BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular Session
AB 218 (Melendez) - State Highway Route 74
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|Version: February 2, 2015 |Policy Vote: T. & H. 11 - 0 |
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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 218 would authorize the California Transportation
Commission (CTC) to relinquish a specified segment of State
Highway Route (SR) 74 to Riverside County.
Fiscal
Impact: Unknown one-time costs ranging from minor up to several
million to the Department of Transportation (Caltrans) prior to
the relinquishment of the designated segment of SR 74 to
Riverside County (State Highway Account). These costs would be
offset in future years due to avoided maintenance costs on the
relinquished segment.
AB 218 (Melendez) Page 1 of
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Background: The Legislature has provided statutory authorization to CTC to
relinquish a number of state highway segments to local
jurisdictions under specified conditions. Relinquishment
provides the recipient agency with greater control over local
transportation projects and relieves Caltrans of any further
responsibility to improve, maintain, or repair infrastructure
related to the relinquished segment of state highway.
Generally, relinquishments are subject to terms and conditions
of agreements between Caltrans and a local jurisdiction seeking
control of a local highway segment. CTC must determine that the
agreement for relinquishment, which has typically involved a
one-time payment of State Highway Account funds to the local
entity, is in the best interests of the state.
Historically, Caltrans has annually set aside $12 million of
State Highway Operations and Protection Plan (SHOPP) funding for
rehabilitation necessary for highway relinquishments. In recent
years, however, Caltrans has not set aside funding to
rehabilitate relinquished highways.
Proposed Law:
AB 218 would authorize CTC to relinquish to Riverside County
the portion of SR 74 located in the unincorporated area east of
the City of Lake Elsinore and west of the City of Perris,
pursuant to the terms of a specified cooperative agreement and
upon a determination that the relinquishment is in the state's
best interest. This segment of SR 74 would cease to be a part
of the state highway system, and would be ineligible for future
adoption as a state highway. The bill would require Riverside
County to maintain signs along the relinquished portion
directing motorist to the continuation of SR 74.
Related
Legislation: AB 1915 (Jeffries), Ch. 635/2008, authorized CTC
to relinquish the portions of SR 74 within the city limits of
Lake Elsinore and Perris to those respective jurisdictions.
Staff notes that the Governor proposed budget trailer bill
language this year that is intended to broaden and streamline
the state process for relinquishing state highway routes that
are deemed to no longer serve an interregional purpose, and
instead operate primarily as regional or local routes. The
AB 218 (Melendez) Page 2 of
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Senate Budget Subcommittee #2 rejected the trailer bill proposal
at its hearing on April 16, 2015, without prejudice, so that it
could be considered instead by the Senate Transportation and
Housing Committee.
SB 254 (Allen), currently pending in the Assembly Transportation
Committee, is the legislative vehicle for the trailer bill
language. That bill would establish procedures for the
administrative relinquishment of state highway segments that do
not serve an interregional purpose.
Staff
Comments: Relinquishment of this segment would allow Riverside
County to assume direct control of the roughly 6 miles of
roadway in the unincorporated area between the eastern border of
Lake Elsinore and the western border of Perris. Transferring
control of the roadway to the County allows for the construction
of improvements and enhancements without the constraints of
Caltrans' state highway design standards, encroachment permit
processes, and other state requirements.
Caltrans usually provides State Highway Account funding to a
local entity that is assuming control over state highway
segments in order to bring the roadway up to a "state of good
repair," although there is no statutory obligation to do so.
The actual amounts vary for each relinquished highway segment
and are determined by a negotiation of terms and conditions
between Caltrans and the local jurisdiction, but those costs are
based upon a cost-benefit analysis covering a ten-year period,
which is included in a Project Scope Summary Report prepared for
legislative relinquishments.
Caltrans has not identified a specific cost estimate for the
relinquishment of this segment, but based on other
relinquishments, one-time costs may range from minimal up to $1
million per centerline mile of roadway depending on numerous
factors such as roadway condition, projected maintenance costs,
and any planned capital projects. The segment of SR 74
specified in the bill is approximately 6 miles long, so initial
costs could be minimal but may be as high as several million
dollars. The relinquishment of these segments would relieve
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Caltrans of any future maintenance and repair costs, resulting
in unknown long-term annual savings.
Actual costs and savings would be more certain if legislation to
authorize relinquishment followed, rather than preceded, the
completion of the cost-benefit analysis and an agreement between
Caltrans and Riverside County. However, Caltrans does not
typically conduct the analysis and enter into negotiations until
legislative authority for relinquishment has been provided.
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