BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND HOUSING
Senator Jim Beall, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular
Bill No: AB 218 Hearing Date: 6/23/2015
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|Author: |Melendez |
|----------+------------------------------------------------------|
|Version: |2/2/2015 |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|Urgency: |No |Fiscal: |Yes |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|Consultant|Eric Thronson |
|: | |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
SUBJECT: State Highway Route 74.
DIGEST: This bill authorizes the California Transportation
Commission (CTC) to relinquish to Riverside County a segment of
State Route (SR) 74 between Lake Elsinore and Perris.
ANALYSIS:
Existing law:
1)Identifies the California state highway system through a
description of segments of the state's regional and
interregional roads that are owned and operated by the
Department of Transportation (Caltrans). Technically, a state
highway is any roadway that Caltrans is legislatively
authorized to acquire, lay out, construct, improve, or
maintain. Existing law specifies that it is the intent of the
Legislature for the routes of the state highway system to
connect the communities and regions of the state and that they
serve the state's economy by connecting centers of commerce,
industry, agriculture, mineral wealth, and recreation.
2)Provides a two-step process for the state to expand or delete
a section of the state highway system that begins with the
Legislature amending existing law and then CTC making findings
that it is in the best interest of the state to include or
delete a specified portion of roadway from the system. This
is known as the state highway relinquishment process.
AB 218 (Melendez) Page 2 of ?
This bill:
1)Authorizes CTC to relinquish to Riverside County the portion
of SR 74 within the unincorporated area east of the City of
Lake Elsinore and west of the City of Perris, upon terms and
conditions approved by CTC.
2)Provides that the relinquishment will become effective
immediately following the county recordation of the
relinquishment resolution.
3)Specifies that following the effective date of relinquishment,
the relinquished segment will no longer be a state highway and
may not be considered for future adoption as a state highway.
4)Requires Riverside County to maintain signage directing
motorists to the continuation of SR 74.
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. Writing in support of this bill, the Southwest
California Legislative Council notes that relinquishment of
the specified portion of SR 74 would allow the County of
Riverside to manage and maintain the segment, thereby reducing
the state taxpayer burden as well as allowing for much-needed
maintenance improvements along the route.
2)Relinquishments. Each session, the Legislature passes and the
governor signs numerous bills authorizing CTC to relinquish
segments of the state highway system to local jurisdictions.
Relinquishment transactions are generally preceded by a
negotiation of terms and conditions between the local
jurisdiction and Caltrans. Once an agreement has been
established, CTC typically approves the relinquishment and
verifies its approval via a resolution.
Of interest, the administration proposed budget trailer bill
language this year intending to streamline the state's
relinquishment process. According to the governor's budget
summary, a number of routes are still part of the state
highway system that no longer serve an interregional purpose,
and instead serve primarily regional or local purposes. The
proposed trailer bill language broadens and streamlines the
state process for relinquishing these portions of the
statewide system that primarily serve regional or local
AB 218 (Melendez) Page 3 of ?
purposes. This could be a win-win proposal, with both locals
and the state benefiting. On one hand, shifting ownership of
these segments, many of which run through a downtown area,
will increase local flexibility to add stoplights and make
better use of valuable real estate to support transit-oriented
development. Meanwhile, additional relinquishments reduce the
state's long-term costs for ongoing maintenance and repair of
the state system. There is merit in a proposal streamlining
the relinquishment process; however, it seems that such a
proposal should be considered through the policy bill process
and not as an add-on to the state's annual budget.
Luckily, Senator Allen has authored Senate Bill 254, which
proposes a similar streamlining process and is progressing as
a regular policy bill. SB 254 is pending in the Assembly
Transportation Committee.
Related Legislation:
SB 254 (Allen) - streamlines the state's highway relinquishment
process to not include legislative approval of each relinquished
segment.
SB 461 (Hernandez) - authorizes the CTC to relinquish to Los
Angeles County a segment of SR 164 south of Temple City.
AB 652 (Cooley) - authorizes the CTC to relinquish segments of
SR 16 in the City of Rancho Cordova as well as in the
unincorporated portion of Sacramento County.
Assembly Votes:
Floor: 80-0
Appr: 17-0
Trans: 16-0
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
POSITIONS: (Communicated to the committee before noon on
Wednesday,
June 17, 2015.)
SUPPORT:
AB 218 (Melendez) Page 4 of ?
None received
OPPOSITION:
None received
-- END --