BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 620 Page 1 ASSEMBLY THIRD READING AB 620 (Roger Hernández) As Amended January 27, 2016 Majority vote ------------------------------------------------------------------- |Committee |Votes|Ayes |Noes | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |----------------+-----+----------------------+---------------------| |Transportation |9-3 |Frazier, Campos, Chu, |Baker, Kim, Melendez | | | |Daly, Dodd, Eduardo | | | | |Garcia, Linder, | | | | |Medina, O'Donnell | | | | | | | | | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. AB 620 Page 2 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 AB 620 Page 3 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 AB 620 Page 4 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