Amended in Senate April 21, 2015

Senate BillNo. 241


Introduced by Senator Bates

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Brough and Daly)

February 17, 2015


An act to amend Sectionsbegin delete 1965.6end deletebegin insert 1965.3, 1965.6,end insert and 1965.7 of the Streets and Highways Code, relating to neighborhood electric vehicles.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 241, as amended, Bates. Neighborhood electric vehicles.

Existing law, until January 1, 2017, authorizes the County of Orange to establish a neighborhood electric vehiclebegin insert (NEV)end insert transportation plan for the Ranch Plan Planned Community in that county. Under existing law, operation of a neighborhood electric vehicle in violation of certain provisions is an infraction.

This bill would extend the operative period of these provisions until January 1, 2022. By extending the operative period of a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

begin insert

Existing law requires NEV lanes to be classified, as specified, for the purposes of the NEV transportation plan for the Ranch Plan Planned Community. Existing law requires that a lane used by both NEVs and conventional vehicle traffic on a street with a speed limit of 25 miles per hour or less be classified as a Class III NEV route.

end insert
begin insert

This bill would, instead, require that a lane used by NEVs and conventional vehicle traffic on a street with a speed limit of 35 miles per hour or less be classified as a Class III NEV route.

end insert

Existing law requires the county to provide a report to the Legislature, by November 1, 2015, if the county adopts a plan as authorized.

This bill would, instead, require the county to provide that report by November 1, 2020.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

P2    1begin insert

begin insertSECTION 1.end insert  

end insert

begin insertSection 1965.3 of the end insertbegin insertStreets and Highways Codeend insert
2begin insert is amended to read:end insert

3

1965.3.  

The transportation plan shall include, but is not limited
4to, all of the following elements:

5(a) Route selection, which includes a finding that the route will
6accommodate NEVs without an adverse impact upon traffic safety,
7and will consider, among other things, the travel needs of
8commuters and other users.

9(b) Transportation interfacing, which shall include, but not be
10limited to, coordination with other modes of transportation so that
11a NEV driver may employ multiple modes of transportation in
12reaching a destination in the plan area.

13(c) Provision for NEV related facilities including, but not limited
14to, special access points and NEV crossings.

15(d) Provisions for parking facilities, including, but not limited
16to, community commercial centers, golf courses, public areas,
17parks, and other destination locations.

18(e) Provisions for special paving, road markings, signage and
19striping for NEV travel lanes, road crossings, parking, and
20circulation.

21(f) Provisions for NEV electrical charging stations.

22(g) NEV lanes for the purposes of the transportation plan shall
23be classified as follows:

24(1) Class I NEV routes provide for a completely separate
25right-of-way for the use of NEVs.

26(2) Class II NEV routes provide for a separate striped lane
27 adjacent to roadways with speed limits of 55 miles per hour or
28less.

P3    1(3) Class III NEV routes provide for shared use by NEVs with
2conventional vehicle traffic on streets with a speed limit ofbegin delete 25end deletebegin insert 35end insert
3 miles per hour or less.

4

begin deleteSECTION 1.end delete
5begin insertSEC. 2.end insert  

Section 1965.6 of the Streets and Highways Code is
6amended to read:

7

1965.6.  

(a) If the County of Orange adopts a NEV
8transportation plan for the Ranch Plan Planned Community
9pursuant to this chapter, the county shall submit a report to the
10Legislature on or before November 1, 2020, in consultation with
11the Department of Transportation, the Department of the California
12Highway Patrol, and local law enforcement agencies.

13(b) The report shall include all of the following:

14(1) A description of the NEV transportation plan and its elements
15that have been authorized up to that time.

16(2) An evaluation of the effectiveness of the NEV transportation
17plan, including its impact on traffic flows and safety.

18(3) A recommendation as to whether this chapter should be
19terminated, continued in existence and applicable solely to the
20Ranch Plan Planned Community, or expanded statewide.

21

begin deleteSEC. 2.end delete
22begin insertSEC. 3.end insert  

Section 1965.7 of the Streets and Highways Code is
23amended to read:

24

1965.7.  

This chapter shall remain in effect only until January
251, 2022, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted
26statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2022, deletes or extends
27that date.

28

begin deleteSEC. 3.end delete
29begin insertSEC. 4.end insert  

No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to
30Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because
31the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school
32district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or
33infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty
34for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of
35the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within
36the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California
37Constitution.



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