BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 842
Page 1
Date of Hearing: June 23, 2014
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
Bonnie Lowenthal, Chair
SB 842 (Knight) - As Amended: April 22, 2014
SENATE VOTE : 36-0
SUBJECT : Highway signs: Veterans Homes of California
SUMMARY : Directs the California Department of Transportation
(Caltrans) to place directional signs on the state highway
system directing motorists to each Veterans' Home of California,
upon receiving sufficient funds from non-state sources to cover
costs.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Grants Caltrans broad responsibilities to operate and maintain
the state highway system, including installation and
maintenance of signs.
2)Directs Caltrans to adopt rules and regulations prescribing
uniform traffic control devices. Caltrans carries out this
responsibility through the Committee on Uniform Traffic
Control Devices (CUTCD), which it chairs. The CUTCD is
comprised primarily of public works directors and engineers
and traffic engineers representing local jurisdictions.
3)Provides that only those official traffic control devices
(such as highway signs) that conform to the uniform standards
and specifications promulgated by the CUTCD may be placed on a
roadway.
4)As set forth in regulations promulgated by the CUTCD, provides
guidance in the use of destination signs that are intended to
provide motorists with information regarding access to
specific destinations, such as museums, zoos, convention
centers, military bases, federal or state hospitals, airports,
and fairgrounds. Criteria for determining eligibility for
signage typically include the type of destination, the number
of visitors/employees/students associated with the
destination, and the distance between the freeway and the
destination. For example, destination signs are authorized
for a museum, zoo, stadium, or sports arena if the facility is
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publicly owned and not for profit, has a minimum annual
attendance greater than one million people, and is no more
than three miles from the freeway (less in urban areas).
5)Creates the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet)
to provide housing, employment, medical, and other services in
support of the state's veterans.
6)Specifically vests CalVet with the responsibility to design,
construct, and operate up to eight veterans' homes.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown although this bill requires that
Caltrans' costs be covered by non-state sources.
COMMENTS : The placement of supplemental destination signs on
state highways is ultimately the responsibility of Caltrans,
based on guidance and standards approved by the CUTCD and as set
forth in the California Manual of Uniform Traffic Control
Devices (CMUTCD). In establishing criteria for the destination
signs, the CUTCD strives to strike a balance between providing
useful information to motorists and avoiding a proliferation of
nonessential signs that can divert driver attention from more
important messages, such as speed limits, exit ramp locations,
and dangerous conditions warnings. Consequently, the CMUTCD
generally only authorizes destination signs to facilities that
attract large numbers of visitors, such as stadiums, convention
centers, universities, airports, and museums.
There is an exception to this regulation, however. The CMUTCD
establishes eligibility criteria for destination signs to
federal or state hospitals, prisons, and national cemeteries,
regardless of the number of visitors these facilities generate.
The one criterion that applies to destination signs for this
type of facility is the distance between the state highway and
the facility, as follows:
1)In major metropolitan areas, the distance from the state
highway cannot exceed one mile;
2)In urbanized areas, three miles; and,
3)In rural areas, five miles.
CalVet maintains eight veterans' homes throughout the state.
Together, the homes are a system of live-in, residential care
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facilities offering a comprehensive plan of medical, dental,
pharmacy, and rehabilitation services and social activities
within a homelike, small community environment. The homes range
in size from 60 residents on a 20-acre site to over 1,000
residents on 500 acres.
The author introduced this bill out of frustration stemming from
Caltrans' inconsistent signing policies. Although none of the
homes meets the eligibility requirements for destination signs
under existing regulations, Caltrans nonetheless placed
destination signs to veterans' homes in Yountville and Barstow.
On the other hand, it reportedly denied requests for signs to
three homes in West Los Angeles, Lancaster, and Ventura,
presumably because the signs were not authorized in the CMUTCD.
According to the author, "Veterans' homes are an exemplary
display of the rich history of California and their noble
mission-to provide the state's aged or disabled veterans with
rehabilitative, residential, and medical care and services in a
home-like environment-acknowledges the tremendous sacrifice
California veterans have made." Furthermore, the author argues
that the eight Veterans' Homes of California are community hubs
and that their impact is much larger than the number of
residents they directly serve. Reportedly, the veterans' homes
host well-attended celebrations throughout the year and
destination signs will aid motorists looking to attend these
events.
Suggested amendments:
1)Generally, the CUTCD does a good job of vetting requests for
changes to policies governing traffic control devices and
because its membership includes experts in traffic
engineering, the committee generally prefers that these issues
remain in the purview of the CUTCD. There, the CUTCD can
appropriately deliberate on issues of, for example, federal
conformity, safety, and motorists' needs.
In the case of the veterans' home signs, it would not be a
prudent use of resources to ask the CUTCD to deliberate over
the remaining five signs. Therefore, the committee suggests
that this bill be amended to set forth parameters to govern
the placement of these signs, consistent with existing
regulations that govern the placement of destination signs to
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federal and state hospitals.
2)Last year, the author introduced SCR 59 (Knight) to request
Caltrans to place signs on State Route 14 in Los Angeles
county directing motorists to the Senator William J. "Pete"
Knight Memorial Veterans Home. That bill caused some
controversy because the directional sign being requested
included the same surname of another locally elected official.
To avoid similar controversy, SB 842 should be amended to
clarify that only generic signs are being authorized.
Related legislation : AB 2498 (Achadjian) would have required
Caltrans to place directional signs onto National Purple Heart
Trail memorial signs directing motorists to veterans memorials
within three miles of State Route 101. That bill was never
heard in committee.
ACR 145 (Achadjian) requests the Caltrans to determine the cost
of directional signs directing motorists to the Faces of Freedom
Veterans Memorial from State Highway 101 and, after receiving
donations from non-state sources sufficient to cover the cost,
to erect those signs. ACR 145 passed out of this committee on
June 9, 2014, and is currently in the Assembly Appropriations
Committee.
Previous legislation: Last year, the author introduced SCR 59
to request that Caltrans erect signs on State Route 14 in Los
Angeles County directing motorists to the William J. "Pete"
Knight Veterans Home. At the request of the author, SCR 59 died
in this committee without a hearing.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
American Legion Auxiliary Unit 221
American Legion, Department of California
AMVETS, Department of California
California Association of County Veterans Service Officer
California Sign Association
California State Commanders Veterans Council
City of Redding
Military Officers Association of America, California Council of
Chapters
Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce
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The Honorable Eric Garcetti, Mayor, City of Los Angeles
The Honorable Marvin E. Crist, Vice Mayor, City of Lancaster
Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of California
Vietnam Veterans of America, California State Council
West L.A. Neighborhood Council
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Janet Dawson / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093