Amended in Senate April 21, 2015

Senate Bill No. 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 amended, 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. begin insert Existing law requires the Department of Transportation and the Department of the California Highway Patrol to review and approve plans, and amendments to plans, for implementation of a motorist system of call boxes. end insert

This bill would instead require that those moneys be used begin insert by the service authority end insert for service expenses associated with the implementation, maintenance, and operations of a motorist aid begin delete system end delete begin insert system, including the installation of call boxes end insert . The bill would additionally authorize the use of those moneys for traveler information begin delete systems and end delete begin insert systems, Intelligent Transportation System architecture and infrastructure, end insert other transportation demand management services, begin insert and end insert litter and debris begin delete removal, and Intelligent Transportation System architecture and infrastructure. end delete begin insert removal. The bill would require the Department of Transportation and the Department of the California Highway Patrol to review and approve plans, and amendments to plans, for installation of a motorist aid system of call boxes and any call box removal plan. end insert

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

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

SECTION 1.  

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

2550.  

The Legislature declares that its intent in enacting this
chapter is to encourage a motorist aid system comprising multiple
service elements and infrastructure along the California Freeway
and Expressway System to enable motorists in need of aid to obtain
assistance. However, it is not intended that a motorist aid system
be considered an emergency system.

SEC. 2.  

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

2557.  

(a) The moneys received begin insert and allocated end insert by each begin insert service end insert
authority pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 9250.10 of the
Vehicle Code shall be used for the implementation, maintenance,
and operation of a motorist aid system, including the lease or
lease-purchase of facilities and equipment for the system, on the
portions of the California Freeway and Expressway System and a
county expressway system, and the unincorporated county roads
in that county, and on state highway routes that connect segments
of these systems, that are located within the county in which the
authority is established as well as associated service expenses. The
department and the Department of the California Highway Patrol
shall each review and approve plans for begin delete implementation end delete begin insert installation end insert
of a motorist aid system begin insert of call boxes end insert proposed for any state
highway route and shall be reimbursed by the service authority
for all costs incurred due to review and approval of the plan.

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

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

(d) (1) Any moneys received begin insert and allocated end insert by begin delete an end delete begin insert a service end insert
authority pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 9250.10 of the
Vehicle Code may be used for begin insert purposes of paragraph (2) and for end insert
full implementation and ongoing costs to maintain and operate the
motorist aid system pursuant to subdivision (a), begin delete for purposes of
paragraph (2), and for additional motorist aid end delete begin delete services or support, end delete
including, but not limited to, the following begin insert motorist aid and end insert
safety-related projects:

(A) Call boxes.

(B) Changeable message signs.

(C) Lighting for call boxes.

(D) Support for traffic operations centers.

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

(F) Traveler information systems begin insert , Intelligent Transportation
System architecture and infrastructure, end insert and other transportation
demand management services.

(G) Litter and debris removal.

begin delete

(H) Intelligent Transportation System architecture and
infrastructure.

end delete

(2) Any amendment to an existing plan for a motorist aid system
begin insert of call boxes end insert adopted by begin delete an end delete begin insert a service end insert authority for any state
highway route begin insert and any call box removal plan end insert shall, prior to
begin delete implementation, end delete begin insert the installation or removal of the cal end insert begin insert l boxes, end insert be
submitted to the department and the Department of the California
Highway Patrol for review and approval and begin insert those call boxes end insert shall
not be begin delete implemented end delete begin insert installed or removed end insert until begin insert the amendment or
removal plan has been end insert so reviewed and approved. The authority
shall reimburse each department for the costs of that review.

(e)  begin delete An end delete begin insert A service end insert authority may develop policies for the retention
of records, including, but not limited to, authority operations,
contracts, and programs, and the length of the retention period.

(f) A motorist aid system constructed, maintained, or operated
pursuant to this section shall meet the applicable standards of Title
II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (Public Law
101-336) and federal regulations adopted pursuant thereto.