BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 461|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 461
Author: Hernandez (D)
Amended: 4/6/15
Vote: 21
SENATE TRANS. & HOUSING COMMITTEE: 10-0, 4/21/15
AYES: Beall, Cannella, Allen, Bates, Galgiani, Leyva, McGuire,
Mendoza, Roth, Wieckowski
NO VOTE RECORDED: Gaines
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: 7-0, 5/28/15
AYES: Lara, Bates, Beall, Hill, Leyva, Mendoza, Nielsen
SUBJECT: State Highway Route 164: relinquishment
SOURCE: Author
DIGEST: This bill authorizes the California Transportation
Commission (CTC) to relinquish to Los Angeles County a segment
of State Route (SR) 164 south of Temple City.
ANALYSIS:
Existing law:
1)Identifies the California state highway system through a
description of segments of the state's regional and
interregional roads that are owned and operated by the
Department of Transportation (Caltrans). Technically, a state
highway is any roadway that Caltrans is legislatively
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authorized to acquire, lay out, construct, improve, or
maintain.
2)Specifies that it is the intent of the Legislature for the
routes of the state highway system to connect the communities
and regions of the state and that they serve the state's
economy by connecting centers of commerce, industry,
agriculture, mineral wealth, and recreation.
3)Provides a two-step process for the state to expand or delete
a section of the state highway system that begins with the
Legislature amending existing law and then CTC making findings
that it is in the best interest of the state to include or
delete a specified portion of roadway from the system. This
is known as the state highway relinquishment process.
This bill:
1)Authorizes CTC to relinquish to Los Angeles County the portion
of SR 164 from Gallatin Road near Pico Rivera to the southern
city limits of South El Monte, upon terms and conditions
approved by CTC.
2)Provides that the relinquishment will become effective
immediately following the county recordation of the
relinquishment resolution.
3)Specifies that following the effective date of relinquishment,
the relinquished segment will no longer be a state highway and
may not be considered for future adoption as a state highway.
4)Requires Los Angeles County to maintain signage directing
motorists to the continuation of SR 164.
Comments
Purpose. According to the author, the goal of this bill is to
relinquish a 2.6-mile segment of SR 164, also known as Rosemead
Boulevard, to the County of Los Angeles for the purpose of
realizing a community-driven vision for a Complete Streets
corridor project. This corridor project fully accommodates safe
and convenient travel for all users of the road, especially
vulnerable roadway users such as people with disabilities,
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seniors, youth, pedestrians, and cyclists. This project also
aims to compliment the surrounding Whittier Narrows Recreational
Area - the largest park in the region - by enhancing recreation
opportunities and access to the park.
Relinquishments. Each session, the Legislature passes and the
governor signs numerous bills authorizing CTC to relinquish
segments of the state highway system to local jurisdictions.
Relinquishment transactions are generally preceded by a
negotiation of terms and conditions between the local
jurisdiction and Caltrans. Once an agreement has been
established, CTC typically approves the relinquishment and
verifies its approval via a resolution. That is the case with
this bill; Caltrans has negotiated an agreement with Los Angeles
County for this segment of SR 164, and this bill authorizes CTC
to relinquish the road to the county.
Of interest, the administration proposed budget trailer bill
language this year intending to streamline the state's
relinquishment process. According to the governor's budget
summary, a number of routes are still part of the state highway
system that no longer serve an interregional purpose, and
instead serve primarily regional or local purposes. The
proposed trailer bill language broadens and streamlines the
state process for relinquishing these portions of the statewide
system that primarily serve regional or local purposes. This
could be a win-win proposal, with both locals and the state
benefiting. On one hand, shifting ownership of these segments,
many of which run through a downtown area, will increase local
flexibility to add stoplights and make better use of valuable
real estate to support transit-oriented development. Meanwhile,
additional relinquishments reduce the state's long-term costs
for ongoing maintenance and repair of the state system. There
is merit in a proposal streamlining the relinquishment process;
however, it seems that such a proposal should be considered
through the policy bill process and not as an add-on to the
state's annual budget.
SR 164 history. The Legislature originally designated SR 164 a
state highway in 1963 as a roughly 10-mile segment of road from
Route 605 near Pico Rivera to Route 210 near Pasadena. At some
point this state highway became known as Rosemead Boulevard, and
the Legislature has relinquished portions of it to local
jurisdictions through a number of bills. If this bill were to
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become law and the CTC relinquished the segment of SR 164
described in this bill, the remaining segments of the highway
would amount to a 0.1-mile stub between SR 210 and Foothill
Boulevard and a roughly two-mile segment between Temple City and
South El Monte. This seems to be an excellent example of the
need for a streamlined relinquishment system, as it is unclear
why these small highway segments are of state importance and
therefore the state's responsibility to operate and maintain.
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal
Com.:YesLocal: No
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee unknown
one-time costs ranging from minor up to several million dollars
to the Department of Transportation prior to the relinquishment
of the designated segment of SR 164 to L.A. County (State
Highway Account). These costs would be offset in future years
due to avoided maintenance costs on the relinquished segment.
SUPPORT: (Verified5/29/15)
Bike San Gabriel Valley
Day One
OPPOSITION: (Verified5/29/15)
None received
Prepared by:Eric Thronson / T. & H. / (916) 651-4121
5/30/15 10:41:18
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