BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 231
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Date of Hearing: June 29, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
Jim Frazier, Chair
SB
231 (Gaines) - As Amended June 2, 2015
SENATE VOTE: 36-0
SUBJECT: Transportation programs.
SUMMARY: Clarifies that water-borne transit projects (e.g.,
commuter ferries) are eligible for certain cap-and-trade
funding.
1) Adds water-borne transit to the list of projects eligible
for funding under the Affordable Housing and Sustainable
Communities Program (AHSCP).
2) Clarifies that new or expanded water-borne transit projects
are eligible for funding under the Low Carbon Transit
Operations Program (LCTOP).
3) Makes related, technical amendments.
EXISTING LAW:
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1)Requires all cap-and-trade proceeds, except for fines and
penalties, collected by the State Air Resources Board be
deposited in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF).
2)Continuously appropriates, 5% of the GGRF for LCTOP and 20%
for AHSCP.
FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown
COMMENTS: The 2014-15 budget agreement established AHSCP under
the Strategic Growth Council to provide grants to local agencies
for projects to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through
land use, housing, transportation, and agricultural land
preservation. Eligible projects include infill housing
development, transit projects to support ridership, and active
transportation projects. The 2014-15 budget agreement provides
for a continuous appropriation of 20% of cap-and-trade funds to
AHSCP beginning in 2015-16.
The 2014-15 budget agreement also established LCTOP under the
California State Transportation Agency. This program provides
operating and capital assistance to transit agencies to reduce
GHG emissions and improve mobility. Eligible projects include
expanded, new, or enhanced transit services; conversion or
retrofit of transit vehicles and equipment to zero-emission;
expanded intermodal transit facilities; and infrastructure to
support zero-emission or plug-in hybrid vehicles. The 2014-15
budget agreement provides for a continuous appropriation of 5%
of cap-and-trade funds to LCTOP beginning in 2015-16.
The author has introduced SB 231 to assist the Tahoe
Transportation District (TTD). The Lake Tahoe Basin has a
resident population of approximately 55,000 but the area's
transportation system serves an additional 6.5 million annual
SB 231
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visitors because Lake Tahoe is such a popular recreation
destination. The Tahoe Basin is governed by the Tahoe Regional
Planning Agency (TRPA), a bi-state regional planning agency
established in the late 1960's in response to strong development
pressures in the region. TRPA is directed by the Bi-State
Compact (Compact) that, among other things, imposed obligations
on TRPA to reduce its dependency on automobiles by making more
effective use of existing transportation modes and public
transit. To accomplish this directive, TTD, established within
the TRPA, has embarked on a project to provide a major new
north-south transit effort. Specifically, the project calls for
a year-round ferry service between South Lake Tahoe and Tahoe
City (North Lake Tahoe) via high-speed ferry. As proposed, the
ferry service would make approximately eight trips per day
carrying 120 passengers per trip and is expected to
significantly reduce vehicle trips (both commuter and
recreational travel) and improve local air quality as well as
the lake's clarity. Project costs are estimated at $33 million
with annual operating costs of $3.4 million. TTD anticipates
that state and federal monies will be used to pay capital costs
of the project and that federal grant monies will be used to
cover the nearly $3 million in annual operating expenses.
To allow TTD to qualify for a greater range of project funding,
the author has introduced SB 231 which clarifies that
water-borne transit systems, including but not necessarily
limited to TTD's proposed ferry service, are eligible for
funding using cap-and-trade monies available through AHSCP and
LCTOP. Given that water-borne transit programs provide
essentially the same benefits of reducing vehicle miles traveled
and greenhouse gas emissions as rail and bus transit projects,
it stands to reason that AHSCP and LCTOP should be amended to
expressly include ferry services as eligible program recipients.
Double referral: This bill will be referred to the Assembly
Natural Resources Committee should it pass out of this
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committee.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
Tahoe Transportation District (Sponsor)
City of South Lake Tahoe
Honorable Sue Novasel, El Dorado County Supervisor
International Longshore and Warehouse Union
North Lake Tahoe Resort Association
San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority
Tahoe City Public Utilities District
Opposition
SB 231
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None on file
Analysis Prepared by:Victoria Alvarez / TRANS. / (916)
319-2093