Senate BillNo. 516


Introduced by Senator Fuller

February 26, 2015


An act to amend Sections 2550 and 2557 of the Streets and Highways Code, relating to highways.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 516, as introduced, Fuller. Transportation: motorist aid services.

Existing law authorizes the establishment of a service authority for freeway emergencies in any county if the board of supervisors of the county and the city councils of a majority of the cities within the county adopt resolutions providing for the establishment of the service authority. Existing law authorizes a service authority to impose a fee of $1 per year on vehicles registered in the counties served by the service authority. Existing law requires moneys received by a service authority to be used for the implementation, maintenance, and operation of a motorist aid system of call boxes and authorizes moneys received by a service authority in excess of what is needed for that system to be used for additional motorist aid services, including, among other things, changeable message signs and lighting for call boxes.

This bill would instead require that those moneys be used for service expenses associated with the implementation, maintenance, and operations of a motorist aid system. The bill would additionally authorize the use of those moneys for traveler information systems and other transportation demand management services, litter and debris removal, and Intelligent Transportation System architecture and infrastructure.

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

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

P2    1

SECTION 1.  

Section 2550 of the Streets and Highways Code
2 is amended to read:

3

2550.  

The Legislature declares that its intent in enacting this
4chapter is to encouragebegin delete the placement of call boxesend deletebegin insert a motorist aid
5system comprising multiple service elements and infrastructureend insert

6 along the California Freeway and Expressway System to enable
7motorists in need of aid to obtain assistance. However, it is not
8intended that a motorist aid systembegin delete of call boxesend delete be considered an
9emergencybegin delete telephoneend delete system.

10

SEC. 2.  

Section 2557 of the Streets and Highways Code is
11amended to read:

12

2557.  

(a) begin deleteExcept as provided in subdivisions (c) and (d), the end delete
13begin insertThe end insertmoneys received by each authority pursuant to subdivision
14(b) of Section 9250.10 of the Vehicle Code shall be used for the
15implementation, maintenance, and operation of a motorist aid
16begin delete system of call boxes,end deletebegin insert system,end insert including the lease or lease-purchase
17of facilities and equipment for the system, on the portions of the
18California Freeway and Expressway System and a county
19expressway system, and the unincorporated county roads in that
20county, and on state highway routes that connect segments of these
21systems,begin delete whichend deletebegin insert thatend insert are located within the county in which the
22authority is establishedbegin insert as well as associated service expensesend insert.
23Thebegin delete Department of Transportationend deletebegin insert departmentend insert and the Department
24of the California Highway Patrol shall each review and approve
25plans for implementation of a motorist aid systembegin delete of call boxesend delete
26 proposed for any state highway route and shall be reimbursed by
27the service authority for all costs incurred due to review and
28approval of the plan.

29(b) An authority or any other public entity may construct and
30maintain, and lease or lease-purchase on terms and conditions it
31deems appropriate, the facilities of a motorist aid system or it may
32contract with a private person or entity to do so.

33(c) If leases or lease-purchase agreements are entered into
34pursuant to subdivision (a), or if revenue bonds are issued and sold
35pursuant to Section 2558, the moneys received by each authority
36pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 9250.10 of the Vehicle Code
37shall be used to the extent necessary to make lease payments or to
38pay the principal of, and interest on, the amount of bonded
P3    1indebtedness outstanding, as the case may be. Facilities and
2equipment acquired through the expenditure of proceeds from the
3sale of those bonds shall have a useful life at least equal to the
4term of the bonds.

5(d) (1) Anybegin delete moneyend deletebegin insert moneysend insert received by an authority pursuant
6to subdivision (b) of Section 9250.10 of the Vehicle Codebegin delete that
7exceeds the amount neededend delete
begin insert may be usedend insert for full implementation
8and ongoing costs to maintain and operate the motorist aid system
9begin delete of call boxes, installedend delete pursuant to subdivision (a),begin delete may be usedend delete
10 for purposes of paragraphbegin delete (2)end deletebegin insert (2),end insert and for additional motorist aid
11services or support, including, but not limited to, the following
12 safety-related projects:

begin insert

13(A) Call boxes.

end insert
begin delete

14(A)

end delete

15begin insert(B)end insert Changeable message signs.

begin delete

16(B)

end delete

17begin insert(C)end insert Lighting for call boxes.

begin delete

18(C)

end delete

19begin insert(D)end insert Support for traffic operations centers.

begin delete

20(D)

end delete

21begin insert(E)end insert Contracting for removal of disabled vehicles from the
22traveled portion of the right-of-way, including operation of the
23freeway service patrol pursuant to Chapter 15 (commencing with
24Section 2560).

begin insert

25(F) Traveler information systems and other transportation
26demand management services.

end insert
begin insert

27(G) Litter and debris removal.

end insert
begin insert

28(H) Intelligent Transportation System architecture and
29infrastructure.

end insert

30(2) Any amendment to an existing plan for a motorist aid system
31begin delete of call boxesend delete adopted by an authority for any state highway route
32shall, prior to implementation, be submitted to thebegin delete Department of
33Transportationend delete
begin insert departmentend insert and the Department of the California
34Highway Patrol for review and approval and shall not be
35implemented until so reviewed and approved. The authority shall
36reimburse each department for the costs of that review.

37(e) An authority may develop policies for the retention of
38records, including, but not limited to, authority operations,
39contracts, and programs, and the length of the retention period.

P4    1(f) A motorist aid system constructed, maintained, or operated
2pursuant to this section shall meet the applicable standards of Title
3II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (Public Law
4101-336) and federal regulations adopted pursuant thereto.



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