BILL ANALYSIS �
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE BILL NO: ab 1128
SENATOR MARK DESAULNIER, CHAIRMAN AUTHOR: furutani
VERSION: 6/22/11
Analysis by: Carrie Cornwell FISCAL: yes
Hearing date: June 28, 2011
SUBJECT:
Terminal Island Freeway: special permits
DESCRIPTION:
This bill authorizes the Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
to issue permits allowing vehicles that exceed the weight limit
to travel on a section of State Highway Route (SR) 1.
ANALYSIS:
Existing law generally limits vehicles and vehicle combinations,
such as tractor-trailer combinations, to a gross weight of no
more than 80,000 pounds. The Department of Transportation
(Caltrans) or a local authority, at its discretion, may issue a
permit to transport an oversized or overweight load on highways
under its control.
In addition, existing law authorizes Caltrans to issue a special
permit to the operator of a vehicle that exceeds the maximum
gross weight limits to travel on a specified 3.66 mile section
of the Terminal Island Freeway (SR 47 and SR 103) and a 2.1 mile
section of SR 1. Before Caltrans can issue such a permit, both
the cities of Long Beach and Los Angeles must adopt related
resolutions or ordinances allowing these vehicles on specified
local roads. The permitted vehicles must:
Be used to transport intermodal cargo containers that are
moving international commerce.
Not exceed a gross weight of 95,000 pounds.
Meet weight limits that Caltrans determines.
Vehicles for which Caltrans issues a permit may not transport
hazardous materials, must display a Caltrans-issued indicia
indicating its permitted status, and must carry a copy of the
permit at all times, which the operator must furnish upon
request from an employee of Caltrans or the California Highway
AB 1128 (FURUTANI) Page 2
Patrol (CHP).
This bill extends by 0.3 miles the portion of SR 1 for which
Caltrans may issue these overweight permits, provided that the
City of Carson adopts a related resolution or ordinance
permitting these vehicles to travel on local roads as well.
This would allow a permitted overweight vehicle travel on a 2.4
section of SR 1.
COMMENTS:
Purpose . The Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles rank among the
busiest port facilities in the world and no other commercial
facility in Southern California produces more vehicular traffic
congestion. In light of these significant traffic congestion
issues, the City of Long Beach requested a weight exemption on
specified state highways near the port. AB 2438 (Karnette),
Chapter 1037, Statutes of 1993, granted that exemption for a
limited time, and
SB 2072 (Karnette), Chapter 229, Statutes of 2002, made it
permanent. The port contended when AB 2438 was pending that the
situation at the ports necessitated allowing heavier vehicles to
use state highways and local roads to enhance the growth and
efficiency of both ports. The City of Long Beach further
asserted then that without this exemption cargo could be
diverted to other ports.
The exemption that AB 2438 created allows vehicles carrying
overweight cargo containers to travel on a combined 5.8 miles of
the Terminal Island Freeway and SR 1 (the Pacific Coast Highway)
to reach warehouse facilities around the Port of Long Beach, the
Port of Los Angeles, and Terminal Island. Shippers store goods
that come through the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach at
these nearby warehouses, which trucks reach via the current
overweight corridor, but the proponents note that warehouses
outside of this route are not fully utilized.
The author introduced this legislation to allow overweight
vehicles carrying port cargo to use additional roadway segments
in and around the City of Carson to reach these underused
warehouses. To accomplish this, this bill would authorize
Caltrans to increase the distance that overweight vehicles can
travel on a relatively small section of State Highway Route 1,
upon the adoption of an ordinance or resolution by the City of
Carson designating the related local routes within that city.
AB 1128 (FURUTANI) Page 3
Assembly Votes:
Floor: 75-0
Appr: 17-0
Trans: 14-0
POSITIONS: (Communicated to the Committee before noon on
Wednesday, June 22,
2011)
SUPPORT: California Association of Port Authorities
Carson Chamber of Commerce
City of Los Angeles
Desert Express
FCL Logistics, LTD.
International Warehouse Logistics Association
Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce
Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce
Los Angeles County Business Federation
Price Transfer, Inc.
Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce & Visitors
Bureau
South Bay Association of Chambers of Commerce
OPPOSED: None received.