Amended in Assembly January 13, 2016

Amended in Assembly January 4, 2016

Amended in Assembly March 26, 2015

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly BillNo. 1115


Introduced by Assembly Member Salas

February 27, 2015


An act tobegin delete amend Section 21373 of, and to add Section 21371 to, the Vehicleend deletebegin insert add Section 484.1 to the Streets and Highwaysend insert Code, relating to highways.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1115, as amended, Salas. School zones:begin delete traffic control devices:end delete state highways.

Existing law generally provides that the Department of Transportation and local authorities have authority over the highways under their respective jurisdictions.begin delete Existing law requires the department and local authorities to establish and promulgate warrants to be used as guidelines for the placement of traffic control devices near schools for the purpose of protecting students going to and from school. Existing law authorizes the governing board of any school district to request the applicable state or local authority to install traffic control devices in accordance with those warrants, and thereafter requires the state or local authority to undertake an engineering and traffic survey to determine whether the requested crossing protection meets the established warrants. Existing law provides that the school district may be required to pay for not more than 50% of the engineering and traffic survey, but requires the applicable state or local authority to install the requested crossing protection at its expense if the traffic survey determines that the protection is warranted.end delete

Existing law establishes a prima facie speed limit of 25 miles per hour during specified periods of time on a highway near a school building or school grounds if the highway is posted with standardbegin delete schoolend deletebegin insert “SCHOOLend insertbegin insertend insert warning signs.begin delete Existing law also authorizes local authorities, by ordinance, to implement lower speed limits under specified circumstances, but requires approval of the ordinance by the Department of Transportation if the lower speed limit is to apply to a state highway and also requires the local authority to reimburse the department in certain cases for all costs incurred in this regard.end delete

begin delete

This bill would authorize the governing board of a city, county, city and county, or school district, by ordinance, to designate a school zone within its geographic jurisdiction on a state highway, other than a freeway, if the state highway is within 1,000 feet of the grounds of a school, and to specify in the ordinance the applicable speed limit that shall apply within the school zone. The designation of a school zone pursuant to this section may be made regardless of the previously posted speed limits on the state highway or the presence of a fence, gate, or other physical barrier separating the state highway from the school grounds. The bill, upon approval of the ordinance, would require the city, county, city and county, or school district to notify the Department of Transportation, which, consistent with the ordinance, would be required to post appropriate speed limit signs and standard school warning signs for the school zone.

end delete
begin delete

This bill would also authorize the governing board of a city, county, city and county, or school district, with respect to a state highway, other than a freeway, within its geographic jurisdiction, to request the Department of Transportation to install traffic control devices within a school zone designated by the bill, and to specify the types of traffic control devices requested. The bill would require the Department of Transportation, at its expense, to install the requested traffic control devices within 180 days of receiving the request.

end delete
begin insert

This bill would designate a specified portion of State Highway Route 184 in the County of Kern as a school zone and require the zone to be identified with standard “SCHOOL” warning signs. The bill would provide that the above-referenced provisions governing prima facie speed limits in school zones apply in that zone.

end insert

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

P3    1begin insert

begin insertSECTION 1.end insert  

end insert

begin insertSection 484.1 is added to the end insertbegin insertStreets and
2Highways Code
end insert
begin insert, to read:end insert

begin insert
3

begin insert484.1.end insert  

The portion of State Highway Route 184 at the
4intersection of Sunset Boulevard and adjacent to the Sunset Middle
5School in the County of Kern is hereby designated as a school
6zone. The school zone shall be identified with standard “SCHOOL”
7warning signs consistent with subdivision (b) of Section 22352 of
8the Vehicle Code, and the prima facie speed limits within the school
9zone shall be as provided in that subdivision.

end insert
begin delete
10

SECTION 1.  

Section 21371 is added to the Vehicle Code, to
11read:

12

21371.  

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the
13governing board of a city, county, city and county, or school district
14may, by ordinance, designate a school zone within its geographic
15jurisdiction on a state highway, other than a freeway, within 1,000
16feet of the grounds of a school, and may specify in the ordinance
17the applicable speed limit that shall apply within the school zone.
18The designation of a school zone pursuant to this section may be
19made regardless of the previously posted speed limits on the state
20highway or the presence of a fence, gate, or other physical barrier
21separating the state highway from the school grounds.

22(b) Upon approval of the ordinance, the city, county, city and
23county, or school district shall notify the Department of
24Transportation, which, consistent with the ordinance, shall post
25appropriate speed limit signs and standard school warning signs
26for the school zone.

27

SEC. 2.  

Section 21373 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:

28

21373.  

(a) The governing board of any school district may
29request the appropriate city, county, or city and county to install
30traffic control devices in accordance with the warrants established
31pursuant to Section 21372. Within 90 days thereafter, the city,
32county, or city and county involved shall undertake an engineering
33and traffic survey to determine whether the requested crossing
34protection meets the warrants established pursuant to Section
3521372. The city, county, or city and county, involved may require
36the requesting school district to pay an amount not to exceed 50
37percent of the cost of the survey. If it is determined that the
P4    1requested protection is warranted, it shall be installed by the city,
2county, or city and county involved.

3(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the governing
4board of any city, county, city and county, or school district, with
5respect to state highways, other than freeways, within its
6geographic jurisdiction, may request the Department of
7Transportation to install traffic control devices within school zones
8designated pursuant to Section 21371, and may specify the type
9of traffic control devices requested. The Department of
10Transportation, at its expense, shall install the requested traffic
11control devices within 180 days of receiving the request.

end delete


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