BILL ANALYSIS
SB 1418
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Date of Hearing: June 28, 2010
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
Bonnie Lowenthal, Chair
SB 1418 (Wiggins) - As Amended: June 21, 2010
SENATE VOTE : 22-14
SUBJECT : Service Authorities for Freeway Emergencies
SUMMARY : Authorizes a $1 increase in vehicle registration fees
to increase revenue for service authorities for freeway
emergencies (SAFEs), to be renamed "service authorities for
freeways and expressways." Specifically, this bill :
1)Renames "service authorities for freeway emergencies" as
"service authorities for freeways and expressways."
2)Authorizes the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC),
as the service authority for any of the nine Bay Area counties
within its jurisdiction, to place call boxes in parking or
roadway areas in state and federal parks where
telecommunications services are not available, upon agreement
with park officials; provides that, for purposes of these call
boxes, the service authority will assume responsibility for
the installation and maintenance of the call boxes and the
state or federal park will assume responsibility for call
handling, in conjunction with the local public safety
answering point.
3)Authorizes service authorities to increase from $1 to $2 the
fees imposed on vehicles registered in their county.
4)Expands allowable uses of the revenue generated from the fees
to include also projects and programs to aid motorists
generally, such as traveler information systems; however,
provides that first call to available funding is to be used
for the implementation, maintenance and operation of call box
systems.
5)Provides that any amendment to an existing call box plan is
deemed approved unless the California Department of
Transportation (Caltrans) or the California Highway Patrol
(CHP) rejects the plan within 60 days of receipt of the
amendment.
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EXISTING LAW:
6)Authorizes a county to establish a SAFE, upon certain
conditions, and generally provides that the county
transportation commission may be designated the SAFE for that
county.
7)Specifically authorizes MTC to become the SAFE for any or all
of the nine counties within its jurisdiction.
8)Authorizes SAFEs to impose a $1 annual fee on vehicles
registered in the county.
9)Directs, with some exceptions, net revenues generated from the
$1 fee to be used for the implementation, maintenance, and
operation of a call box system on state freeways and
expressways, county expressways, unincorporated county roads,
and on connecting state highway routes that are within the
county.
10)Requires Caltrans and the CHP to review and approve and call
box plans proposed for state highways.
11)Provides that any revenue received in excess of the amount
needed to fully fund a county's call box system may be used
for the following:
a) Changeable message signs;
b) Lighting for call boxes;
c) Support for traffic operations centers; and
d) Freeway service patrols.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) collects the
fees and subtracts its administrative costs before forwarding
them to local SAFEs. Over the last four years, DMV has
collected approximately $27.5 million annually and retained
approximately $137,000 for its administrative costs. DMV
indicates that any additional costs related to programming
increases in the fees would be minor and recoverable from fee
revenue.
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COMMENTS : The primary purpose of SAFEs is emergency motorist
aid. SAFEs manage the construction, maintenance, and operation
of approximately 14,033 emergency call boxes on 6,000 miles of
California freeways and expressways. Funding for these call
boxes is provided by a fee imposed on registered vehicles in
participating counties. Over the past five years, SAFEs have
reported receiving a total of $182.6 million in vehicle
registration fees, interest, and other revenues, and expending
$166.5 million on various projects. All of the 19 SAFEs (for 31
counties) are administered by a transportation planning agency.
In addition to funding call box systems, SAFEs also fund freeway
service patrols. Not only are these systems beneficial to
stranded motorists, they are significant in relieving congestion
caused by incidents on the roadway. Statistics indicate that
for every one minute of an incident, five minutes of congestion
results. The faster vehicles are cleared from the roadway or
incidents otherwise resolved, the sooner resultant congestion
eases.
Supporters of this bill maintain that the bill is necessary to
modernize the SAFE program, which was begun in 1986. They cite
significant technological advances, more congestion, and an
increase in the cost to provide motor assistance services since
enabling legislation was enacted as reasons the fee increase is
justified. They also believe that expanding the authorized uses
for revenue generated by the fee will make use of new technology
and systems that can facilitate quicker detection and removal of
incidents and better communication between motorists in need and
service providers, such as the CHP and tow truck drivers.
Writing in opposition to this bill, the California New Car
Dealers Association (CNCDA) contends that California motorists
are already overburdened with hidden vehicle fees. In addition
to the $34 basic registration fee, vehicle owners are subject to
"add-on" fees such as:
1)$1-$7 annual air qualify district fee;
2)$20 smog abatement fee for older cars;
3)$1 annual abandoned vehicle trust fee;
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4)$22 annual CHP fee;
5)$1 annual theft deterrence fee;
6)$1 annual fingerprint identification fee; and,
7)$1.75 per tire California tire fee.
CNCDA asserts that there should be no further increase in the
cost of vehicle ownership unless voters elect to tax themselves.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Metropolitan Transportation Commission (co-sponsor)
Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission
(co-sponsor)
California State Association of Counties
Placer County Transportation Planning Agency
Opposition
California New Car Dealers Association
Analysis Prepared by : Janet Dawson / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093