BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  AB 2200
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 16, 2012

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Felipe Fuentes, Chair

                       AB 2200 (Ma) - As Amended:  May 1, 2012 

          Policy Committee:                              
          TransportationVote:9-2

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program: 
          Yes    Reimbursable:              Yes

           SUMMARY  

          This bill suspends operation of high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) 
          lanes on Interstate 80 between the Carquinez Bridge and the Bay 
          Bridge in the reverse commute direction, i.e. eastbound between 
          5:00 am and 10:00 am and westbound between 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          One-time special fund costs of $180,000 to replace approximately 
          75 barrier-mounted/ground mounted signs ($2,000 each) and six 
          overhead HOV signs ($5,000 each). �State Highway Account]

           COMMENTS  

           1)Background  . According to CalTrans, a regular freeway lane 
            should carry between 1,800 and 2,000 vehicles per hour/per 
            lane to reach "ideal capacity" and to be "fully utilized." HOV 
            lanes should carry between 1,600 and 1,650 vehicles per 
            hour/per lane to reach "ideal capacity." Ordinarily, HOV lanes 
            benefit travelers by lowering travel times. In the San 
            Francisco Bay Area, the Interstate 80 Corridor from the 
            Carquinez Bridge to the Bay Bridge is notorious for congestion 
            during commute hours. While most HOV lanes around the state 
            require a minimum of two occupants, the minimum in this 
            corridor is three occupants. Restricted use of this HOV lane 
            is only in effect during the weekday peak commute periods.

            The current passenger limits in place have not resulted in the 
            full utilization of the HOV lane at all times, however. For 
            example, in 2002, the HOV lane carried nearly 1,700 vehicles 
            during the morning peak-hour commute heading westbound, but 








                                                                  AB 2200
                                                                  Page  2

            only carried 199 vehicles during the morning commute going 
            eastbound.  Due to this underutilization, there are plans to 
            convert HOV lanes in this and several other Bay Area corridors 
            into high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes, which allows vehicles to 
            enter the lane at a value pricing model. This will likely not 
            be accomplished until sometime after 2020. 

           2)Purpose  . The author contends that drivers should not have to 
            wait such a long time while this HOV lane continues to go 
            underutilized. This bill thus suspends the high-occupancy 
            vehicle lane during the reverse commute period.

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081