Amended in Senate July 1, 2014

Amended in Senate June 12, 2014

Amended in Assembly April 22, 2014

Amended in Assembly February 18, 2014

California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 1447

Introduced by Assembly Members Waldron and V. Manuel Pérez

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Brown, Chávez, Maienschein, and Wilk)

(Coauthor: Senator Vidak)

January 6, 2014

An act to add Chapter 16 (commencing with Section 2581) to Division 3 of the Streets and Highways Code, relating to greenhouse gases.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1447, as amended, Waldron. California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006: Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: traffic synchronization.

The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 designates the State Air Resources Board as the state agency charged with monitoring and regulating sources of emissions of greenhouse gases. The act authorizes the state board to include begin insert the end insert use of market-based compliance mechanisms. Existing law requires all moneys, except for fines and penalties, collected by the state board from the auction or sale of allowances as part of a market-based compliance mechanism to be deposited in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and to be available upon appropriation. Existing law begin delete authorizes moneys from the fund be allocated for the purpose of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in this state through specified investments, including sustainable infrastructure projects, as specified. end delete begin insert requires the Department of Finance, in consultation with the state board and any other relevant state agency, to develop, as specified, a 3-year investment plan for the moneys deposited in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. end insert

This bill would authorize moneys in the fund to be allocated begin insert , as specified, end insert for begin insert an end insert investment in a traffic signal synchronization begin delete project as end delete begin insert component that is part of end insert a sustainable infrastructure project if the begin delete project end delete begin insert component end insert is designed and implemented to achieve cost-effective reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and includes specific begin delete reduction end delete begin insert emissions-reductions end insert targets and metrics to evaluate the project’s effect.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:

(a) Traffic signal synchronization is a low-cost operational
approach that reduces energy consumption and greenhouse gas
emissions while alleviating congestion.

(b) Studies show that investment in traffic signal timing
programs enjoy cost-benefit ratios at more than 40 to 1, meaning
the benefits from these programs save more than $40 for every
dollar spent.

(c) Due to their ability to maximize benefits for the least cost,
traffic signal synchronization programs should be explicitly eligible
for funding dedicated to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

SEC. 2.  

Chapter 16 (commencing with Section 2581) is added
to Division 3 of the Streets and Highways Code, to read:

 

Chapter  16. Traffic Signal Synchronization

 

2581.  

begin insert (a) end insert begin insert   end insert Investments in begin delete a end delete traffic signal synchronization
begin delete project end delete may be eligible for begin insert an end insert allocation of begin delete funds end delete begin insert moneys end insert pursuant
to Section 39712 of the Health and Safety Code as a begin insert component
of an eligible end insert sustainable infrastructure project if both of the
following conditions are met:

begin delete

(a)

end delete

begin insert (1) end insert  The sponsoring agency’s legislative or governing body
makes a finding that the begin delete project end delete begin insert traffic signal synchronization
component end insert is designed and implemented to achieve cost-effective
reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

begin delete

(b)

end delete

begin insert (2) end insert  The begin delete project end delete begin insert traffic signal synchronization component end insert
includes specific begin delete reduction end delete begin insert emissions-reduction end insert targets and metrics
to evaluate the begin delete project’s end delete begin insert traffic signal synchronization component’s end insert
effect.

begin insert

(b) A traffic signal synchronization component of a sustainable
infrastructure project receiving an allocation of moneys pursuant
to subdivision (a) shall meet the requirements of Section 16428.9
of the Government Code and Section 39712 of the Health and
Safety Code.

end insert