existing law:
1. Provides that the Department of Transportation
(Caltrans) has full possession and control of the state
highway system.
2. Imposes various requirements for the development and
implementation of transportation projects.
3. Authorizes San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG)
to conduct, administer, and operate a value pricing
high-occupancy toll (HOT) lane program on 2 corridors
included in the high-occupancy vehicle lane system in
San Diego County.
This bill:
1. Requires Caltrans and SANDAG to prepare a "public works
plan" (PWP) for submittal to the California Coastal
Commission (CCC). The PWP is an expedited process that
describes, evaluates, and provides mitigation for
highway, transit, multimodal and community enhancement
projects within the north coast corridor project (NCCP).
2. Requires Caltrans, SANDAG, and the CCC to work
cooperatively toward completing all design approvals,
reviews, determinations, and permitting for the NCCP on
an expedited basis.
3. Requires Caltrans and SANDAG to perform all work in
conformance with the phasing program specified in the
PWP, unless otherwise approved by the CCC.
4. Requires Caltrans and SANDAG to comply with specified
requirements for any elements of the NCCP that are in
the coastal zone, including: collaboration with all
stakeholders to ensure inclusion of multimodal
transportation options; require the "8+4" Buffer
Alternative as the preferred alternative for State
Highway Route (SR) 5 improvements; require concurrent
CONTINUED
SB 468
Page
3
construction of rail and highway bridges crossing
lagoons; ongoing monitoring of environmental
consequences of the projects; and concurrent
construction of highway improvements,
multimodal projects, and environmental mitigation and
enhancement projects in each phase.
5. Authorizes SANDAG to conduct, administer, and operate
HOT lanes on SR 5, and requires all revenues from the
HOT lanes to be used for transit improvements and
high-occupancy vehicle facilities in the SR 5 corridor.
Background
Caltrans is responsible for the development, operations,
maintenance, and reconstruction of state highways, and it
also plans and operates through contracts with Amtrak,
California's intercity passenger rail service. When
Caltrans develops capacity increasing projects, it usually
carries out this activity in concert with the regional
transportation planning agency for the area in which the
project is located.
SANDAG is the regional transportation planning agency for
the County of San Diego, a single county planning region.
SANDAG is responsible for long-term, multi-modal
transportation planning, the prioritization transportation
projects, and developing fundable transportation capital
outlay program. SANDAG also oversees the operation of
public transportation services in the county.
CCC, established by voter initiative in 1972 (Proposition
20) and later made permanent when the Legislature adopted
the California Coastal Act of 1976, is a twelve member,
independent, quasi-judicial state agency with regulatory
responsibility for permitting projects constructed in the
coastal zone. It oversees the implementation of various
policies that address issues such as shoreline public
access and recreation, lower cost visitor accommodations,
terrestrial and marine habitat protection, visual
resources, landform alteration, agricultural lands,
commercial fisheries, industrial uses, water quality,
offshore oil and gas development, transportation
investments, development design, power plants, ports, and
CONTINUED
SB 468
Page
4
public works. The Coastal Act establishes a band along the
state's coastline that varies in width from several hundred
feet in urban areas to as much as five miles inland in
rural areas of the state, which constitutes the
jurisdiction of the commission.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:
Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 Fund
Caltrans state operations Unknown moderate increase
in staff Special*
costs associated with prescribed
coordination duties
Caltrans capital costs Unknown costs or savings as
a result Special*
of phasing requirements
Coastal Commission Likely minor costs related
to General
prescribed duties admin
* State Highway Account
SUPPORT : (Verified 5/27/11)
Alliance of Citizens to Improve Oceanside Neighborhoods
California Public Interest Research Group
City of Del Mar
City of Oceanside, Deputy Mayor
City of Solana Beach
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 569
San Diego
Move San Diego
San Diego County Democratic Party
Save Our Forest and Ranch Lands
Sierra Club of California
Sustainable San Diego
Torrey Pines Community Planning Board
CONTINUED
SB 468
Page
5
OPPOSITION : (Verified 5/27/11)
American Council of Engineering Companies of California
Associated Builders and Contractors San Diego
Chamber of Carlsbad
City of Carlsbad
City of Oceanside
City of San Marcos
Professional Engineers in California Government
San Diego Association of Governments
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : The author introduced this bill in
response to the proposed widening of Interstate 5 (I-5) in
San Diego County. This bill applies to the entire coastal
zone, but the most significant highway project is the San
Diego project. In November 2010, the Senate Transportation
and Housing Committee held an informational hearing on the
project, which over 200 people attended, in Solana Beach, a
city in the NCCP area. Caltrans, SANDAG, and the chair of
the Air Resources Board participated.
In comments to Caltrans on the I-5 draft environmental
impact report (DEIR), the author wrote: "Simply proposing
to construct wider freeways to get us through the next 40
years will not do when the level of service would not be
improved to a significant level. The public clearly wants
realistic transit options and is committed to reducing
greenhouse gas emissions, as evidence by the strong vote in
November, 2010, rejecting Proposition 23 that would have
suspended implementation of AB 32 in California".
The initiation and development of highway projects is a
joint effort between Caltrans and the local regional
transportation planning agency, SANDAG in the case of
improvements to I-5 in San Diego. I-5 is an important
interregional and intracounty highway. Currently, about
200,000 vehicles use the highway on a daily basis, and
SANDAG forecasts in 2030 that usage will increase to
300,000 vehicles, a 50 percent increase. Caltrans and
SANDAG initiated defining various freeway improvement
options in late 1997, with Caltrans approving the actual
project alternatives in January, 2000. The environmental
analysis of the project alternatives began in 2004. Today,
CONTINUED
SB 468
Page
6
the travel time during commute hours from end-to-end of the
27 mile corridor is 38 minutes. If no improvements are
made, SANDAG forecasts the travel time to be 70 minutes in
2030. On the other hand, if a fourteen-lane freeway (ten
conventional lanes and for managed lanes) is constructed,
the travel time will be 37 minutes, while constructing a
twelve lane freeway, travel time will increase to 45
minutes. The passenger rail service is expected to offer
32 minute service.
ARGUMENTS IN OPPOSITION : SANDAG argues that this bill
halts construction of any new highway project in the
coastal zone, resulting in the region being unable to
accommodate expected growth. In addition, I-5 is an
interregional highway and any constraints placed on its
development would serve to limit commerce, especially trade
with Mexico. In addition, I-5 will include managed lanes
that are part of the region's strategy to address
greenhouse gases and implement SB 375 (Steinberg), Chapter
728, Statutes of 2008. The PWP, which is jointly being
developed by Caltrans and SANDAG for the commission review
process, is underway and no legislation related to that
process is necessary.
CTW:kc 5/31/11 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
**** END ****
CONTINUED