Amended in Senate May 6, 2013

Amended in Senate April 3, 2013

Senate Bill No. 811

Introduced by Senator Lara

February 22, 2013

An act to add Section 103.1 to the Streets and Highways Code, relating to transportation.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 811, as amended, Lara. State Highway Route 710.

Existing law provides that the Department of Transportation has full possession and control of the state highway system. Existing law imposes various requirements for the development and implementation of transportation projects.

This bill would impose various additional requirements on the department begin insert , or on another agency, if that agency agrees to assume responsibility as the lead agency end insert with respect to the begin delete proposed program of improvements for the State Highway Route 710 Corridor end delete begin insert I-710 expansion project end insert in the County of Los Angeles begin insert from State Highway Route 60 in East Los Angeles to Ocean Boulevard in Long Beach end insert . The bill would require the begin delete department, in conjunction with various other entities, to, among other things, develop and implement a comprehensive public transportation plan, create and implement a comprehensive pedestrian and bicycle improvements element, implement certain improvement programs and projects relative to the Los Angeles River and certain tributaries, provide various community benefits to schools and other facilities, and engage in certain job training, workforce development, and targeted hiring activities. The bill would require the department to allocate $3,000,000 annually from project funds for job training during the life of the Route 710 Corridor project, subject to appropriation by the Legislature end delete begin insert lead agency, in consultation with all interested community organizations, to consider, within the environmental review process for the project, alternatives to address the air quality, public health, and mobility impacts the project will have on neighboring communities. The bill would require the final environmental document approved by the lead agency to include an investment in identified mitigation measures for the affected communities of not less than 10 percent of the total project costs. The bill would require the lead agency to submit a report in that regard to the Legislature at least 90 days prior to approving the final environmental document for the project end insert . The bill would make legislative findings and declarations.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  begin delete no end delete begin insert yes end insert . State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 103.1 is added to the Streets and
Highways Code, to read:

103.1.  

(a) As used in this section, the following terms have
the following meanings:

(1) “I-710 begin insert expansion end insert project” means the proposed program of
improvements to the State Highway Route 710 Corridor in the
County of Los Angeles within the State Highway Route 710
Corridor project study area begin insert , which extends from State Highway
Route 60 in East Los Angeles to Ocean Boulevard in Long Beach.
The I-710 expansion project does not include any extension of
State Highway Route 710 through South Pasadena from State
Highway Route 10 to State Highway Route 210 end insert .

begin insert

(2) “Lead agency” means the department, unless another agency
agrees to assume responsibility as the lead agency for the I-710
expansion project under the California Environmental Quality Act
(Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000) of the Public
Resources Code), in which case “lead agency” means that other
agency.

end insert begin delete

(2)

end delete

begin insert (3) end insert  “Los Angeles River” or “river” means the Los Angeles River
within the State Highway Route 710 Corridor project study area,
including the adjacent tributaries of Compton Creek and Rio
Hondo.

(b) The Legislature finds and declares that the proposed I-710
begin insert expansion end insert project is a project of national significance that is
intended to expand capacity on State Highway Route 710 in the
County of Los Angeles to accommodate the movement of freight
from and to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, thereby
providing economic benefits in the region and beyond. However,
the I-710 begin insert expansion end insert project, as proposed, will have adverse public
health, air quality, and quality-of-life impacts on residents residing
near the corridor from East Los Angeles to Long Beach.

begin delete

(c) The department, in coordination with the Los Angeles
County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and service councils
within the project’s vicinity, shall, as part of the I-710 project,
develop and implement a comprehensive public transportation
plan for the corridor. The plan shall be aligned with the goals of
Assembly Bill 32 (Chapter 488, Statutes of 2006) and Senate Bill
375 (Chapter 728, Statutes of 2008) of reducing greenhouse gases
by reducing vehicle miles traveled and increasing public transit
use and active transportation. The plan shall incorporate local Safe
Routes to School programs and pedestrian and bicycle plans to
safely connect communities. In addition, the plan, at a minimum,
shall do all of the following:

(1) Add bus shuttles from the affected communities to transit
centers.

(2) Expand rail transit service on the Metro Blue and Green
Lines.

(3) Expand local, express, and Metro Rapid bus services.

