BILL ANALYSIS �
SB 1117
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Date of Hearing: August 8, 2012
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
SB 1117 (DeSaulnier) - As Amended: July 5, 2012
Policy Committee:
TransportationVote:10-2
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable:
SUMMARY
This bill modifies the requirements of the State Rail Plan.
Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires the State Rail Plan to comply with the requirements
of the federal Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act
of 2008 (PRIIA).
2)Deletes numerous statutory requirements of existing State Rail
Plan provisions and adds the following specific requirements:
a) Plans for a comprehensive and integrated statewide
passenger rail system, including high-speed rail,
conventional intercity and commuter rail, and connections
to urban rail systems.
b) A review of all high-speed rail routes, the freight rail
system, conventional intercity and commuter rail systems,
and urban system connections to other passenger rail
systems, including a statement of the state's passenger
rail objectives for routes in the state.
c) Identification of improvements having the potential to
benefit both rail freight and passenger rail services in
the state.
d) An inventory of the existing rail transportation system,
services, and facilities in the state, and an analysis of
the role of rail within the state's overall transportation
system.
SB 1117
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3)Requires Caltrans to submit a draft plan, for review and
comment, to the California Transportation Commission (CTC) and
the High-Speed Rail Authority (HSRA) by December 1, 2015, and
requires the final plan to be submitted to the Business,
Transportation, and Housing Agency by March 1, 2016, and
thereafter to the governor, Legislature, HSRA, and the Public
Utilities Commission.
4)Requires the State Rail Plan to be updated at least every five
years instead of every two years.
5)Requires the CTC, to include in its guidelines for regional
transportation plans, policy direction regarding integration
of passenger rail services, with an emphasis on intermodal
facilities, and provision of service contributing to climate
stabilization, job access, environmental enhancements, and
improved mobility.
6)Requires the HSRA to plan for implementation of blended rail
systems, consistent with its business plan, as specified, and
to submit a draft of its blended program to the CTC, Caltrans,
and the Legislature by December 31, 2013, and to thereafter
incorporate this into the authority's business plan.
FISCAL EFFECT
1)Absorbable costs to Caltans and the CTC. Caltrans indicates
that the bill is consistent with its current efforts to meet
the planning requirements of the PRIIA.
2)Costs for the HSRA to complete and submit the plan for blended
systems should be absorbable. Authority staff argue, however,
that this requirement is redundant of current law and work
already being done by the authority, and will thus be an
inefficient use of staff resources.
COMMENTS
Purpose . The PRIIA establishes a federal policy for intercity
passenger rail that includes a federal capital grant program and
new requirements for state rail plans. The Act also conditions
submittal of federal capital grant applications upon completed
state rail plans, which are to be updated every five years.
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According to the author, successful rail development depends on
the integration of various modes of transportation including
intercity, commuter and urban rail transit, as well as the state
and local roadway network. This bill is intended to incorporate
state efforts relative to high-speed rail planning, regional
efforts relative to urban rail, and the new federal rail
planning requirements into a new, recast State Rail Plan.
The revised State Rail Plan will complement efforts already
underway within the Administration to develop the next iteration
of a state rail plan consistent with the new federal
requirements for state rail plans, which are much more extensive
than the existing state requirements. The PRIIA requires an
integrated and comprehensive plan for existing and proposed
conventional and high-speed rail systems and freight rail. The
plan must include detailed five and 20-year capital project
plans for all high-speed and conventional intercity rail
projects that may be financed with federal grant funds, and rail
system planning is required to be integrated into the entire
transportation system.
Analysis Prepared by : Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081