BILL ANALYSIS Ó SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND HOUSING Senator Jim Beall, Chair 2015 - 2016 Regular Bill No: AB 2731 Hearing Date: ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Author: |O'Donnell | |----------+------------------------------------------------------| |Version: |3/15/2016 | ----------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Urgency: |No |Fiscal: |Yes | ----------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Consultant|Erin Riches | |: | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- SUBJECT: Vehicles: Terminal Island Freeway: special permits DIGEST: This bill establishes the method for weighing trucks in a designated heavy-truck corridor near the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. ANALYSIS: Existing law generally limits vehicles and vehicle combinations, such as trucks and tractor-trailers, to a gross weight of no more than 80,000 lbs. The state Department of Transportation (Caltrans) or a local authority may, at its discretion, issue a AB 2731 (O'Donnell) Page 2 of ? permit to transport an oversized or overweight load on highways under its control. This exception generally does not apply to state highways. Existing law authorizes Caltrans to issue a special permit to the operator of a vehicle that exceeds the maximum gross vehicle weight rating (GWVR) to travel on specified portions of the Terminal Island Freeway near the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles: a)A 3.66-mile portion of State Route (SR) 47 and SR 103 known as the Terminal Island Freeway, between Willow Street in the City of Long Beach and Terminal Island in the City of Los Angeles. b)A 2.4-mile portion of SR 1 between Sanford Avenue in the City of Los Angeles and Harbor Avenue in the City of Long Beach. In order for Caltrans to issue the permit, all of the following conditions must be met: a)The City of Carson, the City of Long Beach, and the City of Los Angeles must adopt a resolution or ordinance in support of the heavy-truck corridor. b)The vehicle, vehicle combination, or mobile equipment must be used to transport intermodal cargo containers in international commerce. c)The vehicle, vehicle combination, or mobile equipment, in combination with its load, must not exceed 95,000 lbs. GWVR. d)The vehicle, vehicle combination, or mobile equipment must meet axle weight limits prescribed by Caltrans. This bill requires the City of Carson, the City of Long Beach, and the City of Los Angeles to conform weight limits for the Terminal Island heavy-truck corridor to the weight limits determined by Caltrans. COMMENTS: 1)Purpose. The author states that the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles are two of the most active port facilities in the world, and together represent the busiest port complex in the U.S. Multiple studies have confirmed that the port complex AB 2731 (O'Donnell) Page 3 of ? produces more traffic congestion and air pollution than any other commercial facility in Southern California. The American Lung Association's 2015 "State of the Air" report notes that the Los Angeles Basin has some of the nation's highest ozone and fine particulate pollution, and the South Coast Air Quality Management District consistently points to the port complex as the number one polluter in Southern California. The author states that by establishing a uniform method for the localities to use to determine truck weights, this bill will help ease traffic congestion and air pollution in the port complex. 2)Background: establishment of the heavy-truck corridor. More than 20 years ago, the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles sought the authority to allow intermodal cargo containers to carry larger loads and thus lessen the truck traffic near the facility. AB 2438 of 1994 (see below) authorized Caltrans to issue special permits allowing the operation of overweight vehicles on portions of the Terminal Island Freeway, upon enactment of an ordinance or resolution by the affected cities. The specially designated corridors connect both ports to warehouses and distribution centers throughout the region, allowing customers to move certain types of heavier cargo to and from the port complex. 3)When is 95,000 lbs, not 95,000 lbs? Existing law establishes a maximum of 95,000 lbs. GVWR for the heavy-truck corridor. However, while the City of Long Beach and City of Carson use a common method of determining whether a truck is overweight, the City of Los Angeles uses a different method. These different approaches have led to confusion among users of the heavy-truck corridor, resulting in fines, penalties, and uneven enforcement among the three jurisdictions. To address this problem, the City of Los Angeles approved a motion in August 2015 to amend its ordinance to direct trucks in the heavy- truck corridor to be weighed consistent with surrounding jurisdictions. According to the author's office, however, the city continues to weigh trucks in a manner unlike the other jurisdictions, despite the amended ordinance. This bill would set a uniform standard for the local enforcement of trucks allowed to exceed normal weight limits. 4)Amendments. The amendments of June XX are technical and are intended to assist and clarify implementation. AB 2731 (O'Donnell) Page 4 of ? Related Legislation: AB 2438 (Karnette), Chapter 1037, Statutes of 1994 -authorized Caltrans to issue overweight permits for the Terminal Island Freeway, until 1998. SB 839 (Karnette), Chapter 358, Statutes of 1997 - extended the sunset on the weight exemption for five years, from 1998 until 2003. SB 2072 (Karnette), Chapter 229, Statutes of 2002 - deleted the sunset on the weight exemption, making the authority permanent. AB 1128 (Furutani), Chapter 298, Statutes of 2011 - extended by 0.3 miles the portion of SR 1 for which Caltrans may issue overweight permits. Assembly Votes: Floor: 78-0 Approps: 20-0 Trans: 15-0 FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes Local: No POSITIONS: (Communicated to the committee before noon on Wednesday, June 8, 2016.) SUPPORT: California Association of Port Authorities Mayor Eric Garcetti, City of Los Angeles OPPOSITION: None received AB 2731 (O'Donnell) Page 5 of ? -- END --