BILL ANALYSIS �
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 1117
Author: DeSaulnier (D)
Amended: 5/1/12
Vote: 21
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE : 9-0, 4/24/12
AYES: DeSaulnier, Gaines, Harman, Kehoe, Lowenthal,
Pavley, Rubio, Simitian, Wyland
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 5-2, 5/24/12
AYES: Kehoe, Alquist, Lieu, Price, Steinberg
NOES: Walters, Dutton
SUBJECT : Rail planning
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill requires the California Transportation
Commission (CTC) to prepare a statewide passenger rail
transportation plan for conventional and high-speed
intercity passenger rail, commuter rail, and urban rail
transit.
ANALYSIS : Since 1995, the Department of Transportation
(Caltrans) has prepared a ten-year intercity rail
transportation plan, which it updates biennially. Caltrans
submits the plan to the CTC for its "advice and consent"
and then forwards it the Governor, Legislature, and the
Public Utilities Commission.
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Existing law is very prescriptive as to the contents of the
state's intercity passenger rail plan. It especially
emphasizes planning for services that have sound operating
economics. In addition, the plan includes forecasted
capital needs and an assessment of funding for both
investments and operations. Caltrans include a summary of
the state's commuter rail agencies plans in the state plan.
Caltrans is currently updating the plan consistent with
federal requirements that each state prepare a state
intercity passenger rail plan. This is the first passenger
rail plan required by the federal government.
Existing state and federal law requires local commuter and
rail transit agencies to prepare rail transit development
plans in coordination with the preparation of the regional
transportation plans to ensure the proposed investments are
consistent with the forecasted available funding for
investing in a region's multimodal regional transportation
system.
Finally, capital investments in the intercity passenger
rail plan and in regional and urban rail transit programs
are included in the State Transportation Improvement
Program, the state's five-year transportation capital
outlay program, which the CTC updates and adopts every two
years.
SB 375 (Steinberg), Chapter 728, Statutes of 2008, required
regional transportation plans to include a Sustainable
Communities Strategy designed to achieve the targets for
greenhouse gas emission reduction. This requirement
essentially links transportation and land use planning.
This bill:
1. Requires the CTC to prepare a statewide passenger rail
plan with the following elements:
A. Goals for an integrated rail passenger system
consisting of the four rail modes: high-speed
intercity rail, conventional intercity rail, commuter
rail, and urban rail transit.
B. Proposed regional and state investments in the
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four rail systems.
C. An assessment that the rail plans proposed by the
regional transportation planning agencies are
consistent with SB 375.
D. An assessment of transportation energy
requirements for the four rail modes.
E. An assessment of the reduction in regional and
intercity highway congestion due to the regional
plans, and in the case of high-speed rail, an
assessment of the ability of the service to reduce
intercity airline travel and airport congestion.
F. Identification of rail corridors in which
investments will be made and the expected
impediments, if any, to their development, including
right-of-way availability for facilities.
G. CTC-developed performance goals related to
financial capacity, service performance and
frequency, and the connections between rail modes to
increase travel opportunities.
H. An estimate of the capital and operating revenue
available for the development of the four rail
services in five-, 10-, and 20-year time horizons.
2. Requires Caltrans be responsible for assisting the CTC
in the preparation of the statewide passenger rail
transportation plan, including the preparation of draft
policies and the preparation of the draft plan
consistent with this bill and the CTC's policies.
3. Requires Caltrans cooperate with the CTC in defining the
scope of work and the schedule for producing the plan.
4. Authorizes the CTC to prepare policy guidelines for the
plan in consultation with the High-Speed Rail Authority
(HSRA), Caltrans, regional transportation planning
agencies, and urban transit and commuter rail operators.
The regional transportation planning agencies shall use
these guidelines when developing their regional plans.
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5. Directs, for the high-speed rail element of the plan,
the HSRA, consistent with the policies of the CTC and
the high-speed rail bond act, to develop an incremental
investment plan for the Phase I high-speed rail corridor
between San Francisco Transbay Terminal to Los
Angeles/Anaheim that benefits both conventional rail
services and future high-speed service. The HSRA must
submit the plan to the CTC identifying one or more
possible operating segments in the Phase I corridor as a
candidate for a public-private partnership. The HSRA
must submit a draft of the incremental development
program to the CTC by December 31, 2013.
6. Requires the CTC to submit a draft rail transportation
plan to the Legislature and stakeholders by April 30,
2014. The CTC shall adopt the final plan at its
September 2014 meeting and submit the plan to the
Legislature and stakeholders. The CTC shall adopt an
update plan every four years thereafter.
Comments
Purpose of this bill . Because California may be embarking
upon a major rail transportation program by investing in
high-speed rail, the author believes that it is important
to have an overall policy framework for rail development.
Such a plan will ensure that the public is obtaining the
greatest return on its investments in the four modes of
rail transit. In addition, the enactment of SB 375
established a policy framework that integrates land use and
transportation development. This bill ensures there is a
statewide framework for rail development consistent with SB
375.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:
Potentially significant costs to Caltrans, likely in
the range of $500,000 (State Highway Account) in 2012-13
and 2013-14, to assist the CTC in preparing draft
policies and a draft plan with requirements and elements
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that exceed current ongoing efforts related to the
preparation of an intercity rail transportation plan.
One-time costs to the CTC, likely in the range of
$100,000 (State Highway Account) in 2012-13, to develop
and adopt policies and guidelines for each of the four
rail modes. Additional CTC costs, likely in the range
of $50,000 to $100,000 (State Highway Account) in 2014,
to coordinate with stakeholders, review and compile
elements of the plan, hold public workshops, and adopt
the final plan.
Absorbable costs to the HSRA to plan for the
implementation of an incremental high-speed rail
development program (High-Speed Passenger Train Bond
Fund). The enumerated activities are consistent with
current efforts related to the biennial business plan.
JJA:kc 5/25/12 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED
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