BILL ANALYSIS
AB 163
Page 1
Date of Hearing: May 16, 2007
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Mark Leno, Chair
AB 163 (Mendoza) - As Amended: March 28, 2007
Policy Committee: Business and
Professions Vote: 7-3
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable:
SUMMARY
This bill requires provisions for bicycle parking, as well as
showers and lockers for bicyclers, be included in planning for
new and renovated state buildings and state-leased buildings.
Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires the Department of General Services (DGS), by July 1,
2009, to adopt regulations for the construction and renovation
of state buildings that establish standards for short-term
visitor parking and long-term employee parking, showers, and
clothing lockers.
2)Requires, after July 1, 2010, any plan for constructing or
renovating a state-owned or pleased building to incorporate
the regulations adopted per (1).
3)Requires, for state-owned buildings lacking adequate
short-term visitor bicycle parking, that high-quality
short-term parking be added by December 1, 2009.
4)Requires the addition of long-term bicycle parking, showers,
and lockers be a priority when an existing state-owned
building is renovated.
5)Requires the state to make every effort to renegotiate its
building leases to include facilities for bicycle commuters
and visitors.
6)Requires each state agency to develop a program to:
a) Manage its bicycle facilities such that parking and
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lockers are fairly assigned and access to showers is
available.
b) Promote and encourage bicycle commuting.
FISCAL EFFECT
1)Costs to incorporate bicycle facilities into new and renovated
state buildings, estimated by DGS at around $50,000 per
building, would be a minor increase to each project's cost.
Statewide, this would be a significant total cost over time,
however.
2)Assuming a similar cost to retrofit leased facilities, and
assuming these additional costs would be incorporated into
lease costs, the impact would be an increase in lease costs,
whose impact would depend on the amount of state-occupied
space in the building and the terms of the lease. Again, these
costs probably would not be significant in any single building
but could be major statewide. DGS indicates that the state
leases about 1,800 buildings.
3)The cost to add high quality short-term bicycle parking to
state-owned buildings is unknown.
COMMENTS
Purpose . According to the author's office: "The State of
California has goals regarding increasing transportation choice,
reducing traffic congestion, improving air quality, conserving
energy, reducing greenhouse gases, improving social equity and
increasing physical activity to promote public health. Increased
levels of bicycling by state employees and by visitors to state
buildings will help reach all these important goals."
According to supporters, the Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates,
the state has not established standards for the design, quantity
or location of the bike parking. There is no differentiation in
the code between long-term employee bike parking and short-term
visitor parking. Because it is often non-cyclists who make
decisions about providing bike parking, the results can be
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unsatisfactory. Non-cyclists may make poorly informed and
incorrect judgments about what is suitable. While bike parking
may be required in some situations, there are no requirements
for showers or clothing lockers which may be essential for some
employees in order for them to be able to commute by bike.
Analysis Prepared by : Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081