BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 14
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Date of Hearing: April 29, 2013
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
Bonnie Lowenthal, Chair
AB 14 (Lowenthal) - As Introduced: December 3, 2012
SUBJECT : State Freight Plan
SUMMARY : Mandates the preparation of a state freight plan and
the establishment of an advisory committee to help develop the
plan. Specifically, this bill :
1)Requires the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency
(Agency) to prepare a state freight plan (plan) with specified
elements to govern the immediate and long-range planning
activities and capital investments with respect to the
movement of freight.
2)Requires that the plan comply with the relevant provisions of
the federal Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act
(MAP-21).
3)Requires the Agency to establish a freight advisory committee
(committee) and prescribes its composition.
4)Specifies the duties and responsibilities of the committee.
5)Delineates the minimum required elements of the plan.
6)Requires that the plan be submitted to the Legislature, the
Governor, and certain state agencies by December 31, 2014, and
updated every 5 years thereafter.
7)Allows the state freight plan to be developed separately from,
or incorporated into, the statewide strategic long-range
transportation plan required by federal law.
8)Allows the freight element of the state freight plan to be
developed separately from, or incorporated into, the state
rail plan prepared by the California Department of
Transportation (Caltrans).
EXISTING LAW :
1)Existing federal law, MAP-21, encourages but does not require
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states to develop and submit to the Federal Highway
Administration individual state freight plans. Additionally,
states are encouraged but not required to establish freight
advisory committees to aid in the development of the state
goods movement plans.
2)Existing federal law requires each state to develop a
statewide transportation plan and a statewide transportation
improvement program for all areas of the state.
3)Creates the Business, Transportation and Housing (BT&H) Agency
in state government, consisting of various departments,
including Caltrans, which, among other things, is responsible
for the state highway system.
4)Requires Caltrans to prepare a state rail plan, which contains
a freight element.
5)Requires Caltrans to develop the interregional blueprint, as
part of the development of the California Transportation Plan,
to assess how the metropolitan planning organization's
sustainable communities strategies implementation will
influence the configuration of the statewide multimodal
transportation system.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : Last summer, Congress passed, and the President
signed, federal transportation reauthorization legislation,
MAP-21. MAP-21 directs the US Department of Transportation (US
DOT) to develop a new national freight program that will provide
a basis for federal investment in trade-facilitating
infrastructure development. As a part of this new federal
initiative, MAP-21 essentially does three things:
1)It encourages states to develop comprehensive plans for
immediate and long-range freight-related planning and
investments, including a discussion of the state's strategic
goals for freight transportation. To inform the development
of these plans, MAP-21 specifically encourages states to
establish freight advisory committees. State freight plans
will be used to inform development of the national freight
plan;
2)It requires US DOT to establish a national freight network to
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assist states in strategically directing resources toward
improved movement of freight on highways. Criteria to be
examined in designating the highway routes to be included in
the freight network include the following: tonnage or value of
commodities carried, truck traffic volume, access to
significant ports of entry/exit for international trade,
access to energy areas, access to population centers, and
multimodal connectivity accessibility (such as rail lines
running parallel to highways and waterways that carry bulk
cargo). The national highway network is required to be
adopted by July, 2013; and
3)It requires the establishment of freight project performance
measures.
Going beyond federal law, this bill would mandate California to
develop a state freight plan as well as mandate the
establishment of a freight advisory committee consistent with
the federal requirements. According to the author, this bill
will ensure that the state is well-positioned to inform federal
policy decision-makers of California's goods movement
infrastructure needs. With a comprehensive freight plan in
hand, this will place California at the front of the line for
available federal money.
Background : California is one of the 10 largest economies in
the world with a gross state product of more than $1.9 trillion,
and our state's goods movement system is the bedrock of the
state's economy. According to an international trade and
investment study produced by the California Business,
Transportation and Housing (BT&H) Agency, "International trade
and investment is a major economic engine for the state of
California that broadly benefits businesses, communities,
consumers and state government."
Although infrastructure needs have been well documented in
multiple reports over the last several decades, our state's
investment in goods movement has not kept pace with the demands
of modern, trade-driven supply chains. Growing volumes of
freight that move along our roads, rails, and waterways are
increasingly choked by a lack of adequate capacity.
