BILL ANALYSIS
AB 112
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Date of Hearing: March 23, 2009
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
Mike Eng, Chair
AB 112 (Beall) - As Amended: March 16, 2009
SUBJECT : Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
SUMMARY : Authorizes the Santa Clara Valley Transportation
Authority (VTA) to allocate revenue to repair and maintain
facilities that it has acquired or built for vehicular or
pedestrian transportation.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Makes legislative findings and declarations regarding VTA and
the need to integrate highway and transit improvements in the
county.
2)Grants VTA broad authority to acquire, construct, own,
operate, control, or use any and all facilities necessary or
convenient for transit service, vehicular transportation, and
pedestrian transportation.
FISCAL EFFECT : None
COMMENTS : The VTA is both the transit agency and the congestion
management agency in Santa Clara County. VTA's transit
responsibilities involve planning, developing, and operating
public transit in Santa Clara County. When discharging its
responsibilities as a congestion management agency, it
collaborates with cities, the county, and the California
Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to plan improvements to
the roadway network serving the county, although it is unable to
allocate funds for the repair and maintenance of street and road
projects and state highways.
Existing law authorizes the VTA to allocate revenues from its
local transportation sales tax program, the federal Congestion
Mitigation and Air Quality Program (CMAQ), and the federal
Surface Transportation Program (STP) for the construction and
maintenance of transit projects.
This bill authorizes the VTA to allocate revenues from various
sources, including local transportation sales taxes, the CMAQ,
AB 112
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and STP for repair and maintenance of all its transportation
facilities, including streets, roads, and pedestrian facilities.
This bill would also grant VTA the authority to provide for the
maintenance and repair of state highways.
This bill is identical to AB 152 (Beall) of 2008, which was
vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger. In the veto message, the
Governor stated that the "historic delay in passing the
2008-2009 State Budget has forced me to prioritize the bills
sent to my desk at the end of the year's legislative session.
Given the delay, I am only signing bills that are the highest
priority for California. This bill does not meet that standard
and I cannot sign it at this time."
Suggested amendment: According to the author, this bill is
intended, in part, to allow VTA to provide funding for
maintenance and repair of state highways, if agreed to by
Caltrans, but not to do the work itself. The author has agreed
to take amendments in committee that would explicitly state that
the bill would not grant VTA these broader authorities.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (Sponsor)
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
(AFSCME)
Opposition
None received
Analysis Prepared by : Janet Dawson / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093