BILL NUMBER: SB 1418 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 26, 2010
INTRODUCED BY Senator Wiggins
FEBRUARY 19, 2010
An act to amend Sections 2550, 2551, 2555, and 2557 of the Streets
and Highways Code, relating to highways.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 1418, as amended, Wiggins. Transportation: motorist aid
services.
Existing law authorizes the establishment of a service authority
for freeway emergencies in any county if the board of supervisors of
the county and the city councils of a majority of the cities within
the county adopt resolutions providing for the establishment of the
service authority. Existing law authorizes the Metropolitan
Transportation Commission to function as the service authority for
freeway emergencies in the San Francisco Bay area counties upon
adoption of a resolution, as specified. Existing law authorizes a
service authority to impose a fee of $1 per year on vehicles
registered in the counties served by the service authority. Existing
law requires moneys received by a service authority to be used for
the implementation, maintenance, and operation of a motorist aid
system of call boxes and authorizes moneys received by a service
authority in excess of what is needed for that system to be used for
additional motorist aid services, including, among other things,
changeable message signs and lighting for call boxes. Existing law
requires any plan or amendment to a plan for a motorist aid system of
call boxes for any state highway route to be approved by the
Department of Transportation and the Department of the California
Highway Patrol.
This bill would authorize those service authorities to be
established for freeway and expressway services, instead of only
freeway emergencies , and would delete
revise the provisions authorizing only
excess moneys to be used for additional motorist aid services
and would instead to authorize
those moneys from the service authority fee on
vehicles to be used for the implementation, maintenance,
and operation of systems, projects, and programs to aid and assist
motorists, including, among other things, a call box system,
freeway service patrol, mobile roadside assistance
systems, intelligent transportation systems, and traveler information
systems. The bill would authorize the Metropolitan Transportation
Commission to place call boxes to assist motorists a
in specified parking or roadway areas in mutually agreed
upon state and federal parks. The bill would authorize a service
authority to impose a fee of up to $2 per year on vehicles registered
in the counties served by the service authority. The bill would
provide that any amendment to an existing plan for a motorist aid
network of call boxes adopted by a service authority shall be deemed
to be approved by the Department of Transportation and the Department
of the California Highway Patrol unless rejected within 120 days of
receipt of the amendment.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 2550 of the Streets and Highways Code is
amended to read:
2550. The Legislature declares that its intent in enacting this
chapter is to encourage the placement of call boxes and the
provision of services that directly aid motorists along the
California freeway and expressway system. However, it is not intended
that any services provided be considered an emergency system.
SEC. 2. Section 2551 of the Streets and Highways Code is amended
to read:
2551. (a) A service authority for freeways and expressways may be
established in any county if the board of supervisors of the county
and the city councils of a majority of the cities within the county
having a majority of the population of cities within the county adopt
resolutions providing for the establishment of the authority.
(b) The resolutions may designate the county transportation
commission for the county, created pursuant to Division 12
(commencing with Section 130000) of the Public Utilities Code or
council of governments formed pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing with
Section 6500) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code, as the
service authority for freeways and expressways. The powers of a
commission or council of governments so designated are limited to
those of the service authority.
(c) (1) The Metropolitan Transportation Commission may function as
the service authority for freeways and expressways in any or all of
the Counties of Santa Clara, San Mateo, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin,
Solano, Sonoma, Napa, and the City and County of San Francisco upon
adoption of a resolution by the commission to act as a service
authority and upon ratification of the commission's resolution in a
particular county by the board of supervisors of the city and county
or by the board of supervisors of the county and by the city councils
of the cities within the county having a majority of the population
of the cities within the county.
(2) The Metropolitan Transportation Commission may also exercise,
as the service authority in any of those counties, the power to
strategically place call boxes to assist motorists in parking or
roadway areas in mutually agreed upon state and federal parks where
telecommunication services are not available.
