BILL NUMBER: SCR 6 CHAPTERED 07/20/93 BILL TEXT RESOLUTION CHAPTER 56 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE JULY 20, 1993 ADOPTED IN SENATE JULY 16, 1993 ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY JULY 16, 1993 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JULY 16, 1993 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JULY 13, 1993 AMENDED IN SENATE FEBRUARY 8, 1993 INTRODUCED BY Senators Kopp, Alquist, Ayala, Beverly, Boatwright, Calderon, Craven, Deddeh, Greene, Hayden, Hughes, Johnston, Lockyer, Marks, McCorquodale, Morgan, Petris, Presley, Rosenthal, Russell, Thompson, Torres, Watson, and Wright (Principal coauthors: Assembly Members Costa and Katz) JANUARY 12, 1993 Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 6 Relative to transportation. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SCR 6, Kopp. Transportation: intercity high-speed rail network. This measure would request the Department of Transportation, under the direction of the Intercity High-Speed Rail Commission, which the measure would request the Governor to establish, to prepare a 20-year high-speed intercity ground transportation plan, as specified, for implementation beginning in the year 2000. WHEREAS, California, over the past decades, has built an extensive network of freeways and airports to meet the state's growing transportation needs; and WHEREAS, These facilities are not adequate to meet the mobility needs of the current population; and WHEREAS, The population of the state and the travel demands of its citizens are expected to continue to grow at a rapid rate; and WHEREAS, The cost of expanding the current network of highways and airports to fully meet current and future transportation needs is prohibitive, and a total expansion strategy would be detrimental to air quality; and WHEREAS, Intercity rail service, when coordinated with urban transit and airports, is an efficient, practical, and less polluting mode that could fill the gap between future demand and present capacity; and WHEREAS, Advances in rail technology have allowed intercity rail systems in Europe and Japan to attain speeds of up to 200 miles per hour and compete effectively with air travel for trips in the 200- to 500-mile range; and WHEREAS, Development of a high-speed ground transportation system is a necessary and viable alternative to automobile and air travel in the state; and WHEREAS, In order for the state to have a comprehensive network of high-speed intercity rail by the year 2020, it must begin preparation of a 20-year high-speed intercity rail plan similar to California's former freeway plan and designate an entity with a stable and predictable funding source to implement the plan; and WHEREAS, Utilizing existing human and manufacturing resources to build a large network of high-speed ground transportation systems will generate jobs and economic growth for today's population and produce a transportation network for future generations; and WHEREAS, Upon confirmation of need and costs by detailed studies, the private sector, together with the state, can build and operate new high-speed intercity ground transportation services utilizing private and public financing; now, therefore be it Resolved, by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Department of Transportation is requested to prepare a 20-year high-speed intercity ground transportation plan, utilizing contractors and experts from outside the department who are experienced in rail planning, financing, and construction; and be it further Resolved, That development of the plan be carried out under the direction of the Intercity High-Speed Rail Commission, composed of members representing diverse population and interests who can bring their knowledge and expertise toward planning such a major undertaking by the state; and be it further Resolved, That the objective of the high-speed ground transportation system is to serve intermediate intercity travel, leaving local and commute trips to urban transit systems and long intercity travel to air carriers; and be it further Resolved, That the plan be sufficiently detailed to include corridors, project financing alternatives, and make recommendations for operation and maintenance of the system, and that it be designed to take advantage of the knowledge, expertise, and manufacturing resources that are currently engaged in the defense industries in California; and be it further Resolved, That a focused and phased approach to implementing a high-speed ground transportation system be taken to ensure the efficient use of scarce resources for high-speed rail; and be it further Resolved, That the plan identify corridors to be served, and financing and implementation strategies for the development, construction, operation, and maintenance of the high-speed ground transportation system; and be it further Resolved, That a Los Angeles to San Francisco Bay Area High-Speed Corridor be the first corridor developed; and be it further Resolved, That all feasible routes be considered and that this measure shall not be construed to imply preference for any specific route; and be it further Resolved, That construction commence on a Los Angeles to San Francisco Bay Area High-Speed Ground Transportation Corridor by the year 2000, and that by the year 2020, high-speed ground transportation service be operating between Sacramento, the San Francisco Bay area, the Los Angeles area, the San Bernardino/Riverside area, Orange County, and San Diego; and be it further Resolved, That in order for California to have an integrated