BILL ANALYSIS
SB 532
Page 1
SENATE THIRD READING
SB 532 (Cogdill)
As Amended June 22, 2009
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE :36-0
TRANSPORTATION 13-0 APPROPRIATIONS 15-0
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|Ayes:|Eng, Jeffries, Buchanan, |Ayes:|De Leon, Nielsen, |
| |Conway, Furutani, | |Ammiano, |
| |Galgiani, Garrick, | |Charles Calderon, Coto, |
| |Bonnie Lowenthal, Miller, | |Davis, Duvall, Fuentes, |
| |Niello, John A. Perez, | |Hall, Harkey, Miller, |
| |Solorio, Torlakson | |John A. Perez, Skinner, |
| | | |Audra Strickland, |
| | | |Torlakson |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Authorizes the California Transportation Commission
(CTC), upon terms and conditions that are in the best interests
of the state, to relinquish to the City of Kingsburg the
portions of State Route (SR) 201 within the city; adds a segment
of SR 108 to the state network of interregional roads, thus
making it eligible for specific state transportation funds.
Specifically, this bill:
1)Allows CTC to relinquish to City of Kingsburg the portion of
SR 201 that is located within city limits.
2)Adds the portion of SR 108 in Stanislaus County that extends
from SR 99 in Stanislaus County to SR 120, east of the City of
Oakdale between SR 120 at Yosemite Junction and SR 395, to the
state network of interregional roads, thereby making the added
route segment eligible for state funding in the Interregional
Transportation Improvement Program (ITIP).
EXISTING LAW :
1)Defines the state highway system in a statutory listing of
specific route descriptions; similarly, defines the
interregional road system.
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2)Specifies the intent of the Legislature the state highway
system connect the communities and regions of the state and
that they serve the state's economy by connecting centers of
commerce, industry, agriculture, mineral wealth, and
recreation.
3)Provides for the expansion or deletion of the state highway
system through a process whereby CTC makes a finding that it
is in the best interest of the state to include or delete a
specified portion of roadway from the system.
4)Provides for the relinquishment of a portion of state highway
to a city or county under an agreement between the local
jurisdiction and the Department of Transportation (Caltrans),
when an act of the Legislature has deleted the portion of
highway from the state highway system.
5)Requires that certain transportation funds be made available
for transportation capital improvement projects on the
interregional road system.
FISCAL EFFECT : This bill will enable Caltrans to redirect up to
$91 million in interregional road funding that it had previously
committed to the Oakdale Bypass project to a newly identified,
alternative alignment along SR 108.
COMMENTS : According to the author, SR 201, known as Sierra
Street, is the major east-west route through the City of
Kingsburg (Fresno County) and serves as the city's de-facto
"main street." It is also the site of the city's annual Swedish
Festival. The City of Kingsburg would like to avoid the
necessity of obtaining state permits to make street improvements
or to close the street for the Swedish Festival and other
downtown events. By assuming ownership of the street, the city
and its residents can gain control over this important part of
their community while also saving money for the state, which
will no longer bear the responsibility of maintaining and
improving the roadway.
A 1995 internal Caltrans study identified state highway routes
that should be owned, operated, and maintained by local
agencies. That study concluded that a large portion of SR 201
could be relinquished to the City of Kingsburg or the County of
Fresno without jeopardizing traffic flow or public safety. As a
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result, this bill is consistent with the Caltrans study.
In 2004, Caltrans committed $91 million of ITIP funds to the
Oakdale Bypass project. Since that time, traffic patterns in
Stanislaus County have changed and the region has indicated that
an alternative project may better serve the county's needs.
Presently, Stanislaus County has proposed the North County
Corridor project, a 17- mile, east to west alignment to
accommodate inter-regional traffic, goods movement, and
anticipated traffic growth. This bill would codify the proposed
amended SR 108 alignment and allow CTC to recognize and approve
future funding for the project.
Under Caltrans guidelines it is recommended that interregional
routes do the following:
1)Carry a major portion of the trips entering, traveling
through, or leaving the State.
2)Serve corridors of substantial statewide, interstate, and
international significance.
3)Connect all metropolitan areas and those urban areas with
population concentrations over 2,500 and all county seats, not
otherwise served.
4)Serve those agricultural, natural resource areas, public-owned
recreational areas, and other travel generators of statewide
or major regional importance not otherwise served.
Since funding for the original project was deferred, Caltrans
has expressed commitment to restoring funding to the region once
a suitable replacement project was identified. Caltrans concurs
that the North County Corridor project meets the above mentioned
criteria for an interregional route and approves adding SR 108
to the list of highways eligible for the ITIP road funds.
Analysis Prepared by : Janet Dawson / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093
FN: 0001902