(d) (1) The Sacramento Area Council of Governments may function as
the service authority for freeways and expressways in any or all of
the Counties of Sacramento, Yolo, Yuba, Sutter, and San Joaquin, or
any other county that is not within another multicounty service
authority, upon adoption of a resolution by the council to act as a
service authority and upon ratification of the resolution in a
particular county by the board of supervisors of the county and by
the city councils of the cities within the county having a majority
of the population of the cities within the county.
(2) The Sacramento Area Council of Governments may also exercise,
as a service authority, in any of those counties, the powers
specified in Section 891.5 pertaining to call boxes on class 1
bikeways.
(e) As used in this chapter, "authority" and "service authority"
mean a service authority for freeways and expressways created
pursuant to this chapter.
SEC. 3. Section 2555 of the Streets and Highways Code is amended
to read:
2555. An authority may impose a fee of up to two dollars ($2) per
year, in one dollar ($1) increments, on vehicles registered in the
county pursuant to Section 9250.10 of the Vehicle Code.
SEC. 4. Section 2557 of the Streets and Highways Code is amended
to read:
2557. (a) Except as provided in subdivision (c), the moneys
received by each authority pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section
9250.10 of the Vehicle Code shall be used for the implementation,
maintenance, and operation of a motorist aid system of call
boxes on the portions of the state freeway and expressway system, the
county expressway system, the unincorporated county roads in that
county, and the state highway routes that connect segments of these
systems, that are located within the county in which the authority is
established. Any money received that exceeds the amount needed for
full implementation and ongoing costs to maintain and operate the
motorist aid system of call boxes may be used for the
implementation, maintenance, and operation of systems,
projects, and programs to aid and assist motorists, including, but
not limited to, a call box system, freeway service
patrol, mobile roadside assistance systems, intelligent
transportation systems, incident management programs and
coordination, traveler information system programs, and support for
traffic operation centers, including the lease or lease-purchase of
facilities and equipment for the system, project, or program on the
portions of the state freeway and expressway system and a county
expressway system, and the unincorporated county roads in that
county, and on state highway routes that connect segments of these
systems, which are located within the county in which the authority
is established.
(b) An authority or any other public entity may construct and
maintain, and lease or lease-purchase on terms and conditions it
deems appropriate, the facilities of a motorist aid system, project,
or program or it may contract with a private person or entity to do
so.
(c) If leases or lease-purchase agreements are entered into
pursuant to subdivision (a), or if revenue bonds are issued and sold
pursuant to Section 2558, the moneys received by each authority
pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 9250.10 of the Vehicle Code
shall be used to the extent necessary to make lease payments or to
pay the principal of, and interest on, the amount of bonded
indebtedness outstanding, as the case may be. Facilities and
equipment acquired through the expenditure of proceeds from the sale
of those bonds shall have a useful life at least equal to the term of
the bonds.
(d) The Department of Transportation and the Department of the
California Highway Patrol shall each review and approve plans for
implementation of a motorist aid network of call boxes proposed for
any state highway route and shall be reimbursed by the service
authority for all costs incurred due to review and approval of the
plan. Any amendment to an existing plan for a motorist aid network of
call boxes adopted by an authority for any state highway route
shall, prior to implementation, be submitted to the Department of
Transportation and the Department of the California Highway Patrol
for review and approval and shall not be implemented until so
reviewed and approved. The authority shall reimburse each department
for the costs of that review. Any amendment to an existing plan for a
motorist aid network of call boxes adopted by an authority shall be
deemed to be approved by the Department of Transportation and the
Department of the California Highway Patrol unless otherwise rejected
within 120 days of receipt of the amendment.
(e) An authority may develop policies for the retention of
records, including, but not limited to, authority operations,
contracts, and programs, and the length of the retention period.
(f) A motorist aid call box network system
constructed, maintained, or operated pursuant to this section
shall meet the applicable standards of Title II of the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-336) and federal
regulations adopted pursuant thereto.