BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair
1361 (Portantino)
Hearing Date: 07/06/2009 Amended: 06/30/2009
Consultant: Mark McKenzie Policy Vote: T&H 11-0
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BILL SUMMARY: AB 1361, an urgency measure, would prohibit large
commercial vehicles from driving on the segment of State Highway
Route (SR) 2 between Interstate 210 in the City of La Canada
Flintridge and County Route N4 in Los Angeles County. This
prohibition would not apply to authorized emergency vehicles,
public utility vehicles, government agency vehicles, transit
buses, tow trucks providing assistance, delivery vehicles, and
vehicles involved in motion picture or television production
activities in areas only accessible by the specified segment of
SR 2. Violations of this prohibition would be subject to a fine
of $1,000 or a specified greater amount based upon the weight of
the vehicle, whichever is greater.
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Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 Fund
Caltrans signage minor costs, probably less than
$25Special*
Caltrans safety improvements unknown, potentially
significant cost Special*
pressures to fund safety improvements
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STAFF COMMENTS: This bill may meet the criteria for referral to
the Suspense File.
Existing law prohibits the operation of large commercial
vehicles of over 9,000 pounds on Interstate 580 in Alameda
County and on SR 85 in Santa Clara County, with specified
exceptions. The Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is
authorized to close segments of highway to long or heavy
vehicles if the design and geometry of the roadway is not
engineered to modern standards, making the operation of those
vehicles unsafe.
This bill is intended to prevent the unsafe operation of large
commercial vehicles on a segment of SR 2 known as the Angeles
Crest Highway that is often used as a shortcut between the
Antelope Valley and the Los Angeles Basin. Caltrans indicates
that this segment is not engineered to modern standards and
includes tight curves, steep grades and a final straightaway
that terminates at an intersection in La Canada Flintridge. In
response to a recent fatal accident on SR 2, Caltrans has issued
a 90-day moratorium on the operation of commercial vehicles, and
recently approved a 30-day extension to the ban. To mitigate
potential safety issues on this portion of SR 2, Caltrans has
installed a truck arrestor (runaway truck ramp), grade warning
signage, and a brake check area. Furthermore, Caltrans has
plans for an enhanced truck ramp for runaway vehicles.
Page 2
AB 1361 (Portantino)
AB 1361 would require Caltrans to install signage to provide
adequate notice to drivers of the ban on large commercial
vehicles on this segment of SR 2. These costs would be
relatively minor, probably in the range of $25,000. The bill
also states legislative intent that Caltrans prioritize funding
to provide safety improvements on the specified segment of SR 2.
This intent language creates cost pressures to provide
additional, and potentially costly, safety improvements that are
currently not planned, and could prevent the funding of other
higher priority safety improvements to the state highway system.
If these improvements to SR 2 required the acquisition of
additional right-of-way, redesign of the existing roadway, or
improvements that require resurfacing of the existing roadway,
these costs could reach millions of dollars. Staff recommends
an amendment to delete the intent language on page 3, lines
24-26.