BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE BILL NO: AB 112
SENATOR ALAN LOWENTHAL, CHAIRMAN AUTHOR: Beall
VERSION: 3/25/09
Analysis by: Art Bauer FISCAL: Yes
Hearing date: June 9, 2009
SUBJECT:
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
DESCRIPTION:
This bill authorizes the Santa Clara Valley Transportation
Authority (VTA) to fund the repair and maintenance of state
highways.
ANALYSIS:
VTA is both the transit agency and the congestion management
agency (CMA) in Santa Clara County. Its transit responsibilities
involve planning, developing, and operating public transit in
Santa Clara County. When discharging its responsibilities as a
CMA, it collaborates with cities, the county, and Department of
Transportation (Caltrans) to plan improvement to the roadway
network serving the county, but state law precludes it from
allocating funds for the construction and maintenance of street
and road projects.
Existing law authorizes VTA to acquire, construct, own, operate,
control, or use any facilities necessary or convenient for
transit service, the operation of motor vehicles, and
pedestrians.
VTA is also authorized 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 :
AB 112 (BEALL) Page 2
1. Authorizes VTA, when acting as a CMA, to allocate
revenues from various sources, including local
transportation sales taxes, CMAQ, and STP for repair and
maintenance of all its transportation facilities, including
transit, streets, roads, and pedestrian facilities.
2. Authorizes VTA to fund the maintenance and repair of
state highways within its jurisdiction with the concurrence
of Caltrans, but prohibits VTA from performing the work.
COMMENTS:
1. Background . In Santa Clara County, the cities and the
county have significant funding shortfalls with regard to
local street and road maintenance projects, and have been
in discussions about how to address the shortfalls with
VTA. It is unclear under existing law that VTA may allocate
money to them. This bill clarifies existing law, on that
point.
Also, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC)
allocates a portion of the federal CMAQ and STP revenues to
VTA. Under existing law VTA can only allocate this money
for transit and community compatibility projects, such as
lighting and landscaping at transit stations. The bill's
clarification to VTA's enabling statute will allow VTA to
allocate these funds to eligible road projects.
2. Victim of Governor's veto massacre . This bill is
identical to AB 152 (Beall) of 2008, which Governor
Schwarzenegger vetoed stating 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."
Assembly Votes:
Floor: 74-0
Appr: 16-0
Trans: 14-0
AB 112 (BEALL) Page 3
POSITIONS: (Communicated to the Committee before noon on
Wednesday,
June 3, 2009)
SUPPORT: Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
(sponsor)
County of Santa Clara Board of Supervisors
American Federation of State, County, and
Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
OPPOSED: None received.