BILL ANALYSIS Ó
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 2559|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | |
|327-4478 | |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 2559
Author: Frazier (D)
Amended: 8/2/16 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE TRANS. & HOUSING COMMITTEE: 10-0, 6/28/16
AYES: Beall, Cannella, Allen, Bates, Gaines, Galgiani, Leyva,
McGuire, Mendoza, Roth
NO VOTE RECORDED: Wieckowski
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: Senate Rule 28.8
ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 76-0, 5/9/16 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT: Visitor centers: guide signs
SOURCE: Author
DIGEST: This bill directs the California Department of
Transportation (Caltrans) to make changes to tourist-oriented
directional sign (TODS) requirements, as specified.
ANALYSIS:
Existing law:
1)Provides that Caltrans is charged with ownership and operation
of the state highway system.
2)Authorizes Caltrans to post various types of highway signs.
AB 2559
Page 2
3)Requires, at the federal level, all states to adopt the
federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), or
to at least substantially comply with it. The federal MUTCD
prescribes standards for signs, signals, markings, and other
devices used to guide traffic on streets and highways
throughout the country.
4)Directs Caltrans, after consultation with local agencies and
public hearings, to adopt rules and regulations prescribing
uniform standards and specifications for all official traffic
control devices, including, but not limited to, stop signs,
guide signs, yield right-of-way signs, speed restriction
signs, railroad warning approach signs, street name signs, and
lines and markings on the roadway. These regulations are set
forth in the California MUTCD.
5)Provides that only those traffic control devices that conform
to the California MUTCD may be placed on a street or highway.
This bill:
1)Requires Caltrans to authorize guide signs for any visitor
center seeking a sign if the visitor center is located within
two miles of the highway intersection.
2)Specifies that a guide sign must be in compliance with all
other existing provisions related to uniform traffic control
devices.
3)Requires Caltrans to establish and charge a fee to offset the
cost associated with placing and maintaining the visitor sign.
Comments
1)Purpose. The author asserts, "In 1994, the TODS Program was
enacted. TODS authorizes Caltrans to provide signage on
freeway intersections that direct motorists to various
attractions, including but not limited to wineries, gift
shops, restaurants, service stations, etc. The original
intent of TODS was to increase the visibility of rural
businesses and tourist attractions. Many motorists and
vacationers may not be familiar with attractions and
AB 2559
Page 3
destinations in a given area."
The author introduced AB 2559 to provide directional signs to
visitor centers that are not currently eligible for
directional signage by virtue of their locations being greater
than 0.5 mile from a freeway.
2)California TODS program. AB 2339 (O'Connell, Chapter 572,
Statutes of 1994) established the California TODS program in
order to increase the visibility of rural businesses and
tourist attractions, particularly those businesses not
immediately visible from a state highway. The purpose of the
program is to guide out-of-town travelers to California's
tourist attractions. The TODS program requires that Caltrans
establish and charge a fee to place and maintain TODS signage.
Businesses such as wineries, gift shops, restaurants, arts and
crafts shops, etc., can qualify if the eligibility
requirements are met.
3)What is the MUTCD? The MUTCD is a document issued by the
Federal Highway Administration to specify the standards by
which traffic signs, road surface markings, and signals are
designed, installed, and used. These specifications include
the shapes, colors, and fonts used in road markings and signs.
In the United States, all traffic-control devices must legally
conform to these standards. The MUTCD is used by state and
local agencies as well as private construction firms to ensure
that the traffic control devices they use conform to the
national standard. States have the option to specifically
modify the MUTCD to their own set of standards as long as they
substantially conform to the federal MUTCD. Caltrans released
its latest state MUTCD in 2014, with the most recent set of
revisions released in December of 2015.
Changes to the state MUTCD are reviewed and approved by the
California Traffic Control Devices Committee (CTCDC). The
CTCDC is comprised of representatives from the League of
California Cities, the California Association of Counties,
Caltrans, and the two auto clubs operating in California. The
CTCDC meets on a quarterly basis and reviews any proposed
changes to the MUTCD prior to their incorporation. The current
policy in the 2014 state MUTCD with respect to tourist
information signage specifies signs should be within 0.5 miles
of the highway.
AB 2559
Page 4
This bill proposes to change this existing 0.5 mile limitation
to two miles and places this requirement into statute. This
bill further specifies that a visitor guide sign must be in
compliance with all other existing provisions related to
uniform traffic control devices.
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal
Com.:YesLocal: No
SUPPORT: (Verified8/1/16)
California Travel Association
Fairfield Conference and Visitors Bureau
OPPOSITION: (Verified8/1/16)
None received
ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 76-0, 5/9/16
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Travis Allen, Arambula, Atkins, Baker,
Bigelow, Bloom, Bonilla, Bonta, Brough, Brown, Burke,
Calderon, Campos, Chang, Chau, Chávez, Chiu, Chu, Cooley,
Cooper, Dababneh, Dahle, Daly, Dodd, Eggman, Frazier,
Gallagher, Cristina Garcia, Gatto, Gipson, Gomez, Gonzalez,
Gordon, Gray, Grove, Hadley, Roger Hernández, Holden, Irwin,
Jones-Sawyer, Kim, Lackey, Levine, Linder, Lopez, Low,
Maienschein, Mathis, Mayes, McCarty, Medina, Melendez, Mullin,
Nazarian, Obernolte, O'Donnell, Olsen, Patterson, Quirk,
Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez, Salas, Santiago, Steinorth, Mark
Stone, Thurmond, Ting, Wagner, Waldron, Weber, Wilk, Williams,
Wood, Rendon
NO VOTE RECORDED: Beth Gaines, Eduardo Garcia, Harper, Jones
Prepared by:Manny Leon / T. & H. / (916) 651-4121
8/3/16 19:11:00
AB 2559
Page 5
**** END ****