Simultaneously, communities alongside these corridors choke on
the resultant emissions. Without improvements to key freight
transportation corridors, our ability to compete in the global
marketplace will be hampered. In order to remain at the highest
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competitive level vying for goods from other nations, our goods
movement infrastructure must remain at the highest competitive
level, using cutting-edge, transformational technologies that
are timely, cost-effective, and appropriate. This is necessary
if the state is going to attract and sustain the trade business
that will allow us to grow and prosper.
California is now faced with the challenge of developing a state
freight plan that meets the needs of an aging and congested
infrastructure while at the same time complies with federal and
state clean air mandates and addresses related public health
issues. Prioritizing the investment needs attributed to these
separate demands will require tough choices and complex
strategies critical to building and maintaining an efficient,
equitable, and sustainable goods movement system for California.
As a precursor in the development of any plan, the vision,
goals, and objectives of the plan need to be clearly
established. Accordingly, the US DOT MAP-21 Interim Guidance
document advises that a state freight plan should include a
discussion of the state's strategic goals for freight
transportation. Further, the guidance document indicates that
the plan must include a description of how the plan will improve
the ability of the state to meet the national freight goals
listed below:
1)Improving the contribution of the freight transportation
system to economic efficiency, productivity, and
competitiveness;
2)Reducing congestion on the freight transportation system;
3)Improving the safety, security, and resilience of the freight
transportation system;
4)Improving the state of good repair of the freight
transportation system;
5)Using advanced technology, performance management, innovation,
competition, and accountability in operating and maintaining
the freight transportation system; and,
6)Reducing adverse environmental and community impacts of the
freight transportation system.
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Current goods movement planning efforts : A number of efforts
are already underway at state, regional, and local levels to
address goods movement needs in California. For example, the
California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has embarked
on the development of the California Freight Mobility Plan.
Caltrans has entered into a contract with California State
University, Long Beach, to develop a scoping plan for an update
to state's 2007 Goods Movement Action Plan (GMAP). The contract
requires the university to recommend a possible approach and
timing for developing a vision of goods movement, development
and updating of goals and policies, and identification of
potential infrastructure improvements. Also, the contract
requires a recommendation on a process to include stakeholder
outreach, analysis of key goods movement issues and trends, and
development of an action plan.
Also as a part of the Caltrans effort, a freight advisory
committee has been established to help guide the development of
their freight mobility plan. The initial list includes over 50
stakeholders, many in attendance at the hearing today.
On a parallel track, the Air Resources Board (ARB) is currently
developing their long-term vision for freight transport in
California, referred to as the "2050 vision" for freight
transport. ARB intends to identify a vision for freight
transport looking to 2050 that will:
1)Put the state on a trajectory to help stabilize global
climate;
2)Is environmentally sustainable;
3)Ensures continued economic strength and quality of life; and,
4)Supports reliable and efficient freight transport.
Tentatively, ARB expects to have preliminary concepts for the
freight strategy in late 2013. Further implementation steps
will be determined by ARB, but the effort is expected to be
reflected in the Update to the Scoping Plan and State
Implementation Plan revisions.
Additionally, another major consideration in the adoption of the
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plan's goals are the regional transportation plans adopted by
metropolitan planning organizations that ensure compliance with
greenhouse gas reduction regional targets as established by ARB,
pursuant SB 375 (Steinberg) Chapter 728, Statutes of 2008. The
sustainable communities strategies (SCS) are a new element of
the metropolitan planning organizations' regional transportation
plans that demonstrate how development patterns and
transportation policies and programs can work together to
achieve a region's greenhouse gas emission reduction targets
from cars and light trucks. Integrating the SCS plans of the
separate regions into the state freight plan would also lend
support to the regional agencies in achieving their greenhouse
gas emission reductions and environmental sustainability
objectives. With the few regional transportation plans approved
by ARB or nearing completion, these will ensure that we are
making transportation investments consistent with community
wishes along with achieving emission reductions.
Author's amendments : The author will be amending the bill to
reflect the new Transportation Agency as a result of the recent
governmental reorganization by the Administration.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Alameda Corridor-East Construction Authority
California State Association of Counties
League of California Cities (in concept)
Pacific Marine Shipping Association
Riverside County Transportation Commission
South Coast Air Quality Management District (support with
amendment to add air quality representative on advisory
committee)
The California Railroad Industry
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Ed Imai / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093
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