BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                  AB 946
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 15, 2013

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

                    AB 946 (Stone) - As Amended:  April 22, 2013 

          Policy Committee:                               
          TransportationVote:15-0
                         Local Government                       9-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              

           SUMMARY  

          This bill allows the Monterey-Salinas Transit District and the  
          Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District to conduct programs for  
          allowing transit buses to use the shoulders of certain highways,  
          subject to the approval of the Department of Transportation and  
          the California Highway Patrol.   

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Negligible fiscal impact.

           COMMENTS  

           1)Purpose  .  According to the author, running buses on the  
            shoulder programs have been implemented throughout the  
            country, and they have shown shorter, more consistent commute  
            times and increased ridership without increases in traffic  
            collisions.  The author points to the success of such programs  
            in over a dozen cities in the United States and Canada,  
            including Minneapolis which operates one of the most developed  
            programs covering over 300 miles.

           2)Support  .  Supporters of this bill point out that allowing  
            transit buses to use highway shoulders is a low-cost strategy  
            to improve bus running times and the reliability of transit  
            systems.  They also note that positive passenger perception of  
            travel time savings helps to attract patronage and that  
            passengers who enjoy the feeling of moving faster than the  
            general speed of traffic tend to continue to use public  
            transit.  Supporters also note allowing buses on shoulder  








                                                                  AB 946
                                                                  Page  2

            programs offers benefits of relieving traffic congestion and  
            improving air quality.

           3)Background  .  Successful programs for allowing buses on the  
            shoulder are being operated in over a dozen cities in the  
            United States and Canada.  The San Diego Association of  
            Governments (SANDAG) initiated a successful program in  
            partnership with the Metropolitan Transit Systems, Caltrans,  
            and CHP in 2005.  Caltrans is generally supportive of these  
            programs as long as they are authorized to provide prior  
            review and approval of such programs to ensure the safety,  
            operation and integrity of highway facilities are maintained.   
            Caltrans' is concerned that shoulder programs, if not  
            thoughtfully crafted, could introduce conflict with vehicles  
            using the shoulders for emergencies, limit access by emergency  
            vehicles and increase conflicts between buses and cars.

           4)There is no registered opposition to this bill  .
           Analysis Prepared by  :    Roger Dunstan / APPR. / (916) 319-2081