BILL ANALYSIS �
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 1117|
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UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Bill No: SB 1117
Author: DeSaulnier (D)
Amended: 8/20/12
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
SENATE FLOOR : 32-3, 5/30/12
AYES: Alquist, Blakeslee, Calderon, Cannella, Corbett,
Correa, De Le�n, DeSaulnier, Emmerson, Evans, Fuller,
Gaines, Hancock, Hernandez, Huff, Kehoe, Leno, Lieu, Liu,
Lowenthal, Negrete McLeod, Padilla, Pavley, Price, Rubio,
Simitian, Steinberg, Vargas, Wolk, Wright, Wyland, Yee
NOES: Anderson, Dutton, Walters
NO VOTE RECORDED: Berryhill, Harman, La Malfa, Runner,
Strickland
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 53-25, 8/23/12 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Rail planning
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill designates the Department of
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Transportation (Caltrans) as the state rail transportation
authority to prepare, maintain, coordinate, and administer
the State Rail Plan, modifies the requirements of the State
Rail Plan, and requires the California Transportation
Commission (CTC) to include in its guidelines for regional
transportation plans policy direction regarding the
integration of all passenger rail services into a
coordinated system with emphasis on intermodal facilities
and cost-effective rail services, as specified.
Assembly Amendments (1) delete the requirement for the CTC
to prepare a statewide passenger rail transportation plan
for conventional and high-speed intercity passenger rail,
commuter rail, and urban rail transit; (2) designate the
Caltrans as the state rail transportation authority to
prepare, maintain, coordinate, and administer the State
Rail Plan; (3) modify the requirements of the State Rail
Plan; and (4) require the CTC to include in its guidelines
for regional transportation plans policy direction
regarding the integration of all passenger rail services
into a coordinated system with emphasis on intermodal
facilities and cost-effective rail services, as specified.
ANALYSIS : Since 1995, the Caltrans has prepared a
10-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
(PUC).
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
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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. Makes legislative findings and declarations regarding
the new planning requirements of the federal Passenger
Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (PRIIA) and
the need to build on these new requirements to improve
the state's rail planning activities.
2. Identifies the Caltrans as the designee to prepare,
maintain, coordinate, and administer the federal state
rail plan required under PRIIA and to consist of a
passenger rail element and a freight rail element.
3. Restructures the State Rail Plan, as follows:
A. Requires the State Rail Plan to comply with
federal requirements under PRIIA;
B. Adds required elements of the State Rail Plan to
include:
(1) Plans for a comprehensive and integrated
statewide passenger rail system, including
high-speed rail, conventional intercity and
commuter rail, and connections to urban rail
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systems;
(2) 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;
(3) Identification of improvements that have
the potential to benefit both rail freight and
passenger rail services in the state; and,
(4) 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.
C. Maintains the requirement to include a freight
rail element, with specific components, in the State
Rail Plan;
D. Deletes specific, detailed requirements of the
existing State Rail Plan, including:
(1) Actual, estimated, and proposed
encumbrances for capital and operating subsidies
and for state operations;
(2) Identification of high-priority capital
improvement projects;
(3) Performance evaluation of all services in
operations;
(4) Recommended levels of service for the
next 10 years;
(5) Evaluations of regional planning agency
reports of commuter services;
(6) Maps of existing routes;
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(7) Expenditure data and strategies related
to Caltrans' marketing activities;
(8) The specific requirement that the report
be prepared in consultation with Amtrak and the
PUC;
(9) Discussions of fare policies; and,
(10) The freight element, including issues
related to environmental aspects, financing,
intermodal connections, current system
deficiencies, new technology, and light density
rail.
E. Modifies required due dates and sets forth a
review and submittal process to require Caltrans to:
(1) Submit the draft State Rail Plan to the
High-Speed Rail Authority (HSRA) and the CTC by
December 1, 2015;
(2) Prior to submitting the draft plan,
requires Caltrans to hold two public workshops
on the draft plan;
(3) Submit the final plan to the Business,
Transportation and Housing Agency by March 1,
2016, for approval pursuant to federal
requirements; and,
(4) Submit the final, approved plan to the
Legislature, the Governor, the PUC, HSRA, and
the CTC.
4. Requires the State Rail Plan to be updated every five
years, at a minimum.
5. Directs the CTC to include in its Regional
Transportation Plan (RTP) guidelines:
A. Direction regarding the integration of all
passenger rail service into a coordinated system,
with emphasis on intermodal facilities connecting
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various passenger rail systems with each other as
well as with the overall transportation system; and,
B. The provision of cost-effective passenger rail
services that contribute to climate stabilization,
job access, environmental enhancements, and improved
mobility.
6. Directs the HSRA to plan for implementation of blended
systems, consistent with Proposition 1A (2008), the
policy objectives set forth in the State Rail Plan, the
HSRA's business plan, and any written, third-party
agreements with operators in the corridor; requires the
following prescribed elements to be included in the HSRA
implementation plan:
A. Identification of investments in passenger rail
projects in the San Francisco Transbay
Terminal-to-Los Angeles Union Station-to-Anaheim
(Phase 1) high-speed rail corridor that benefits
conventional intercity and commuter rail services and
are compatible with being upgraded to high-speed rail
in the future; and,
B. Investments in operable segments in the Phase 1
corridor that generate sufficient passenger revenue
to be attractive to private investors.
7. In developing the blended systems, requires HSRA to
consult with Caltrans, regional transportation planning
agencies, agencies administering or operating commuter
rail, freight railroads operating in conventional
intercity and commuter rail corridors and in the Phase 1
high-speed rail corridors, and firms that have expertise
in commercial high-speed intercity rail operations; also
requires that HSRA ensure the blended system is
consistent with written, third-party agreements with
other operators in the corridor.
8. Requires the HSRA to submit its draft blended program to
the CTC, Caltrans and the Legislature by December 31,
2013, and to subsequently incorporate it into its
business plan.
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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
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.
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 53-25, 8/23/12
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Beall,
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Block, Blumenfield, Bonilla, Bradford, Brownley,
Buchanan, Butler, Charles Calderon, Campos, Carter,
Cedillo, Chesbro, Davis, Dickinson, Eng, Feuer, Fletcher,
Fong, Fuentes, Furutani, Galgiani, Gatto, Gordon, Hall,
Hayashi, Hill, Huber, Hueso, Huffman, Lara, Bonnie
Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza, Mitchell, Monning, Pan, Perea, V.
Manuel P�rez, Portantino, Skinner, Solorio, Swanson,
Torres, Wieckowski, Williams, Yamada, John A. P�rez
NOES: Bill Berryhill, Conway, Cook, Donnelly, Beth Gaines,
Garrick, Grove, Hagman, Halderman, Harkey, Jeffries,
Jones, Knight, Logue, Mansoor, Miller, Morrell, Nestande,
Nielsen, Norby, Olsen, Silva, Smyth, Valadao, Wagner
NO VOTE RECORDED: Gorell, Roger Hern�ndez
JJA:k 8/25/12 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED
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