(4) Enhance community bus service, such as local circulator
routes in the Cities of Long Beach, Commerce, and Paramount.

(d) The department shall include a comprehensive pedestrian
and bicycle improvement element as part of the I-710 project. This
element shall be developed in conjunction with local agencies and
interested private organizations, and shall consist of the projects
as provided in paragraphs (1) and (2). The elements shall be
consistent with the department’s complete streets policies,
including Department of Transportation Deputy Directive 64-R1,
“Complete Streets -- Integrating the Transportation System.” The
element shall build upon any existing efforts to identify bicycle
and walkability improvements, and be integrated and coordinated
with any existing bicycle and pedestrian plans of cities within the
corridor. The elements shall include all of the following projects:

(1) Community improvements consisting of the following:

(A) Bridges designed for the sole use of pedestrians and bicycles
that cross the freeway at one-quarter to one-half-mile intervals and
are connected with existing or new pedestrian and bicycle facilities
on either side of the freeway.

(B) Implementation of best design practices to ensure that
roadways are safe for use by pedestrians and bicyclists at on- and
off-ramps to the freeway and adjoining intersections within the
I-710 project area. All intersections and crossings within the I-710
project shall be consistent with the Americans with Disabilities
Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 12101 et seq.) requirements to
facilitate access for the disabled.

(C) Repair and improvement of existing trails, bicycle paths,
and sidewalks within the I-710 project area, including enhanced
lighting, signage, signalization, widening, and separation from
vehicle traffic, as appropriate. This requirement shall apply both
to facilities within the Route 710 right-of-way and to overcrossings,
arterials, and intersections that are part of the I-710 project, and
shall include trails, bicycle paths, and sidewalks that connect with,
or are along, the Los Angeles River.

(D) Construction of new pedestrian and bicycle paths and routes
within the Route 710 right-of-way and with respect to
overcrossings, arterials, and intersections that are part of the I-710
project. The new facilities shall be connected to existing facilities
wherever possible. Extension of the Los Angeles River shared-use
path shall be included, with the intent that the path serve as the
spine of an enhanced regional pedestrian and bicycle network.

(2) Support of new pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure within
the project area consisting of all of the following:

(A) Installation of bicycle parking at public and commercial
destinations.

(B) Construction of new class I, II, and III bicycle routes.

(C) Adequate striping of bicycle lanes.

(D) Promotion of projects that safely and effectively connect
pedestrians and bicyclists to public transit in order to encourage
the use of public transit.

(E) Promotion of neighborhood routes, also known as “bike
boulevards,” with features such as traffic circles.

(F) Transformation of existing underutilized railroad and utility
rights-of-way into separated pedestrian and bicycle paths.

(e) (1) The department shall develop a collaborative with
federal, state, and local agencies and stakeholder organizations to
fund and implement the improvement projects described in
paragraphs (2) and (3) relating to the Los Angeles River within
the I-710 project area. River improvements shall include restoration
of the natural river functions, improved bicycle and walking trail
networks, and protection from runoff pollution. The department
shall include river improvements as part of the I-710 project.

(2) Improvement projects to restore the natural river shall
include projects that:

(A) Increase, enhance, and maintain recreational trails.

(B) Restore, enhance, and maintain associated wetlands.

(C) Allow for continuous fish migration along the river.

(D) Increase, enhance, and maintain native landscaping.

(3) Improvement projects to provide neighborhood access to
the river shall remove barriers to neighborhood access to the river,
including providing improved bicycle and walking trail networks
between greenbelts, local parks, and the river.

(f) The department shall include the following mitigation and
community measures as part of the I-710 project in order to ensure
that affected communities are vibrant and healthy:

(1) Healthy schools projects to protect the health of children
and improve schools and mitigation for schools, which shall
include, but not be limited to, all of the following:

(A) Creation of pedestrian and streetscape improvements to
facilitate safe access to schools, to be coordinated with the
comprehensive pedestrian and bicycle improvements element of
the I-710 project.

(B) Use of green and energy-efficient building materials and
systems in school facilities.

(C) Planting of trees along school property lines to mitigate
noise and air pollution.

