BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 620
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB
620 (Roger Hernández)
As Amended January 27, 2016
Majority vote
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|Committee |Votes|Ayes |Noes |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|----------------+-----+----------------------+---------------------|
|Transportation |9-3 |Frazier, Campos, Chu, |Baker, Kim, Melendez |
| | |Daly, Dodd, Eduardo | |
| | |Garcia, Linder, | |
| | |Medina, O'Donnell | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY: Directs the Los Angeles County Metropolitan
Transportation Authority (Metro) to take steps to improve the
low-income assistance program related to its high-occupancy toll
(HOT) lane program known as ExpressLanes. Specifically, this
bill:
1)Makes legislative findings and declarations regarding the
potential for greater participation in Metro's low-income
assistance program.
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2)Directs Metro to take additional steps to increase enrollment
in its low-income assistance program, including consideration
of greater incentives to encourage participation in the
program.
3)Directs Metro and the California Department of Transportation
to report to the Legislature on efforts to improve Metro's
ExpressLanes program, including greater participation in the
low-income assistance program and the overall performance of
the high-occupancy toll lanes.
FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown. This bill is keyed non-fiscal by the
Legislative Counsel.
COMMENTS: SB 1422 (Ridley-Thomas), Chapter 547, Statutes of
2008, authorized Metro, until January 15, 2013, to develop and
operate a value-pricing and transit development demonstration
program involving high-occupancy toll lanes, referred to as
ExpressLanes. The program was primarily funded with a $210
million congestion reduction demonstration grant from the United
States Department of Transportation. Tolling began in November
2012 on the I-110 and in February 2013 on the I-10. AB 1224
(Eng), Chapter 441, Statutes of 2010, extended the sunset and
reporting dates for the ExpressLanes Program from January 2013
to January 2015, and SB 1298 (Hernandez), Chapter 531, Statutes
of 2013, recast the program and extended it indefinitely.
The author introduced this bill because he is concerned about
the impact that the ExpressLanes program is having on
constituents in his district, particularly low-income
constituents. He has voiced concerns that the ExpressLanes
Program was supposed to improve commutes for all users in the
corridor, not just the toll-paying ones. He asserts that these
improvements have not, however, materialized and that lanes
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adjacent to the tolled lanes experience longer periods of
congestion now than they did prior to the start of the
ExpressLanes Program. Consequently, commuters that can afford
to pay the tolls enjoy shorter commutes at the expense of
non-paying commuters (including his low-income constituents) for
whom travel times have worsened.
The author also believes Metro's low-income assistance program
is underperforming, as demonstrated by low enrollment rates in
the program and the fact that there are only two facilities in
all of Los Angeles County where applicants can take proof of
eligibility to participate in the low-income assistance program
(in addition to being able to mail the information in).
To participate in Metro's low-income assistance program, an
individual must be a Los Angeles County resident with an annual
household income at or below two times the federal poverty level
(e.g., $40,180 for a 3-person household). Applications for the
program can be submitted by mail or at one of two walk-in
centers. Qualifying residents receive a $25 credit when they
set up an account, which can be applied to either the
transponder deposit or pre-paid toll deposit. The monthly
account maintenance fee is waived. To date, 8,877 households
are enrolled in the low-income assistance program out of over
450,000 Express Lane accounts.
According to Metro, its low-income assistance program is the
first in the nation to address equity concerns on toll lane
projects and has been, by many accounts generally successful.
Metro claims that it has relied heavily on independent
consultants and extensive outreach with affected communities to
design and improve the program to ensure it reflects community
concerns and meets the needs of low-income commuters. Metro
reports that, to date, the ExpressLanes Program has invested
over $150 million in transit-related improvements along the
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I-110 and I-10 corridors, including a new transit center in El
Monte, 59 new buses for transit providers and safety
improvements to the Harbor Transitway.
Analysis Prepared by:
Janet Dawson / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093 FN:
0002610