BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 1784
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   March 22, 2010

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
                               Bonnie Lowenthal, Chair
                  AB 1784 (Fong) - As Introduced:  February 10, 2010
           
          SUBJECT  :  Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority:  work for  
          others

           SUMMARY  :  Authorizes the Santa Clara Valley Transportation  
          Authority (VTA) to enter into agreements with cities within its  
          boundaries or with the County of Santa Clara to improve city- or  
          county-owned streets, roads, highways, or expressways.  
           
          EXISTING LAW:   

          1)Establishes VTA as the transit district and the congestion  
            management agency in Santa Clara County.  

          2)Authorizes VTA to construct and improve state and local  
            highways for projects identified in a countywide  
            transportation expenditure plan associated with a local  
            transportation sales tax program.  

          3)Authorizes cities and counties, generally, to enter into  
            agreements to construct, repair and maintain each other's  
            highways.  

           FISCAL EFFECT  :  Unknown

           COMMENTS  :  According to the author, some of the smaller cities  
          in Santa Clara County may not have the in-house resources to  
          manage construction of local road improvements.  VTA, however,  
          is responsible for, and has extensive experience in, managing  
          construction of transportation capital improvement projects.  By  
          granting VTA the authority to do work for others within the  
          county, the author asserts that this bill could avoid having  
          local transportation capital improvement projects delayed for  
          the lack of in-house city or county resources.  

           Author's amendments:   The author has agreed to take amendments  
          at the request of the Professional Engineers in California  
          Government (PECG).  These amendments will clarify the author's  
          intent and specifically state that the bill does not give VTA  
          any additional authority to do work on the state highway system.  








                                                                  AB 1784
                                                                  Page  2

           

           Double referral :  This bill has also been referred to the  
          Assembly Committee on Local Government.  

           REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION  :  

           Support 
           
          Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (Sponsor)

           Opposition 
           
          None received
           
          Analysis Prepared by  :   Janet Dawson / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093