BILL NUMBER: AB 1250 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN SENATE SEPTEMBER 9, 2015
AMENDED IN SENATE SEPTEMBER 4, 2015
AMENDED IN SENATE JULY 6, 2015
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 19, 2015
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Bloom
FEBRUARY 27, 2015
An act to amend Section 35554 of the Vehicle Code, relating to
vehicles.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1250, as amended, Bloom. Vehicles: buses: axle weight.
Existing law, operative January 1, 2016, provides that the gross
weight on any one axle of a bus shall not exceed 20,500 pounds.
Existing law exempts from this limitation a transit bus procured
through a solicitation process pursuant to which a solicitation was
issued before January 1, 2013. A violation of this provision is a
crime.
This bill would exempt from the weight limitation transit buses
procured through a solicitation process pursuant to which a
solicitation was issued before January 1, 2016. The bill would
provide that the weight limitation would not apply to a bus purchased
during an option period in a multiyear contract to purchase transit
buses that is entered into before January 1, 2016, by a publicly
owned or operated transit system, or an operator of a transit system
under contract with a publicly owned or operated transit system,
provided that the option period does not exceed 5 years from the date
of the original contract, or extend beyond January 1, 2021,
whichever is earlier. This bill would also establish certain weight
limitations for transit buses procured through a solicitation process
pursuant to which a solicitation was issued at a specified time. The
bill would provide that these provisions do not authorize the
operation of a transit bus on a bridge or certain other structures if
the gross weight of the transit bus is greater than the maximum
weight which the bridge or other structure can safely sustain.
The bill would require, if the gross weight imposed upon the highway
by the wheels on any one axle of a transit bus exceeds 20,000 pounds,
the axle to be supported by 4 wheels bearing load upon the highway.
Because a violation of these provisions would be a crime, this
bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The bill would require a transit operator operating an articulated
bus to provide notice, by July 1, 2016, to all cities and counties
in whose jurisdiction the bus will operate in the upcoming calendar
year, of the approximate routes upon which the bus will operate. The
bill would also require an annual notice by July 1 thereafter to all
cities and counties under whose jurisdiction the bus will operate,
identifying any changes to the service on those routes or any new
routes upon which the bus is expected to be scheduled for the
upcoming calendar year.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local
agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the
state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that
reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this
act for a specified reason.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: yes.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 35554 of the Vehicle Code, as amended by
Section 2 of Chapter 263 of the Statutes of 2014, is amended to read:
35554. (a) (1) Notwithstanding Section 35550, the maximum gross
weight on any one axle of a bus shall not exceed 20,500 pounds.
(2) This subdivision does not apply to a transit bus procured
through a solicitation process pursuant to which a solicitation was
issued before January 1, 2016. This subdivision does not apply to a
bus purchased during an option period in a multiyear contract to
purchase transit buses that is entered into before January 1, 2016,
by a publicly owned or operated transit system, or an operator of a
transit system under contract with a publicly owned or operated
transit system, provided, however, that the option period does not
exceed five years from the date of the original contract, or extend
beyond January 1, 2021, whichever is earlier.
(b) A transit bus is not subject to Section 35550.
(c) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), the following provisions
shall apply to a transit bus:
(1) The unladen curb weight on any
one axle of a transit bus procured through a solicitation process
pursuant to which a solicitation was issued between January 1, 2016,
and December 31, 2017, 2018, inclusive,
shall not exceed 25,000 23,000 pounds.
(2) The unladen weight on any one axle of a transit bus procured
through a solicitation process pursuant to which a solicitation was
issued between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2019, shall not
exceed 24,000 pounds.
(3) The unladen weight on any one axle of a transit bus procured
through a solicitation process pursuant to which a solicitation was
issued between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2021, shall not
exceed 23,000 pounds.
(4)
(2) The unladen curb
weight on any one axle of a transit bus procured through a
solicitation process pursuant to which a solicitation was issued on
or after January 1, 2022, 2019, shall
not exceed 22,000 pounds.
(d) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a) and (c), the following
provisions shall apply to an articulated transit bus or zero-emission
transit bus:
(1) The curb weight on any one axle of an articulated transit bus
or zero-emission transit bus procured through a solicitation process
pursuant to which a solicitation was issued between January 1, 2016,
and December 31, 2017, inclusive, shall not exceed 25,000 pounds.
(2) The curb weight on any one axle of an articulated transit bus
or zero-emission transit bus procured through a solicitation process
pursuant to which a solicitation was issued between January 1, 2018,
and December 31, 2019, inclusive, shall not exceed 24,000 pounds.
(3) The curb weight on any one axle of an articulated transit bus
or zero-emission transit bus procured through a solicitation process
pursuant to which a solicitation was issued between January 1, 2020,
and December 31, 2021, inclusive, shall not exceed 23,000 pounds.
(4) The curb weight on any one axle of an articulated transit bus
or zero-emission transit bus procured through a solicitation process
pursuant to which a solicitation was issued on or after January 1,
2022, shall not exceed 22,000 pounds.
(d)
(e) Nothing in this article shall be construed to
authorize a vehicle described in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) or
described in subdivision (c) or (d) to be operated in
violation of Section 35753.
(e)
(f) A transit operator operating an articulated transit
bus shall, by July 1, 2016, provide notice to all cities and
counties in whose jurisdiction the bus will operate in the upcoming
calendar year, identifying the approximate routes upon which the bus
is expected to be scheduled for service, including the names of
streets and roads upon which that service is likely to take place.
Thereafter, a transit operator operating an articulated transit bus
shall annually provide notice by July 1, to all cities and counties
in whose jurisdiction the bus will operate in the upcoming calendar
year, identifying any changes to the service on those routes and any
new routes upon which the bus is expected to be scheduled for the
upcoming year. The notice shall include data from information
provided by the bus manufacturer to the transit operator, identifying
the weight of the articulated bus.
(g) For purposes of this section, the term "curb weight" means the
total weight of a fully loaded transit bus, including maximum fuel,
oil, and coolant, and all equipment used in the normal operation of
the bus, except without passengers or a driver.
(h) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a) to (g), inclusive, a transit
bus shall not operate on the Dwight D. Eisenhower System of
Interstate and Defense Highways in excess of the weight limitation
for transit buses specified in federal law.
(i) If the gross weight imposed upon the highway by the wheels on
any one axle of a transit bus exceeds 20,000 pounds, the axle shall
be supported by four wheels bearing load upon the highway.
SEC. 2. No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to
Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because
the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school
district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or
infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty
for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the
Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the
meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California
Constitution.