BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 707|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 707
Author: Ting (D)
Amended: 5/1/13 in Assembly
Vote: 21
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE : 10-0, 6/25/13
AYES: DeSaulnier, Gaines, Beall, Galgiani, Hueso, Lara, Liu,
Pavley, Roth, Wyland
NO VOTE RECORDED: Cannella
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 69-0, 5/24/13 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Vehicles
SOURCE : California Alliance for Retired Americans
California Walks
DIGEST : This bill deletes conditions that must be met before
a local agency may post SENIOR pedestrian warning signs.
ANALYSIS :
Existing law:
1.Establishes a prima facie speed limit of 25 miles per hour
when passing a senior center or facility that is next to a
street other than a state highway and where standard "SENIOR"
pedestrian warning signs are posted.
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2.Provides that a local agency is not required to post a
standard "SENIOR" pedestrian warning sign until:
A. The local agency has received private donations
sufficient to cover the cost of posting the sign; and
B. The local agency makes a determination that there is
need for the sign.
1.Authorizes a local agency to utilize any other funds available
to pay for posting standard "SENIOR" pedestrian warning signs
if it chooses to post a "SENIOR" pedestrian warning sign.
2.Establishes a Pedestrian Safety Account in the State
Transportation Fund to fund grants to be awarded by the state
Department of Transportation for pedestrian safety projects.
This bill:
1.Authorizes a local agency to post a standard "SENIOR"
pedestrian warning sign when it makes a determination that
there is need for the sign, but does not require that private
donations pay for the cost of posting the sign.
2.Authorizes a local agency to request Pedestrian Safety Account
grant funding, or any other grant funding for which it is
eligible, to pay for the sign.
3.Authorizes a local agency to use grant funding, or any other
funds available including private donations, to post standard
"SENIOR" pedestrian warning signs.
Comments
The author notes that existing law, which does not require a
local agency to post "SENIOR" pedestrian warning signs until
private sources can cover the costs, has made it difficult for
senior facilities to obtain these signs. The sponsor states
that "senior slow zones" are not widely used because of
questions about how local governments might fund the required
signage. This bill simplifies the process of obtaining the
signs and helps protect seniors by making drivers aware of areas
that may have large numbers of senior pedestrians.
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Senior pedestrian safety . The California Office of Traffic
Safety indicates that pedestrian fatalities for individuals age
65 years and older increased 14.6% from 2008 to 2009, and 4.6%
from 2009 to 2010. The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration states that individuals 65 years and older
accounted for 19% of all pedestrian fatalities and 8% of
pedestrian injuries in 2009. In 2009, the fatality rate for
senior pedestrians was 1.96 per 100,000 population - higher than
the rate for all other age groups.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 8/12/13)
California Alliance for Retired Americans (co-source)
California Walks (co-source)
California State Retirees
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 69-0, 5/24/13
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Bloom,
Blumenfield, Bocanegra, Bonilla, Bradford, Brown, Buchanan,
Ian Calderon, Campos, Chau, Chávez, Chesbro, Conway, Cooley,
Dahle, Daly, Dickinson, Eggman, Fong, Fox, Frazier, Beth
Gaines, Garcia, Gatto, Gomez, Gordon, Gorell, Gray, Hagman,
Hall, Roger Hernández, Jones, Jones-Sawyer, Levine, Linder,
Logue, Lowenthal, Maienschein, Mansoor, Medina, Melendez,
Mitchell, Morrell, Mullin, Muratsuchi, Nazarian, Nestande,
Olsen, Pan, Patterson, Perea, V. Manuel Pérez, Quirk,
Quirk-Silva, Rendon, Salas, Stone, Ting, Wagner, Weber,
Wieckowski, Williams, Yamada, John A. Pérez
NO VOTE RECORDED: Bigelow, Bonta, Donnelly, Grove, Harkey,
Holden, Skinner, Waldron, Wilk, Vacancy, Vacancy
JA:nl 8/12/13 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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