BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2620
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Date of Hearing: May 12, 2010
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
AB 2620 (Eng) - As Amended: May 6, 2010
Policy Committee:
TransportationVote:9-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable:
SUMMARY
This bill:
1)Provides that an unspecified percentage of net toll revenues
generated by future toll facilities on the state highway
system are to be dedicated to highway maintenance,
preservation, and rehabilitation, and to be dedicated to
projects in the corridor where the revenues are generated.
Caltrans is authorized, however, to ask the California
Transportation Commission to direct revenues to other projects
within the same county as the toll road.
2)Applies these provisions to toll facilities developed after
January 1, 2011, that are subject to a cooperative agreement
between Caltrans and another public agency entered into after
that date, and exempts previously authorized toll facilities
from the above requirement.
FISCAL EFFECT
Requires an allocation of toll revenues from future toll
facilities for maintenance of the state highway system.
Depending on the amount required to be set aside for this
purpose, fulfilling this obligation would have an undetermined
impact on the toll charges; particularly as the redirected
percentage is unspecified.
COMMENTS
1)Background and Purpose . Regional transportation agencies are
generally responsible for making improvements within the urban
AB 2620
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areas of the state highway system. Increasingly, these
agencies are considering developing toll facilities on the
state highway system as a means of funding transportation
improvements in the corridor and in the region. Several such
toll facilities have already been authorized in statute and
others are being considered.
According to the author, the intent of AB 2620 is to increase
the amount of money available for use in the State Highway
Operation and Protection Program (SHOPP). The SHOPP is a
four-year program of projects developed to reduce collisions,
restore major damage, preserve bridges, preserve the roadway
and roadside, enhance mobility, and preserve other
transportation facilities related to the state highway system.
AB 2620 acknowledges that the backbone of regions' plans for
developing and operating toll facilities is the state highway
system, which is a state asset. As such, it directs some
portion of the revenues derived from the toll facilities to
Caltrans to preserve and maintain that system. The author
indicates that, at this point, the amount of the percentage is
still undecided as talks continue with Caltrans and regional
transportation authorities to determine an equitable
percentage of the toll proceeds that should be directed to the
SHOPP.
2)Amendment Needed . It is not the practice of this committee to
pass bills while they contain blanks, particularly those with
fiscal implications.
3)Opposition . The American Council of Engineering Companies of
California (ACEC) express concern that a portion of toll
revenues could be used to address SHOPP needs anywhere in the
state. The author's most recent amendments appear to address
this issue. The ACEC also is also concerned with the
unspecified percentage in the bill, which is discussed above.
Analysis Prepared by : Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081