BILL ANALYSIS �
SB 1175
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Date of Hearing: June 23, 2014
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
Bonnie Lowenthal, Chair
SB 1175 (Walters) - As Amended: May 12, 2014
SENATE VOTE : 36-0
SUBJECT : Vehicles: length exemption: motorsports
SUMMARY : Extends the sunset, from 2016 to 2018, on laws that
allow extra-long semitrailers (up to 56 feet) used in connection
with the motorsports industry to operate on certain roadways in
California, updates field testing and other reporting
requirements, and mandates specified highway improvements.
Specifically, this bill :
1)Updates the requirement that the California Department of
Transportation (Caltrans) conduct field tests of 56-foot truck
tractor semitrailer combinations used in connection with
motorsports on transition routes in California connecting
sanctioned motorsport racecourses to the national highway
network (with the exception of the Pomona Raceway and the
Sonoma Raceway, for which field tests are already completed).
2)Requires Caltrans to make the needed roadway improvements on
transition routes as identified in the field tests for the
Pomona and Sonoma Raceways on or before January 1, 2018.
3)Makes findings and declarations that Caltrans established
existing transition routes to racecourses used for sanctioned
motorsports events based on records from the 1990's.
4)Requires Caltrans to update transition routes to sanctioned
motorsports events to reflect road projects completed since
the 1990s and to update the transition routes every five years
thereafter.
5)Requires Caltrans to develop new transition routes for the
truck tractor semitrailer combinations for motorsport trucks
with a trailer length of 56 feet.
6)Updates field test reporting requirements by requiring
Caltrans to submit a report to the Legislature, no later than
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January 1, 2017, that include the results of field testing
movements of 56-foot truck tractor semitrailer combinations on
transition routes to and from sanctioned racecourses, an
overview of roadway improvements that should be made on the
transition routes to allow for safe passage of the 56-foot
truck tractor semitrailer combinations, and, in consultation
with the California Highway Patrol (CHP), a recommendation as
to whether the 56-foot truck tractor semitrailer combinations
should be reauthorized.
7)Makes the reporting requirement inoperative on January 1,
2019.
8)Extends the exemption for 56-foot truck tractor semitrailer
combinations to operate on designated routes until January 1,
2018.
9)Makes related technical, non-substantive changes.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Permits extra-long semitrailers of up to 56 feet, if the
semitrailer is used primarily in connection with motorsports
on certain California roadways until January 1, 2016.
2)Required Caltrans, in consultation with California Highway
Patrol (CHP), to conduct a field test of the 56 foot
motorsport vehicle combinations to evaluate their performance
on various segments of the National Network and transition
routes and submit the results of the field test along with a
recommendation on whether or not the 56 foot motorsport
vehicle combinations should be reauthorized to the Legislature
on or before January 1, 2014.
3)Provides, in accordance with federal law, that on the National
Network and Terminal Access Routes, a semitrailer being towed
by a motor truck or truck tractor may not exceed 53 feet long
provided the distance from the KPRA (kingpin to rear axle)
does not exceed 40 feet for semitrailers with 2 or more axles
or 38 feet for semitrailers with one axle.
4)Authorizes Caltrans and local authorities to permit the
operation of combination of vehicles consisting of a truck
tractor semitrailer combination with a KPRA of up to 46 feet
on trailers used exclusively or primarily in connection with
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motorsports.
5)Specifies the Legislature's intent that by increasing the
maximum permissible KPRA up to 46 feet for motorsport trucks
does not demonstrate the Legislature's intent to set a
precedent for future increases in truck size and length
limitations.
6)Authorizes Caltrans and local jurisdictions, in consultation
with the California Highway Patrol (CHP), to establish shorter
KPRA distances than those authorized under existing law if it
is determined that public safety considerations preclude the
use of longer vehicles on portions of the state highway system
under their jurisdiction.
7)Authorizes a local authority to condition the issuance of a
special permits to establish reasonable controls on the
allowable hours of operation of over length vehicles.
8)Defines motorsports as any event, and all activities leading
up to that event, that is sanctioned under member
organizations of the Automobile Competition Committee for the
United States.
