BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  AB 2382
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          Date of Hearing:   May 9, 2012

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Felipe Fuentes, Chair

                AB 2382 (Gordon) - As Introduced:  February 24, 2012 

          Policy Committee:                              
          TransportationVote:10-1

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

           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires Caltrans to establish an Innovation District 
          Demonstration Project in partnership with the Santa Clara Valley 
          Transportation Authority (VTA). Specifically, this bill:

          1)Requires Caltrans, by July 1, 2014, to establish the 
            demonstration project with VTA, to be designed to: 

             a)   Operate under a new and innovative business model for 
               delivering transportation projects and services in Santa 
               Clara County in a more responsive, cost-effective, and 
               efficient manner.

             b)   Serve as a mechanism for trying out new approaches to 
               project delivery, local assistance, and transportation 
               operations through streamlined processes, improved 
               management techniques, and advanced technologies with the 
               goal of expediting project delivery and increasing 
               Caltrans' efficiency.

          2)Requires Caltrans and VTA to jointly conduct an evaluation of 
            the demonstration project and report to the Legislature, by 
            January 1, 2018, regarding the project's effectiveness and 
            whether the project should be continued.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          The design, implementation, and evaluation of the demonstration 
          project should be able to be conducted within the existing 
          management resources of both Caltrans and the VTA. To the extent 
          the project leads to streamlining project delivery and 








                                                                  AB 2382
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          procedures that can be replicated with other transportation 
          agencies, there would be significant ongoing savings.

           COMMENTS  

           1)Purpose . The author has introduced this bill at VTA's request 
            to provide an opportunity to identify ways to improve 
            communication between Caltrans and VTA staff, and to improve 
            Caltrans' organizational flexibility. VTA's interest in 
            sponsoring this bill is borne of its frustration in working 
            with Caltrans. VTA cites chronic delays from Caltrans in 
            getting project reviews and approvals, inefficiencies, 
            stifling risk aversion, and ineffective, decentralized 
            decision-making as examples of its specific frustrations with 
            the department. The author believes the demonstration project 
            prescribed in this bill will help expedite project delivery 
            and generate ideas for increasing the efficiency of the 
            department, which could result in long-term savings to the 
            state.

           2)Suggested Amendment  . Given that the VTA has requested and is 
            sponsoring this legislation, the bill should be amended to add 
            a disclaimer of state reimbursement for any costs incurred by 
            the VTA.

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