BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1193
Page 1
CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 1193 (Ting)
As Amended August 21, 2014
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |58-16|(January 29, |SENATE: |29-5 |(August 25, |
| | |2014) | | |2014) |
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|COMMITTEE VOTE: |11-5 |(August 27, 2014) |RECOMMENDATION: |concur |
|(Trans.) | | | | |
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Original Committee Reference: L. GOV .
SUMMARY : Requires the Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to
develop minimum safety design criteria for cycle tracks and
authorizes local governments to deviate from Caltrans' design
criteria for bikeways under specified conditions. Specifically,
this bill :
1)Creates a new class of bikeways, called cycle tracks or separated
bikeways, and defines them as bikeways that provide a
right-of-way designated exclusively for bicycle travel adjacent
to a roadway and that are protected from vehicular traffic.
2)Requires Caltrans to establish minimum safety design criteria for
cycle tracks.
3)Makes changes to the process Caltrans must follow in establishing
bikeway design criteria.
4)Authorizes local agencies to utilize minimum safety design
criteria other than those established by Caltrans under specified
conditions.
The Senate amendments :
1)Authorize local agencies to utilize minimum safety design
criteria other than those established by Caltrans if all the
following conditions are met:
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a) The alternative criteria have been reviewed and approved by
a qualified engineer with consideration for the unique
characteristics and features of the proposed bikeway;
b) The alternative criteria, or the description of the project
with reference to the alternative criteria, are adopted by
resolution at a public meeting; and,
c) The alternative criteria adhere to guidelines established
by a national association of public agency transportation
officials.
2)Require Caltrans to establish design criteria for cycle tracks by
January 1, 2016.
3)Require Caltrans, in establishing minimum safety design criteria
for bikeways, to consider the safety of vulnerable populations,
such as children, seniors, persons with impaired vision, and
persons with limited mobility and to consult with its existing
advisory committee dedicated to improving access for persons with
disabilities in establishing design criteria for bikeways.
4)Delete existing law requiring Caltrans to establish procedures
for local agencies to get an exception from utilizing Caltrans'
design criteria for bikeways for purposes of research,
experimentation, testing, evaluation, or verification.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations Committee,
pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8, negligible state costs.
COMMENTS : Under existing law, Caltrans is responsible for
establishing minimum safety design criteria for the planning and
construction of bikeways and roadways where bicycle travel is
permitted. These criteria are contained within the California
Highway Design Manual (HDM). Caltrans additionally establishes
uniform specifications and symbols for signs, markers, and traffic
control devices to designate bikeways, regulate traffic, improve
safety and convenience for bicyclists, and alert pedestrians and
motorists of the presence of bicyclists where bicycle travel is
permitted. Caltrans adopts these specifications, along with
standards for all traffic control devices, in the California Manual
on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).
All local agencies responsible for the development or operation of
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bikeways or roadways where bicycle travel is permitted must utilize
Caltrans adopted design criteria and specifications as contained in
the HDM and MUTCD. Cities and counties can apply for a design
exception from Caltrans to install bikeways that do not meet
Caltrans' standards, but local governments complain that the process
is cumbersome and time-consuming. In contrast, cities and counties
may, but are not required to, utilize the HDM when designing local
streets and roads.
In January 2014, the Smart State Transportation Initiative, an
independent organization composed of transportation experts, former
state transportation chief executives, and academic researchers,
released a review of Caltrans management, operations, and
organizational culture. The study was commissioned by the
Business, Transportation and Housing Agency (the predecessor of the
State Transportation Agency). A key recommendation of the report
was that the "department should support, or propose if no bill is
forthcoming, legislation to end the archaic practice of imposing
state rules on local streets for bicycle facilities."
Cycle tracks, also referred to as protected bike lanes, are a type
of bike lane that is part of the road but physically separated from
vehicle traffic in some way. Common in some parts of Europe, the
construction of cycle tracks is on the rise in the United States
(U.S.). In 2011, there were an estimated 62 cycle tracks across the
country. That number has now risen to at least 102 in 32 U.S.
cities, with over 100 more planned in 2013. Several California
cities have installed cycle tracks, including Long Beach, Los
Angeles, and San Francisco.
This bill allows local governments to deviate from state criteria
when designing bikeways, but does not give them complete control.
Cities and counties that elect to use design criteria not contained
within the HDM would have to ensure that the alternative criteria
have been reviewed and approved by a qualified engineer, are adopted
by resolution at a public meeting, and adhere to guidelines
established by a national association of public agency
transportation officials, such as the National Association of City
Transportation Officials.
This bill also adds cycle tracks as a fourth class of bikeways and
requires Caltrans to establish minimum safety design criteria for
them by 2016. Finally, this bill requires Caltrans to consider the
safety of children, seniors and other vulnerable populations in
establishing bikeway design criteria and consult with its advisory
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committee on improving access for persons with disabilities.
This bill was substantially amended in the Senate. Several
provisions of this bill have not been heard in an Assembly policy
committee.
Analysis Prepared by : Anya Lawler / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093
FN: 0005528