BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 468
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Date of Hearing: July 6, 2011
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES
Wesley Chesbro, Chair
SB 468 (Kehoe) - As Amended: June 29, 2011
SENATE VOTE : 24-15
SUBJECT : Department of Transportation: north coast corridor
project: high-occupancy toll lanes
SUMMARY : Establishes a coordinated effort between the
Department of Transportation (Caltrans), the San Diego
Association of Governments (SANDAG), and the California Coastal
Commission (Commission) in the development of a public works
plan for the North Coast Corridor Project (NCCP), which is a
27-mile long series of projects within the coastal zone in San
Diego County that includes improvements to a segment of I-5 and
the Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) rail
corridor.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Requires, pursuant to the California Coastal Act of 1976, a
person planning to perform or undertake any development in the
coastal zone to obtain a coastal development permit from the
Commission or local government enforcing a Local Coastal
Program.
2)Defines "coastal zone" as that land and water area of the
State of California extending seaward to the state's outer
limit of jurisdiction, including all offshore islands, and
extending inland generally 1,000 yards from the mean high tide
line of the sea. In significant coastal estuarine, habitat,
and recreational areas the coastal zone extends inland to the
first major ridgeline paralleling the sea or five miles from
the mean high tide line of the sea, whichever is less, and in
developed urban areas the zone generally extends inland less
than 1,000 yards.
3)Authorizes public works plans to promote greater efficiency
for the planning of any public works project as an alternative
to project-by-project review for projects in the coastal zone.
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4)Authorizes SANDAG to conduct, administer, and operate a value
pricing and transit development demonstration program on a
maximum of two transportation corridors in San Diego County.
The program may direct and authorize the entry and use of
high-occupancy vehicle lanes by single-occupant vehicles
during peak periods for a fee.
5)Provides Caltrans with the full possession and control of all
state highways and all property and rights in property
acquired for state highway purposes.
THIS BILL:
1)Requires that the public works plan approved for the NCCP
within the coastal zone include all of the applicable elements
of the NCCP to be carried out by Caltrans or SANGAD, including
coastal access, highway, transit, multimodal transportation,
community enhancement, and environmental restoration and
mitigation.
2)Provides that once the public works plan for the NCCP has been
approved and certified by the Commission, subsequent review by
the Commission for specific projects will be limited to
imposing conditions necessary to ensure consistency with the
public works plan.
3)Requires that the public works plan include a process for
obtaining coastal development permits, identifying specific
project elements, and establishing mitigation measures to be
undertaken by SANDAG and Caltrans.
4)Requires Caltrans and SANDAG, for all elements of the NCCP
that are in the coastal zone, to comply with all of the
following:
a) Collaborate with stakeholders to ensure that multimodal
transportation (e.g. highways, rail lines, pedestrian
walkways and bike lanes, and commuter transit services) are
evaluated and included in the public works plan and in the
project design.
b) Establish safe routes to transit program that integrates
the adopted regional bike plan with transit services.
c) SANDAG shall recommend that Caltrans adopt an
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alternative no larger than the 8+4 Buffer Alternative (i.e.
12 highway lanes that include eight free flowing lanes and
four multimodal managed lanes) for I-5 improvements.
d) Concurrent construction of both rail and highway bridges
that cross lagoons.
e) Concurrent construction of highway, multimodal, and
mitigation projects within each phase of the public works
plan.
f) Use revenue from the 2004 voter-approved transaction and
use tax, commonly referred to as TransNet, to fund
improvements on LOSSAN.
5)Requires the Commission, Caltrans, and SANDAG to work
cooperatively toward completing all design approvals, reviews,
determinations, and permitting for the NCCP on an expedited
basis.
6)Authorizes SANDAG to conduct, administer, and operate a value
pricing and transit development program in the I-5 corridor.
7)Directs any excess revenue to be used directly in the I-5
corridor exclusively for the improvement of transit service
and for high-occupancy vehicle facilities.
8)Directs SANDAG, the North County Transit District, and
Caltrans to cooperatively develop a single transit improvement
plan for the I-5 corridor.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : The NCCP is a 27-mile long series of projects between
the City of San Diego and the City of Oceanside that includes
improvements to a segment of I-5 and the LOSSAN rail corridor.
The NCCP has been designated as a high priority project pursuant
to a September 18, 2002 presidential executive order. According
to the author, the project is estimated to take up to 40 years
to complete and cost between $3.4 billion and $4.5 billion.
The LOSSAN rail corridor is used for intercity and commuter rail
passenger service and for freight service. This rail corridor
is the second most frequently traveled rail segment in the
United States. Approximately 50 trains operate each weekday on
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the rail segment between San Diego and Oceanside. About half
the San Diego rail corridor has been double tracked. Proposed
infrastructure improvements include completing double tracking,
bridge and track replacements, new platforms, pedestrian
undercrossings, and other safety and operational enhancements.
The segment of I-5 located in the North Coast Corridor
experiences recurrent traffic congestion during weekday rush
hours and also is heavily traveled on weekends. The average
daily traffic is 261,000 vehicles and is projected to increase
to 430,000 daily vehicles by the year 2030. The corridor
currently consists of eight lanes with some segments currently
operating high occupancy vehicle lanes. Caltrans is working
with the federal government and SANDAG to develop a plan to
accommodate increased capacity within the North Coast Corridor
that includes heavy rail, bus rapid transit, bikeways, and other
transit options, in addition to freeway expansion, the use of
managed lanes, and other highway improvements.
Coastal development permits issued by the Commission are
required for projects within the coastal zone. Under this bill,
the NCCP's public works plan will allow for an integrated
regulatory review by the Commission rather than
project-by-project approval, providing an expedited process that
describes, evaluates, and establishes mitigation for highway,
transit, multimodal, community enhancement, and environmental
mitigation projects within the North Coast Corridor. Nothing in
the public works plan provisions of this bill is intended to
supersede the California Coastal Act of 1976.
SANDAG and Caltrans are responsible for preparing the public
works plan. Once the plan is approved by the Commission,
projects will be reviewed for consistency with the plan by the
Commission prior to a coastal development permit being issued.
According to the author, this bill ensures that Caltrans and
SANDAG work together to identify, fund, and complete multimodal
transit solutions in coordination with constructing managed
lanes or other freeway improvements. This ensures that those
living and working within the North Coast Corridor will have
viable and convenient transit options during the 40-year period
that freeway improvements are underway.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
SB 468
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Support
Associated General Contractors
San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Mario DeBernardo / NAT. RES. / (916)
319-2092