BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 1250|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 1250
Author: Bloom (D)
Amended: 9/9/15 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE TRANS. & HOUSING COMMITTEE: 11-0, 7/14/15
AYES: Beall, Cannella, Allen, Bates, Gaines, Galgiani, Leyva,
McGuire, Mendoza, Roth, Wieckowski
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: 7-0, 8/17/15
AYES: Lara, Bates, Beall, Hill, Leyva, Mendoza, Nielsen
SENATE TRANS. & HOUSING COMMITTEE: 9-0, 9/10/15 (Pursuant to
Senate Rule 29.10)
AYES: Beall, Cannella, Allen, Bates, Gaines, Galgiani, Leyva,
Roth, Wieckowski
NO VOTE RECORDED: McGuire, Mendoza
ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 80-0, 4/20/15 (Consent) - See last page for
vote
SUBJECT: Vehicles: buses: axle weight
SOURCE: California Transit Association
DIGEST: This bill establishes a declining maximum curb weight
per axle for buses.
ANALYSIS:
Existing law:
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1)Limits the gross weight of buses to 20,500 pounds per axle.
2)Prohibits California from enforcing a weight limit of less
than 24,000 pounds per axle for buses travelling on the
federal interstate highway system.
3)Allows, until January 1, 2016, a public transit system to
procure a bus whose weight exceeds 20,500 pounds per axle if
1) the new bus weighs less per axle than the bus it is
replacing, or 2) the new buses are part of a new fleet class,
provided that the governing board of the public transit system
makes a finding that the new fleet class is necessary to
address a need in a new or existing market.
4)Prohibits driving a vehicle over a bridge or other structure
that is part of a highway when that vehicle weighs more than
the bridge or structure can safely support.
This bill:
1)Establishes a declining maximum curb weight per axle,
beginning with procurement solicitations issued after January
1, 2016, for standard transit buses of 23,000 pounds,
declining to 22,000 pounds by January 1, 2019. For
articulated or zero-emission buses, the maximum curb weight
per axle is 25,000 pounds, beginning with procurement
solicitations issued after January 1, 2016, declining to
22,000 pounds for procurement solicitations issued after
January 1, 2022.
2)Defines curb weight as the weight of the bus including fuel
and all equipment used in normal operations but excluding the
weight of the driver and passengers.
3)Exempts buses procured from solicitations issued prior to
January 1, 2016 or during option periods in multi-year
contracts not exceeding five years, or January 1, 2021,
whichever is earlier, from the 20,500 pound-per-axle weight
limitation and from the axle weight limitations established in
this legislation.
4)Prohibits buses exceeding the federal 24,000 pound-per-axle
weight limitation from operating on the interstate highway
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system.
5)Requires that if the gross weight of any axle exceeds 20,000
pounds, that axle shall have four wheels.
6)Requires operators employing articulated buses to provide
notice to cities and counties in whose jurisdiction those
buses are operating of the approximate routes of those buses.
Comments
Purpose of bill. According to the author, transit buses play an
integral role in California's transportation infrastructure.
While cities, planning agencies, transit agencies, and bus
manufacturers do not all agree on the solution for overweight
buses, it is essential that transit systems continue to operate,
and transit agencies must be allowed to continue to procure
transit vehicles if the need arises. Stakeholders convened with
the goal of crafting a long-term solution that works for all
parties.
The problem. Overweight vehicles damage roads and bridges,
resulting in costly repair bills. The California Transit
Association (CTA) estimates that during peak commute times, as
many as half the transit buses exceed the 20,500 pound-per-axle
weight limit. Several years ago some police departments began
citing buses for exceeding weight limits. That practice was
halted pursuant to legislation, but the problem persists.
An agreement. This bill represents the result of year-long
negotiations between transit operators, local and state
governments, and bus manufacturers. The current version of the
bill is the final result of the negotiations. As a result, the
League of California Cities has indicated its support for the
bill, the California State Association of Counties is neutral,
and Caltrans has provided technical support.
The time has come. There have been legislative attempts to deal
with overweight buses since 2012, and each has resulted in
stop-gap measures which deferred any solution. In the meantime,
more heavy buses have joined the transit fleets, increasing the
damage that will inevitably occur as these vehicles use our
deteriorating roads and bridges for years to come. As the state
grapples for solutions to funding road maintenance and repair,
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it makes little sense to ignore this longstanding problem.
Non-transportation policies contribute to the problem.
California's air pollution and greenhouse gas emission reduction
goals have resulted in alternatively fueled powertrains for
buses, such as electric and compressed natural gas. Improving
efficiency in transit operations often means using larger buses
and optimizing routes so that buses run full. Both of these
policies result in buses which are so heavy that they can damage
streets and prematurely wear bridges and overpasses. As
policymakers consider new technologies and efficiency
improvements, they'd be wise to also consider the effects of
their decisions on the state's transportation infrastructure.
Fixing the state's deteriorating roads and bridges is expensive.
A different standard. The key metric for this bill is curb
weight, which for the purposes of this bill is the total weight
of a bus, including maximum fuel and all normal equipment, but
excluding the weight of the driver and passengers. Supporters
contend that this is a knowable, consistent, and clear measure.
However, this is an unusual metric, as the much more common
metric is gross, or actual, weight. This measures the actual
force of the tires, though the gross weight for buses will vary
throughout the day as passenger loads rise and fall. For
comparison, a fully occupied bus is as much as one-third heavier
than an empty bus.
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal
Com.:YesLocal: Yes
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:
Unquantifiable minor to significant impact on pavement
maintenance costs as a result of accelerated degradation by
allowing the operation of overweight transit buses. (State
Highway Account, local funds)
Due to the numerous factors that may result in pavement
degradation, it is impossible to calculate the isolated
impacts and costs associated with the operation of overweight
transit buses on state highways and local streets and roads.
SUPPORT: (Verified9/9/10)
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California Transit Association (source)
California Association for Coordinated Transportation
California Teamsters Public Affairs Council
City of Arcata
City of Santa Monica
Orange County Transportation Authority
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District
Solano County Transit
OPPOSITION: (Verified9/9/10)
None received
ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 80-0, 4/20/15
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Travis Allen, Baker, Bigelow, Bloom,
Bonilla, Bonta, Brough, Brown, Burke, Calderon, Campos, Chang,
Chau, Chávez, Chiu, Chu, Cooley, Cooper, Dababneh, Dahle,
Daly, Dodd, Eggman, Frazier, Beth Gaines, Gallagher, Cristina
Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gatto, Gipson, Gomez, Gonzalez,
Gordon, Gray, Grove, Hadley, Harper, Roger Hernández, Holden,
Irwin, Jones, Jones-Sawyer, Kim, Lackey, Levine, Linder,
Lopez, Low, Maienschein, Mathis, Mayes, McCarty, Medina,
Melendez, Mullin, Nazarian, Obernolte, O'Donnell, Olsen,
Patterson, Perea, Quirk, Rendon, Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez,
Salas, Santiago, Steinorth, Mark Stone, Thurmond, Ting,
Wagner, Waldron, Weber, Wilk, Williams, Wood, Atkins
Prepared by:Randy Chinn / T. & H. / (916) 651-4121, Randy Chinn
/ T. & H. / (916) 651-4121
9/10/15 23:17:25
**** END ****
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