BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular Session
AB 40 (Ting) - Toll bridges: pedestrians and bicycles
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|Version: April 15, 2015 |Policy Vote: T. & H. 10 - 1 |
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|Urgency: No |Mandate: No |
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|Hearing Date: July 6, 2015 |Consultant: Mark McKenzie |
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This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File.
Bill
Summary: AB 40 would prohibit the imposition of tolls on the
passage of pedestrians and bicyclists over toll bridges.
Fiscal
Impact: Prohibiting the imposition of tolls on pedestrian and
bicycle passage on the Golden Gate Bridge and state-owned toll
bridges would result in foregone revenues and future cost
pressures, potentially in the millions, to the extent such tolls
could otherwise be used to pay for pedestrian and bicycle
capital improvements (State Highway Account, Bay Area Toll
Account, local toll bridge accounts). This bill would likely
shift these costs to drivers who pay tolls.
AB 40 (Ting) Page 1 of
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Background: There are currently seven state-owned toll bridges, and one
other toll bridge, the Golden Gate, which is owned and operated
by the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway, and Transportation District
(GG District). Pedestrians and bicycles are currently allowed
to cross the Golden Gate Bridge and four of the seven
state-owned toll bridges. There is also a proposal to open the
Richmond-San Rafael Bridge to bicycles. In addition, the new
eastern span of the Bay Bridge includes a bicycle and pedestrian
path that will eventually extend from Oakland to Yerba Buena
Island, but there are no current plans to extend that path onto
the existing western span. .
Proposed Law:
AB 40 would prohibit the imposition of a toll on the passage
of a pedestrian or bicycle over any state-owned bridge, any
bridge on the state highway system, or any bridge under the
jurisdiction of the GG District, on which the travel of
pedestrians and bicycles is otherwise authorized and tolls are
imposed on the passage of motor vehicles.
Related
Legislation: AB 748 (Wolk), which was vetoed by Governor
Schwarzenegger in 2005, is a nearly identical bill that would
have temporarily prohibited the imposition of tolls on
pedestrians and bicyclists on toll bridges until 2009. The veto
message stated the following:
I strongly encourage Californians to use bicycling and
walking as modes of transportation when possible because of
the physical fitness benefit, as well as the congestion
mitigation and air quality benefits. However, this bill
would inappropriately usurp control from the local
governing body, the Golden Gate Highway and Transportation
District. Since the District has been authorized to
operate and maintain the bridge, the state should not tie
its hands by foreclosing certain funding options.
Staff
Comments: This bill would prohibit the imposition of tolls on
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the passage of pedestrians or bicyclists over any toll bridge or
facility that is under the jurisdiction of the GG District or
Caltrans, owned by the state, or constructed under a franchise
agreement with the state.
The GG District currently faces a projected deficit of over
$32.9 million in its five-year operating budget, and has $209
million in unfunded capital needs. To address this shortfall,
the GG District recently adopted a 45-point plan to remain
solvent that included a proposal to evaluate sidewalk access
fees. Although pedestrians paid a sidewalk toll from 1937 until
1970, and the GG District has considered reinstating a toll for
pedestrian and bicycle access several times in recent years, the
district has not elected to impose a toll over the past 45
years. This bill is primarily intended to prevent the
imposition of tolls on pedestrians and bicyclists as part of the
solution to the GG District's budget deficits.
There are no current plans to impose tolls on pedestrians or
bicyclists for passage on state-owned toll bridges. As such,
there would be no immediate or near-term state impacts.
However, there is nothing in current law to prevent the
imposition of such tolls in the future to pay for capital
investments in pedestrian and bicycle facilities on toll
bridges. As noted above, precluding the imposition of these
tolls would likely shift the burden for any of these costs to
drivers who pay tolls, thereby creating potential cost pressures
on state and local toll bridge accounts.
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