BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1746
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Date of Hearing: April 6, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Lorena Gonzalez, Chair
AB
1746 (Mark Stone) - As Amended March 9, 2016
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No
SUMMARY:
This bill extends to additional transit operators the authority
to operate transit buses on state highway shoulders.
Specifically, this bill:
AB 1746
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1)Extends the above authority to the following transit agencies,
subject to approval of Caltrans and the CHP: Alameda-Contra
Costa Transit District, the Central Contra Costa Transit
Authority, the North County Transit District, the San Diego
Association of Governments, the San Diego Metropolitan Transit
System, and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority.
2)Requires any transit agency, within two years of exercising
this authority, to report to the Legislature, in conjunction
with Caltrans and the CHP, specified information regarding
program costs and impacts and to post this report on the
transit agency's website.
FISCAL EFFECT:
1)Any costs to Caltrans and the CHP would be minor and
absorbable.
2)Any costs to transit agencies that elect to exercise their
authority under this bill would not be state reimbursable.
COMMENTS:
Background and Purpose. AB 946 (Stone), Chapter 426, Statutes of
2013, authorized a bus-on-shoulder program specifically for
Monterey-Salinas Transit District and Santa Cruz Metropolitan
Transit District. To date, neither of agencies have not
initiated a bus on shoulder program due to a lack of resources
for planning and evaluating potential projects. Expanding the
number of transit agencies that, with the approval of Caltrans
and CHP, can utilize a bus on shoulder option is intended to
help demonstrate the concept in different metropolitan regions
AB 1746
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of California.
A number of bus-on-shoulder programs have been implemented
throughout the country and have been successful in shortening
commute times and increasing transit ridership, without
increasing the number of collisions. In 2006, the Transit
Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) studied such programs and
concluded their success has largely resulted from being tailored
to the specific highway corridors where they are used. The study
pointed out that transit, highway, and safety agencies must
partner together to produce safe and effective programs.
Analysis Prepared by:Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916)
319-2081