9)Prohibits the Legislature from enacting legislation containing
specific individual transportation projects.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee, this bill would result in one-time Caltrans costs of
approximately $300,000 over two years to conduct field tests on
the remaining 14 transition routes to sanctioned race tracks.
Further, one-time Caltrans costs of up to $150,000 in 2016-17 to
prepare a report to the Legislature that includes results of
field tests on the remaining transition routes and an overview
of necessary improvements identified and made as well as costs
of approximately $300,000 in 2015-16 to update transition routes
to reflect projects completed since the original routes were
identified, and to develop new transition routes that could
accommodate the vehicle-trailer combinations specified in this
bill. These costs would be repeated every five years if the
statute is re-authorized beyond the specified 2018 sunset date.
Finally, unknown future cost pressures, likely in the millions,
to make road improvements identified in the field testing of the
remaining 14 transition routes.
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COMMENTS : Most large vehicles on the highway are truck
tractor-trailer combinations. Typically, a truck tractor pulls
a semitrailer. A semitrailer is a trailer that is constructed
so that some part of its weight and load rests upon or is
carried by another vehicle, usually a truck tractor. A kingpin
is the main pin used to connect a semitrailer to a truck
tractor. The distance from the kingpin to the rear axle
(KP-RA), determines the turning radius of the truck-semitrailer
combination.
An increase in the KP-RA distance results in the
truck-semitrailer combination using more space to complete a
turn. Thus, a semitrailer with a longer KP-RA distance is more
likely to go into an adjacent lane when rounding a curve on a
road. To account for this, existing law limits KP-RA length to
40 feet when the semitrailer has two rear axles, and provided
the truck tractor is pulling only the semitrailer. Further
existing law limits the semitrailer's total length to 53 feet.
Until 2013, existing law allowed over-length semitrailers (those
with a 46-foot KP-RA distance but an overall length of no more
than 53 feet) used in motorsports to travel on specified roads
with a Caltrans or a local road authority issued the vehicle a
special trip permit. SB 1174 (Walters), Chapter 292, Statutes
of 2012, deleted the authority of Caltrans or a local government
to issue those permits. Instead, SB 1174 explicitly allowed, on
specified federal and state routes and until January 1, 2016,
semitrailers of up to 56 feet in length, if the distance from
the KP-RA is not more than 46 feet and the semitrailer is used
primarily in connection with motorsports.
SB 1174 further required Caltrans to conduct field tests of
these motorsport truck tractor-semitrailer combinations, and
then by January 1, 2014, report to the Legislature on results of
the tests and make recommendations, as to whether legislation
should reauthorize the 56-foot trailer length. Caltrans issued
this report on March 27 of this year.
The Caltrans report presented the results of field tests that
involved driving a truck-semitrailer combination with a 56-foot
semitrailer length and a 46 foot KP-RA on roads leading to the
Sonoma and Pomona raceways, referred to as transition routes as
they serve as the transition from the interstate freeway to the
racetrack. The report indicated that the vehicles remained in
their lanes on the straight sections of roads, but sometimes
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traveled into other lanes on freeway on/off ramps or when making
turns. Because of the danger of a vehicle crossing into an
adjacent lane, Caltrans, after consulting with CHP, recommended
in the report that the Legislature only reauthorize the length
exemption for motorsport truck-semitrailers, following
completion of the following tasks:
Field test all transition routes from freeways to race tracks .
Noting that California has 16 sanctioned race tracks with
authorized routes allowing access for motorsport trucks from
the interstate, Caltrans recommends that sufficient time and
resources be provided to test all of these to ascertain if
these longer trailers can travel safely on the transition
routes before authorizing these vehicles on them without the
need for a permit.
Make the needed roadway improvements identified in the field
tests . Based on the field tests Caltrans has already
conducted, the needed improvements on transition routes appear
to be limited to restriping of roads to widen lanes or combine
double turn lanes into single, wider lanes to accommodate the
greater turning radii of the motorsport vehicles.
Develop new transition routes . Caltrans notes that it
established the existing transition routes based on records
from the 1990s, so there is a need to update these to reflect
road projects since then and should do so every five years.
