BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 1128
Page 1
CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 1128 (Furutani)
As Amended July 5, 2011
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |75-0 |(May 26, 2011) |SENATE: |37-0 |(August 22, |
| | | | | |2011) |
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Original Committee Reference: TRANS.
SUMMARY : Authorizes the California Department of Transportation
(Caltrans) to issue overweight truck permits on designated
roadways to allow for the movement shipping containers from the
Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles into the City of Carson.
The Senate amendments :
1)Declare legislative intent that the City of Carson adopt an
ordinance or resolution authorizing overweight truck use on
local streets and roads designated in this bill.
2)Extend the local roadway segment to be used by overweight
trucks.
3)Prohibit permitted overweight vehicles from operating outside
of the corridors designated in this bill and specifies that
doing so would result in revocation of the permit.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Prescribes, according to state and federal law, maximum gross
weight limits for vehicles and vehicle combinations using
public highways.
2)Authorizes Caltrans to issue weight exemption permits to the
operator of vehicles and loads, as specified, on the following
roadways:
a) On a 3.66-mile portion of State Route (SR) 47 and SR 103
known as Terminal Island Freeway, between Willow Street in
the City of Long Beach and Terminal Island in the City of
Long Beach and the City of Los Angeles; and,
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b) On a 2.1-mile portion of SR 1 between Blinn Avenue in
the City of Los Angeles and Harbor Avenue in the City of
Long Beach.
1)Specifies that to obtain weight exemption permits from
Caltrans, the vehicle and its load must meet specified
criteria.
2)Prohibits Caltrans from issuing a weight exemption permit for
the movement of hazardous materials.
3)Requires that the weight exemption permit issued by Caltrans
contain certain criteria related to description of the load,
liability waivers, and proof insurance.
4)Requires overweight trucks to carry and display the weight
exemption permit and furnish a copy of the permit to the
California Highway Patrol (CHP) or Caltrans, upon request.
5)Specifies that weight exemption permits issued by Caltrans are
valid for one year and may be cancelled by Caltrans.
AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY , this bill was substantially similar
to the version passed by the Senate.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, the only state highway affected by this bill is a
stretch of Pacific Coast Highway about one-third of a mile in
length. The increase in heavy vehicle traffic will cause the
roadway to deteriorate much more quickly that it would under the
weight of the types of vehicles to which the roadway would
otherwise be limited. However, Caltrans reports the maintenance
costs for the roadway to be absorbable.
COMMENTS:
The Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles are considered among the
most active 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 the weight exemption
authorized by AB 2438 (Karnette), Chapter 1037, Statutes of
1993, and later extended by SB 839 (Karnette), Chapter 358,
Statutes of 1997, contending that this unique situation
necessitated allowing heavier vehicles to use the roadways to
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enhance the growth and efficiency of both ports. The City of
Long Beach further asserted that without this exemption cargo
could be diverted to other ports, both in California and in the
Pacific Northwest.
The author introduced this legislation to allow overweight
vehicles carrying port cargo to use additional roadway segments
in and around the City of Carson. The author contends that by
doing so, underutilized warehouses in and around the City of
Carson can be accessed for port cargo storage. To accomplish
this, this bill would authorize Caltrans to increase the
distance that overweight vehicles can travel on a relatively
small section of the Pacific Coast Highway, upon the adoption of
an ordinance or resolution by the City of Carson.
Increasing overweight truck use on the state highway system
would likely result in accelerated pavement degradation.
However, the cost of this degradation is outweighed by the
benefits of allowing overweight trucks to travel on an
additional, relatively short, segment of state highway.
This bill states the intent of the Legislature is that the City
of Carson will pass a conforming ordinance or resolution
designating the various roadways described in this bill as
overweight vehicles corridors.
The bill also expressly provides that any applicant or holder of
an overweight vehicle permit who operates outside of the
designated corridors or in a manner not otherwise identified in
this bill would have his or her permit revoked.
Previous legislation: AB 2438 (Karnette), Chapter 1037,
Statutes of 1993, authorized Caltrans, upon ordinance or
resolution by the City of Long Beach and the City of Los Angeles
to issue a permit to certain overweight trucks carrying cargo
containers for use of the Terminal Island Freeway in Los Angeles
County, under certain conditions.
SB 839 (Karnette), Chapter 358, Statutes of 1997, extended the
January 1, 1998, sunset to January 1, 2003, authorizing
Caltrans, upon the adoption of an ordinance or resolution by
both the City of Long Beach and the City of Los Angeles, to
issue a special permit to the operator of a vehicle that exceeds
the maximum gross weight limits.
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SB 2072 (Karnette), Chapter 229, Statutes of 2002, extended
indefinitely the existing law allowing Caltrans, upon adoption
of conforming ordinances by the City of Long Beach and the City
of Los Angeles, for overweight vehicles.
Analysis Prepared by : Victoria Alvarez / TRANS. / (916) 319-
2093
FN: 0001649