BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SCR 137
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Date of Hearing: August 15, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
Jim Frazier, Chair
SCR
137 (Wolk) - As Amended June 22, 2016
SENATE VOTE: 37-0
SUBJECT: Police Officer Vilho Ahola Memorial Interchange
SUMMARY: Designates a specified interchange on State Highway
Route 101 (SR 101) in Sonoma County as the "Police Officer Vilho
Ahola Memorial Interchange." Specifically, this resolution:
1)Recounts the life and accomplishments of Vilho Ahola, an
officer with the Petaluma Police Department.
2)Designates the portion of SR 101 known as the "Old Redwood
Highway Interchange," located at the north end of the City of
Petaluma as the "Police Officer Vilho Ahola Memorial
Interchange."
3)Requests that the California Department of Transportation
(Caltrans) determine the cost of appropriate signs, consistent
with the signing requirements for the state highway system,
showing the special designation and, upon receiving donations
from non-state sources covering that cost, to erect those
SCR 137
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signs.
EXISTING LAW: Assigns Caltrans the responsibility of operating
and maintaining state highways. This includes the installation
and maintenance of highway signs.
FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown, but the measure requests that Caltrans
only erect the appropriate signage upon receiving donations from
non-state sources covering the cost.
COMMENTS: Vilho Ahola was a officer in the Petaluma Police
Department. In 1969, Officer Ahola was shot in the neck in the
line of duty and rendered quadriplegic. Officer Ahola continued
to volunteer for the department until 1989 and continued to
remain active in community activities, including the Police
Athletic League until his death in 1998. The Sonoma County
Coroner determined that Officer Ahola's death was directly
related to the injuries he sustained in the line of duty. This
resolution designating an interchange on SR 101 in Petaluma in
his honor acknowledges the contributions Officer Ahola made to
his community.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
None on file
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Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by:Justin Behrens / TRANS. / (916)
319-2093