state-of-the-art, high-speed ground transportation network by the year 2020, construction of the Los Angeles to San Francisco Bay Area High-Speed Corridor should begin by the year 2000, simultaneously with the development of a 20-year intercity high-speed ground transportation plan; and be it further Resolved, That the high-speed ground transportation system be coordinated with conventional intercity rail service and with urban transit service in each urban area where either of those services is available, and serve directly or through urban transit connections major airports in urban areas of the state; and be it further Resolved, That the plan include alternative financing methods for the building and operation of the high-speed ground transportation network; and be it further Resolved, That the financing plan include, but not be limited to, all of the following: (1) Construction, operation, and maintenance by a private entity utilizing private funds. (2) Use of state general obligation bonds. (3) Use of revenue bonds backed by incremental increases in gasoline tax to pay principal and interest, with a schedule for sale of bonds and a schedule for each incremental gasoline tax increase. (4) Use of airport funds to the extent that the new network would eliminate the need for airport expansion. (5) Identification of potential alternative public funding sources; and be it further Resolved, That the plan include an operation plan with recommendations as to the entities that should be responsible for operation, maintenance, fare schedules, and safety regulations; and be it further Resolved, That a draft plan be made available to transportation planning and programming entities and the public not later than July 1, 1995; that the Intercity High-Speed Rail Commission hold at least two public hearings, one in northern California and one in southern California, within 60 days following release of its draft plan; that the committee give consideration to the comments and recommendations it receives on its draft plan and develop a final plan; and that the final plan be adopted and submitted to the Governor and the chairperson of the Senate and Assembly Committees on Transportation not later than December 31, 1995; and be it further Resolved, That the Legislature requests the Governor to establish an Intercity High-Speed Rail Commission composed of nine members as follows: (1) Four members appointed by the Governor. (2) Two members appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules. (3) Two members appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly. (4) The Secretary of Business, Transportation and Housing; and be it further Resolved, That members of the commission hold office until the final plan has been submitted to the Legislature and the Governor; and be it further Resolved, That in appointing members, the appointing powers make every effort to assure that the members of the commission reflect the ethnic and gender diversity of the state's population; and be it further Resolved, That the Secretary of Business, Transportation and Housing be the chairperson and preside at all meetings of the commission, and, from among its members, the commission elect a vice chairperson to preside in the absence of the chairperson; and be it further Resolved, That in the case of members appointed by the Governor, the appointments be such that each member meets at least one of the following qualifications: (1) Experience and knowledge related to the aerospace industry. (2) Experience and knowledge related to transportation engineering. (3) Experience and knowledge related to business administration; and be it further Resolved, That in the case of members appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, appointments be such that each member meets at least one of the following criteria: (1) Experience and knowledge related to financing of new private and public projects. (2) Experience and knowledge related to planning of transportation facilities; and be it further Resolved, That in the case of members appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, appointments be such that each member meets at least one of the following criteria: (1) Experience and knowledge related to environmental protection. (2) Experience and knowledge related to high-speed train service; and be it further Resolved, That members of the commission shall not engage in any activity that is prohibited by the Political Reform Act of 1974 (Title 9 (commencing with Section 81000) of the Government Code); and be it further Resolved, That five members of the commission constitute a quorum for taking any action by the commission; and be it further Resolved, That the members of the commission be reimbursed for their travel expenses incurred in attending noticed meetings of the commission; that the commission make every effort to hold its meetings in Sacramento and make other necessary efforts to reduce travel expenses subject to reimbursement by the state; and be it further Resolved, That upon a request by the commission, the Department of Transportation assign department employees as staff for the commission; that the number of employees to be assigned and the individuals to be assigned as staff to the commission be mutually agreed upon by the commission and the Director of Transportation; and that the director shall take all necessary actions to assist the commission to carry out its responsibility; and be it further Resolved, That the appointing powers make appointments to the commission within 30 days of the date this measure is chaptered.