BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 1194
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 1194 (Ammiano and V. Manuel P�rez)
As Amended May 24, 2013
Majority vote
TRANSPORTATION 12-0 APPROPRIATIONS 13-0
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|Ayes:|Linder, Achadjian, |Ayes:|Gatto, Bocanegra, |
| |Ammiano, Bonta, Buchanan, | |Bradford, |
| |Daly, Frazier, Gatto, | |Ian Calderon, Campos, |
| |Holden, Morrell, | |Eggman, Gomez, Hall, |
| |Nazarian, | |Ammiano, Linder, Pan, |
| |Quirk-Silva | |Quirk, Weber |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Modifies the Safe Routes to School (SR2S) program.
Specifically, this bill :
1)Adds a non-infrastructure element to the state SR2S program,
including public awareness campaigns and outreach to press and
community leaders, traffic education and enforcement in the
vicinity of schools, student sessions on bicycle and
pedestrian safety, health, and environment, and funding for
training, volunteers, and managers of SR2S programs.
2)Specifies that 20% of the program funds are to be used for
non-infrastructure-related activities and up to 20% of these
funds are to be used for a statewide technical assistance
resource center.
3)Provides the Transportation Agency discretion to transfer the
responsibility to administer the SR2S program from the
California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to the
California Transportation Commission.
4)Requires Caltrans to employ a full-time SR2S coordinator to
administer the program.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Directs Caltrans to award SR2S grants to local government
agencies based on a statewide competition that rates proposals
on the following factors:
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a) Demonstrated need;
b) Potential to reduce child injuries and fatalities;
c) Potential to encourage increased walking and biking
among students;
d) Identification of safety hazards;
e) Identification of current and potential walking and
bicycling routes to school;
f) Use of a public process; and,
g) Benefits to low-income schools.
2)Provides that any annual state budget allocation to fund SR2S
grants is to be in addition to federal funding received for
the program.
3)Allows up to 10% of SR2S funds to be used to make
infrastructure improvements that create safe routes to school
bus stops that are located away from schools.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to Assembly Appropriations Committee,
negligible fiscal impact, as this bill is consistent with SR2S
program operations.
COMMENTS : Until last summer, existing law provided for two
separate and distinct SR2S programs-one federally funded and
one state funded. The federal program provided grants for
infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects (such as
education and enforcement) and was typically funded at about
$21 million annually. With enactment of Moving Ahead for
Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21), the federal SR2S
program was collapsed along with an array of other existing
programs into a more simplified, substantially consolidated
program, referred to as the federal Transportation
Alternatives Program (TAP). California anticipates receiving
$72 million in TAP funds over the two-year life cycle of
MAP-21.
California was the first state to establish a state-level SR2S
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program in 1999 with the passage of AB 1475 (Soto), Chapter
663. The state program differs slightly from the previous
federal program in that the state program provides grants only
for infrastructure projects. It is typically funded at around
$24 million annually. Like the federal program, the state
SR2S program is administered by Caltrans and grants are
awarded on a statewide competitive basis.
The goal of the SR2S program is to increase the number of
children that walk or bicycle to school by funding projects that
remove barriers that prevent or discourage them from doing so.
The program places particular emphasis on reducing crashes,
injuries, and fatalities involving children in the vicinity of
schools. The SR2S program has been very popular, with
applications exceeding available funds by a ratio of about 5:1.
Supporters of the program point to a 2007 study commissioned by
Caltrans to tout the success of the program. That report
determined that the SR2S program was successful in achieving its
goals of improving safety and increasing bicycling and walking.
The report concluded:
The Safe Routes to School program has captured the
attention of traffic engineers, public health
advocates, schools, communities and families.
Anecdotally it has been a resounding success. Through
the quantitative and qualitative analyses conducted as
part of the legislative mandate, the SR2S program has
been effective in achieving its goals of increasing
walking/bicycling and improving safety.
The author introduced AB this bill in response to a budget
proposal put forward this year by the Administration that many
suggest threatens the success of the SR2S program. The
Administration's proposal consolidates existing programs and
creates an Active Transportation Program (ATP) within Caltrans.
The intent of the ATP is to fund projects and programs that
encourage increased use of active modes of transportation to
achieve one or more of the following goals:
1)Increase the proportion of trips accomplished by biking and
walking.
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2)Increase safety and mobility for non-motorized users.
3)Advance regional agencies' efforts to achieve greenhouse gas
reduction goals.
4)Enhance public.
5)Provide environmental mitigation that supports and encourages
active transportation.
To the extent that the Administration's proposed ATP combines
several programs into one, the proposal is consistent with
MAP-21, the hallmark of which is a substantially consolidated
program with a handful of broad core programs to provide maximum
flexibility to states. Programs to be included in the proposed
ATP include the state bicycle program, state and federal SR2S
programs, the federal recreational trails program, the federal
transportation enhancement program, and the state environmental
enhancement and mitigation program. The Administration proposes
to fund the ATP at a level of at least $134 million annually.
In response to the proposed ATP, SR2S advocates have voiced a
number of concerns, namely that:
1)The ATP proposes no minimum guarantee for SR2S funding.
2)The ATP would be established after existing programs are
repealed (thereby impeding continuity of the program).
3)Non-profit organizations are not adequately represented in the
ATP guideline development process.
4)The proposed ATP process does not provide sufficient
transparency with regard to project awards.
5)The proposed program would not adequately ensure lower-income
communities are appropriately considered in the program's
application process.
The Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 3-Resources and
Transportation heard the Administration's budget proposal
relative to the ATP earlier this month and voted to deny it
without prejudice. Instead, the subcommittee adopted
placeholder trailer bill language to require the Secretary of
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the Transportation Agency to convene a stakeholder group to
discuss active transportation compromise options by August 1,
2013. That action now moves to the full committee for
consideration and reconciliation with Senate budget actions. At
some point this summer, this bill will likely need to be
reconciled with whatever actions are taken on the budget.
Analysis Prepared by : Janet Dawson / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093
FN: 0000966