BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                            



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          |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE            |                       SB 1368|
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                                    THIRD READING


          Bill No:  SB 1368
          Author:   Wolk (D)
          Amended:  As introduced
          Vote:     21

           
           SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE  :  11-0, 4/29/14
          AYES:  DeSaulnier, Gaines, Beall, Cannella, Galgiani, Hueso,  
            Lara, Liu, Pavley, Roth, Wyland

           SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE  : 7-0, 5/23/14
          AYES: De León, Walters, Gaines, Hill, Lara, Padilla, Steinberg


           SUBJECT  :    State highways:  relinquishment

           SOURCE  :     Solano County Transit Joint Powers Authority 
                      Solano Transportation Authority


           DIGEST  :    This bill adds a joint powers authority (JPA) formed  
          for the purposes of providing transportation services to the  
          list of public agencies to which the California Transportation  
          Commission (CTC) may relinquish park-and-ride lots.

           ANALYSIS  :    Existing law gives the Department of Transportation  
          (Caltrans) full possession and control of all state highways.   
          Existing law provides for the relinquishment of state highways  
          or portions of state highways to any county or city by the CTC,  
          in accordance with specified criteria and procedures.  Existing  
          law, in addition, authorizes the CTC to relinquish to a county  
          transportation commission or regional transportation planning  
          agency a park-and-ride lot within their respective  
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          jurisdictions, if Caltrans enters into an agreement with the  
          county transportation commission or regional transportation  
          planning agency ensuring that an equal or greater number of  
          parking spaces will be maintained.

          This bill includes JPAs formed for the purposes of providing  
          transportation services to the list of agencies to which the CTC  
          may relinquish park-and-ride lots.

           Comments
           
          The Solano County Transit (SolTrans) JPA, within the author's  
          district, seeks ownership of a park-and-ride facility known as  
          the Curtola Park and Ride Hub, through relinquishment from  
          Caltrans.  According to the author's office, this allows  
          SolTrans to increase parking supply, improve transit operations,  
          facilitate carpools, modernize on-site amenities, and serve as a  
          transit hub to nearby facilities including the Vallejo Transit  
          Center and the Vallejo Ferry Terminal.  This bill takes a  
          statewide approach in recognition that other JPAs may desire  
          similar arrangements in the future.

           SolTrans  .  SolTrans is a JPA that provides public transportation  
          to the southern Solano County Cities of Vallejo and Benicia.   
          The City of Benicia, City of Vallejo, and the Solano  
          Transportation Authority came together in 2010 to create  
          SolTrans for the purpose of unifying public transit systems in  
          southern Solano County.  In 2011, SolTrans officially took over  
          the public transit programs from the Cities of Vallejo and  
          Benicia.

           Statutory legitimacy and permanence of JPAs  .  SolTrans reports  
          that Caltrans has expressed informal concerns about this bill  
          related to the statutory legitimacy and permanence of JPAs.   
          This stems from the multi-entity nature and shared governance of  
          JPAs, which could make uncertain the ultimate entity  
          responsibility for management and liability of relinquished  
          property, especially if the JPA were to dissolve.  Although this  
          is a reasonable concern, it is one that Caltrans already manages  
          because existing law allows the CTC to relinquish property to  
          regional transportation planning agencies, which are also  
          multi-agency entities, composed of local public agencies like  
          JPAs.  Moreover, existing law gives the CTC the ability to  
          negotiate relinquishments "on terms and conditions that the CTC  

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          finds to be within the best interests of the state."  These  
          terms and conditions could include contingencies that specify  
          transfer of ownership and liability of properties in the event  
          of dissolution of a JPA.  

           FISCAL EFFECT  :    Appropriation:  No   Fiscal Com.:  Yes    
          Local:  No

          According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, potential  
          one-time costs of over $150,000 to Caltrans to relinquish each  
          park-and-ride lot, depending on the terms of the relinquishment  
          agreement.  (State Highway Account)

          Ongoing savings to Caltrans from reduced maintenance and  
          rehabilitation costs for relinquished park-and-ride lots.   
          (State Highway Account)

           SUPPORT  :   (Verified  5/23/14)

          Solano County Transit Joint Powers Authority (co-source)
          Solano Transportation Authority (co-source)


          JA:d  5/23/14   Senate Floor Analyses 

                           SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  SEE ABOVE

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