BILL ANALYSIS
AB 584
Page 1
CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 584 (Huber)
As Amended August 2, 2010
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |67-0 |(January 25, |SENATE: |34-0 |(August 11, |
| | |2010) | | |2010) |
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Original Committee Reference: TRANS.
SUMMARY : Allows the County of Amador and the cities of Jackson,
Sutter Creek and Amador to establish a neighborhood electric
vehicle (NEV) transportation plan.
The Senate amendments :
1)Require the transportation plan to be submitted to the
California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), following
a review and recommendation by the California Traffic Control
Devices Committee.
2)Clarify that dedicated NEV lanes may not be for joint use of
NEVs and bicycles.
3)Make other technical amendments, including a provision to
resolve a conflict with AB 1781 (Villines).
EXISTING LAW :
1)Defines a low-speed vehicle as a motor vehicle that is four
wheeled, can attain a speed in one mile of more than 20 mph on
a paved, level surface, and has a gross vehicle weight rating
of less than 3,000 pounds. Low-speed vehicles are also known
as NEVs.
2)Prohibits NEVs from being operated on any roadway with a speed
limit in excess of 35 mph, unless a designated area has been
granted an exemption, such as those found in the cities of
Lincoln, Rocklin and the Ranch Plan Planned Community in
Orange County.
3)Authorizes a pilot project, until January 1, 2012, in the
cities of Lincoln and Rocklin in the County of Placer under
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which those cities may each establish a "neighborhood electric
vehicle transportation plan."
4)Requires adoption of a NEV transportation plan to include
consulting with local law enforcement and transportation
planning officials.
5)Requires a NEV transportation plan to include among other
things, development of NEVs routes and facilities,
identification of parking facilities, creation of separate and
mixed used travel lanes, trails, street crossings, and
charging stations.
6)Requires the pilot project cities to work with Caltrans to
establish uniform specifications and symbols for signs,
traffic control devices, and right-of-way designation in the
plan areas.
7)Requires that if the cities of Lincoln and Rocklin adopt an
NEV transportation plan, then each city must report to the
Legislature by January 11, 2011, on the plan, its
effectiveness, and its impact on traffic flows and safety, and
make a recommendation to the Legislature on extending the
sunset date or expanding the authorization for NEV
transportation plans statewide.
8)Authorizes until January 1, 2013, the County of Orange, by
ordinance or resolution, to adopt a NEV transportation plan
for the Ranch Plan Planned Community, provided the plan is
reviewed by local law enforcement and the Orange County
Transportation Authority. A report to the Legislature is
required by November 1, 2011.
AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY , this bill was substantially similar
to the version passed by the Senate.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee:
1)Minor, probably absorbable, costs to Caltrans to:
a) Review and approve any component of the proposed NEV
transportation plan that allows use of any state highway or
any crossing of the highway; and,
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b) Consult with local agencies adopting a NEV plan in their
preparation of the report required by this bill.
2)Minor, probable absorbable, costs to the California Highway
Patrol to consult with local agencies adopting a NEV plan in
their preparation of the report required by this bill.
COMMENTS : The author introduced this bill because existing law
prohibits NEVs from being operated on any roadway with a speed
limit in excess of 35 mph, unless an exemption has been granted
by the Legislature, as has been granted with the before
mentioned pilot project areas. The author points out that this
bill "will create a more sustainable circulation system that
will encourage NEV usage and provide a suitable alternative to
automobiles while decreasing fossil fuel usage, greenhouse gas
emissions, and overall energy use within the community."
Under existing law, a city may adopt a NEV transportation plan,
as noted above, while including consultation with local law
enforcement and transportation planning officials. This bill
seeks to establish an exception to the NEV restriction that
prevents NEVs from navigating at speed limits greater than 35
mph.
Existing law enacted in 2004, under AB 2353 (Leslie) Chapter
422, Statutes of 2004, and subsequently extended by AB 2963
(Gaines) Chapter 199, Statutes of 2008, provided the cities of
Lincoln and Rocklin in Placer County an exemption, until January
1, 2012, to the 35 mph or less in their respective NEV
transportation plan (plan).
The City of Lincoln adopted its plan in August 2006 and
submitted their report to the Legislature in 2009, while the
City of Rocklin adopted their plan in 2007 and had their report
to the Legislature submittal date extended until January 1,
2011.
Prior to existing law and the ensuing pilot projects being
established in the cities of Lincoln and Rocklin, there was no
formal process to create a city transportation plan involving
the extensive use of low-speed vehicles. While the concept of
these efficient low-speed vehicles has existed, the pilot
projects represented the first major citywide NEV transportation
projects in the state of California. Part of the pilot project
process included a report to the Legislature that detailed the
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NEV plans, their effectiveness, and their impact on traffic
flows and safety. The report also required a recommendation on
whether the law should be terminated, continued solely for
Lincoln and Rocklin, or expanded statewide.
In its required report to the Legislature, the City of Lincoln's
NEV Transportation Plan evaluation report (report), suggests
that "while a large majority of the proposed plan is pending
implementation of signage and stripping, it is meeting its goal
of maintaining safety and acceptable levels of traffic while
increasing mobility to its residents."
Overall, the report findings recommend that implementation
should not only continue in the original pilot cities but that
similar programs can be successful statewide. The report does
underscore that a "more comprehensive analysis should be
conducted when more of the approved NEV transportation plan had
been implemented to better evaluate the potential safety
concerns that may exist on higher speed facilities."
Related legislation: AB 1781 (Villines) authorizes the City of
Fresno to establish a similar NEV transportation plan. AB 1781
is currently pending in Senate.
Previous legislation: AB 2963 (Gaines) Chapter 199, Statutes of
2008, extended until 2012, a pilot project in the cities of
Lincoln and Rocklin under which these cities may adopt NEV
plans.
SB 956 (Correa) Chapter 442, Statutes of 2007, authorized until
January 1, 2013, the County of Orange, by ordinance or
resolution, to adopt an NEV transportation plan for the Ranch
Plan Planned Community. A report to the Legislature is required
by November 1, 2011.
AB 2353 (Leslie) Chapter 422, Statutes of 2004, authorized an
exemption to the prohibition on NEV operational speed limits for
the cities of Lincoln and Rocklin and established criteria for
the development of NEVs transportation plans.
SB 612 (Oller), Chapter 16, Statutes of 2003, exempted, until
January 1, 2006, a local community in Sacramento County from the
requirement to establish a golf cart transportation plan in
order to allow golf carts and low-speed vehicles, within the
territory of the Rancho Murieta Community Services District, to
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cross at two specific intersections on State Route 16, under
specific conditions.
SB 186 (Costa), Chapter 140, Statutes of 1999, established a
definition for a low-speed vehicle, and requires that these
vehicles meet specified safety and operation requirements.
Analysis Prepared by : Janet Dawson / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093
FN: 0005496