(D) Constructing sound walls on Route 710 within the project
area near affected schools sufficient to mitigate noise impacts
down to a maximum of 45 dB(A) inside classrooms.

(E) Installation of air filtration systems in school facilities
pursuant to paragraph (2).

(F) Any other mitigation measures necessary to protect school
children from the impacts of noise, pollution, land encroachments,
and other nuisances related to the construction of the Route-710
project and its future operation.

(2) Air filtration projects coordinated with the South Coast Air
Quality Management District to ensure that homes, schools, and
public buildings within 500 meters of the I-710 project and major
arterials impacted by the I-710 project are equipped with register
systems and high-performance panel filter air filtration systems,
or systems of equivalent effectiveness.

(3) Tree and streetscape projects to provide for the greening of
public and shared spaces and thereby provide for the community
well-being, including new tree planting, protection of existing
trees, and landscape improvements in order to mitigate noise,
emissions, and other nuisances from the Route 710 corridor and
to promote desirability for walking along sidewalks, parkways,
and medians.

(4) Traffic and parking mitigation measures, both during
construction and subsequent operation of the I-710 project,
including management of truck parking in residential
neighborhoods and a traffic management plan that includes, but
is not limited to, traffic signal upgrades, traffic control measures,
and traffic calming.

(5) (A) Job training programs, including preapprenticeship
programs.

(B) The department shall allocate from project funds three
million dollars ($3,000,000) per year for the life of construction
of the I-710 project for the purposes of this paragraph. Any funds
remaining unspent in a given fiscal year shall be available in the
subsequent year. The funds shall be subject to appropriation by
the Legislature.

(C) The department shall also implement a work experience
program to be used by its contractors on the I-710 project, with
specific targeting of opportunities for placement to workers residing
in the I-710 project area or targeted workers to the extent
permissible by law.

(D) Enrollment opportunities in job training programs primarily
funded pursuant to this paragraph shall be predominantly made
available to low-income individuals that have resided within the
I-710 project area for at least one year, special needs individuals,
and targeted workers.

(E) Job training programs shall include job readiness programs,
skills development, career ladder programs, incumbent worker
training, and other similar programs.

(F) As used in this paragraph, “targeted worker” means an
individual whose primary residence is in an extremely
economically disadvantaged area anywhere in the United States,
or a disadvantaged worker from anywhere in the United States.

(G) The department shall require its contractors to comply with
targeted hiring requirements under which 40 percent of all hours
of project work are allocated on a priority basis to targeted workers,
with priority to be given to residents of extremely economically
disadvantaged areas until the available pool of those workers is
exhausted, and thereafter to any targeted worker. The department
shall require its contractors to allocate a minimum of 10 percent
of all hours of project work to disadvantaged workers. The
department shall require its contractors to allocate a minimum of
20 percent of all hours of project work to apprentices, with 50
percent of all apprenticeship hours to be performed by targeted
workers.

(g) (1) The department shall allocate funding from the I-710
project budget for the purposes of subdivisions (d) and (e) to
participating agencies and organizations based on a competitive
application process, under which each applicant’s proposal is
evaluated for its nexus to the I-710 project. A project proposal
may be submitted for project design, scoping, environmental study,
construction, operations, or education, or more than one of these
phases. Priority shall be given to “shovel-ready” projects.

(2) Each local agency participating with the department in the
implementation of subdivisions (d) or (e) shall have drafted and
adopted a pedestrian and bicycle master plan that reflects local
conditions and priorities, and that facilitates regional connectivity.

end delete begin insert

(c) The lead agency, in consultation with all interested
community organizations, shall consider, within the environmental
review process, alternatives to address the air quality, public
health, and mobility impacts the I-710 expansion project will have
on neighboring communities.

end insert begin insert

(d) The final environmental document approved by the lead
agency for the I-710 expansion project shall include an investment
in identified mitigation measures for the affected communities,
including the Los Angeles River, of not less than 10 percent of the
total project costs.

end insert begin insert

(e) At least 90 days prior to approving the final environmental
document for the I-710 expansion project, the lead agency shall
submit a report to the Legislature describing the identified
mitigation measures that will be included in the project and
providing evidence of meeting the requirements of this section.
The report shall be submitted pursuant to Section 9795 of the
Government Code.

end insert