BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  AB 1915
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 9, 2012

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Felipe Fuentes, Chair

                    AB 1915 (Alejo) - As Amended:  March 26, 2012 

          Policy Committee:                              
          TransportationVote:13-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program: 
          No     Reimbursable:               

           SUMMARY  

          This bill allows up to 10% of the state funds for the Safe 
          Routes to School (SR2S) program to be allocated for making 
          infrastructure improvements, excluding school bus shelters, that 
          create safe routes to bus stops located outside the vicinity of 
          schools.

           FISCAL EFFECT 

          Minor absorbable costs for Caltrans to modify program 
          guidelines. The bill could result in a reallocation of SR2S 
          funding, and may alter the proximity of some funded projects 
          with respect to a school site, but will not change the purpose 
          of these funds in providing infrastructure improvements along 
          roadways used by students in their travel to school. 

           COMMENTS  

           1)Background  . The goal of both the federal and state SR2S 
            programs is to remove barriers that prevent children from 
            walking or biking to school. The federal program provides 
            grants for infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects 
            (such as education and enforcement).  The state program 
            provides grants only for infrastructure projects. In 1999, 
            California was the first state to enact its own SR2S program, 
            with dedicated funding from the State Highway Account, on the 
            premise that encouraging more children to walk and bicycle to 
            school would result in healthier children, improved air 
            quality, reduced fuel consumption and greenhouse gas 
            emissions, and less traffic congestion near schools. The state 
            SR2S program is to be funded at $45 million in the latest 








                                                                  AB 1915
                                                                  Page  2

            annual cycle, and funds are distributed on a statewide, 
            competitive basis.  Applications exceed available funds by a 
            6:1 ratio. Typical projects include installing curbs, 
            sidewalks, traffic signals, crosswalks, warning signs, and 
            bike paths.

           2)Purpose  . According to the author, this bill is intended to 
            serve the safety needs of low-income rural school children who 
            depend on buses to transport them to school and often walk 
            along busy roads with insufficient or poor quality walking 
            infrastructure. Supporters argue that current law does not 
            specify that the SR2S program can support infrastructure 
            improvements to increase pedestrian safety for children 
            walking to school bus stops.  As a result, rural communities 
            that must use buses to get their children to school cannot 
            enjoy the benefits of the SR2S program.

           3)Prior Legislation  . AB 516 (V. Manuel Perez)/Chapter 277 of 
            2011 modified the SR2S program to facilitate increased 
            participation from low-income communities.  
           Analysis Prepared by  :    Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081