BILL ANALYSIS �
SB 415
Page 1
SENATE THIRD READING
SB 415 (Price)
As Amended June 26, 2012
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE :Vote not relevant
TRANSPORTATION 13-0 APPROPRIATIONS 17-0
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|Ayes:|Bonnie Lowenthal, |Ayes:|Gatto, Harkey, |
| |Jeffries, Achadjian, | |Blumenfield, Bradford, |
| |Blumenfield, Buchanan, | |Charles Calderon, Campos, |
| |Eng, Furutani, Galgiani, | |Davis, Donnelly, Fuentes, |
| |Logue, Miller, Norby | |Hall, Hill, Cedillo, |
| |Portantino, Solorio | |Mitchell, Nielsen, Norby, |
| | | |Solorio, Wagner |
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| | |
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SUMMARY : Provides for the relinquishment of park-and-ride lots.
Specifically, this bill grants permission to the California
Transportation Commission (CTC) to relinquish to a county
transportation commission or to a regional transportation
planning agency (RTPA) park-and-ride lots within their
respective jurisdictions, on terms and conditions that the CTC
finds to be within the best interests of the state if the
California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the
county transportation commission or RTPA enter into an agreement
providing for the relinquishment. The relinquishment will
become effective on the date following the county recorder's
recordation of the relinquishment resolution containing the
CTC's approval of the terms and conditions of the
relinquishment.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Identifies, statutorily, state highway system routes; defines
"state highway" as any roadway that is acquired, laid out,
constructed, improved, or maintained as a state highway
pursuant to constitutional or legislative authorization.
2)Provides for the expansion or deletion of the state highway
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system through a process whereby CTC makes a finding that it
is in the best interest of the state to include or delete a
specified portion of roadway to the system.
3)Provides for the relinquishment of a portion of state highway
to a city or county under an agreement between the local
jurisdiction and Caltrans when an act of the Legislature has
deleted the portion of highway from the state highway system.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, Caltrans indicates that local jurisdictions
frequently seek concessions-typically future maintenance funds
as well as upfront rehabilitation from the department-as part of
relinquishment agreements. Depending on the number of
park-and-ride lots relinquished to local agencies and the
condition of those lots, potential one-time special fund costs
could exceed $150,000, depending on the outcome of negotiations
between Caltrans and local entities and a determination that any
relinquishment is in the state's best interest. Furthermore,
the bill could result in ongoing savings to Caltrans from
reduced maintenance and rehabilitation costs for relinquished
park-and-ride lots.
COMMENTS : Each session, numerous bills authorizing CTC to
relinquish segments of the state highway segments to local
jurisdictions are passed by the Legislature and signed by the
Governor. Relinquishment transactions are generally preceded by
a negotiation of terms and conditions between the local
jurisdiction and Caltrans. Once an agreement has been
established, CTC typically approves the relinquishment and
verifies its approval via a resolution. The final step is for
the Legislature to delete these segments from current law.
State highway relinquishments provide recipient agencies with
greater control over a local transportation segment and relieve
Caltrans of any further responsibility to improve, maintain, or
repair it.
This bill, unlike typical relinquishment bills, will allow the
state to transfer to county transportation commissions or to an
RTPA, park-and-ride lots.
This bill is sponsored by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan
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Transportation Authority (Metro). SB 415 will allow Metro to
enter into agreements with Caltrans to take ownership of
selected state-owned park-and-ride lots, under terms set forth
in the bill. As planned, Metro will assume ownership, as well
as maintenance and operations, of the lots as part of its
efforts to promote public transit ridership. Some of its
planned improvements include leasing spaces to increase activity
in the lots, better advertising and signage to manage parking
amongst different lots, and increased security and improved
maintenance to encourage greater utilization of the lots.
Analysis Prepared by : Janet Dawson / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093
FN: 0005015