Proponents of this bill argue that motorsport racing events are
a significant economic generators in the state, creating and
sustaining thousands of jobs in the racing and manufacturing
industries, and causing millions of dollars to be spent in the
state's economy. The author notes that for years these
nationwide organizations have used 56-foot racing trailers to
transport their cars and equipment around the country. These
trailers best serve the needs of racing teams and eliminate the
need for them to add more vehicles and pollution to the state's
highways and roads.
The author asserts that every other state that hosts racing
events provides these longer motorsports trailers an exemption,
a permitting process, or a withholding of enforcement so they
can operate within the state's jurisdiction. The author states
that failure to extend the sunset date on the motorsport
exemption could result in racing organizations and teams pulling
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out of events in California to avoid the risk of these costly
regulations. This would have a negative impact on the current
economic recovery and would also result in revenue reductions to
the General Fund. Allowing the continued operation of these
semitrailers through 2018 would keep California in line with the
rest of the country and encourage racing teams and organizations
to continue bringing their business to California.
An example of locations where similar exemptions have applied
for over length trucks is on State Route (SR) 101, which has
historically contained a number of tight curves that were
difficult for long truck-trailer combinations to maneuver
without crossing the centerline of the highway into oncoming
traffic. While the curve correction projects were being
completed, the Legislature continuously authorized over length
cattle trailers to utilize the route, with certain restrictions,
including the requirement that CHP, in consultation with
Caltrans, conduct a comprehensive study of the effect of the
exemption and make a recommendation to the Governor and the
Legislature on whether the exemption should remain operative (SB
773, Wiggins, Chapter 440, Statutes of 2007). The studies
prepared by CHP for the cattle truck exemption on SR 101, while
it did note that allowing trucks to crossover into oncoming
lanes was inherently unsafe, did not identify any accidents that
occurred as a result of the exemption.
Suggested amendments : Since the studies conducted on transition
routes to two major raceways, showed that these longer trucks
present a safety hazard (crossing over into oncoming traffic);
efforts to protect public safety are needed. To ensure this,
the author has agreed to amend the bill to require the 56-foot
truck tractor semitrailer combinations, when traveling on
transition routes to and from a sanctioned motorsports events,
to obtain a special trip permit from Caltrans until field tests
are finalized and any projects identified in the field studies
are completed, making the route able safely accommodate the
passage of these longer trucks. If a field study for a given
transition route does not identify projects needed to allow the
vehicles to travel safely, then Caltrans' issued special trip
permits will not be needed on those particular transition
routes.
For the transition routes to the Pomona and Sonoma Raceways,
field tests have already been conducted and do not need to be
redone. However, since the field tests identified needed
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roadway improvements, special trip permits issued by Caltrans
for travel on these transition routes will be required until
such time as the project identified in the field tests are
completed.
The bill, as amended in the Senate, requires that the work
identified in the field studies for the Pomona and Sonoma
Raceways be completed by Caltrans on or before January 1, 2018.
While making these roadways safely accessible for these longer
trailers is important, it would be presumptuous to presuppose
that this work be prioritized over other safety projects that
may be contemplated by Caltrans. Further, existing law
prohibits the Legislature from enacting legislation containing
specific individual projects. Therefore, the author has agreed
to remove this provision from the bill.
Previous legislation : SB 1174 (Walters, Chapter 292, Statutes
of 2012) deleted the authority of Caltrans or a local government
to issue those permits. Instead, SB 1174 explicitly allows, on
specified federal and state routes and until January 1, 2016,
semitrailers of up to 56 feet in length, if the distance from
the KP-RA is not more than 46 feet and the semitrailer is used
primarily in connection with motorsports.
SB 773 (Wiggins), Chapter 440, Statutes of 2007, expanded the
exemption to length limitations, until January 1, 2012, for
livestock carriers to semi-trailers up to 43 provided the
semi-trailer does not exceed a total of 48 feet.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
National Hot Rod Association (sponsor)
Don Schumacher Racing
Professional Racers Owners Association
Sonoma Raceway
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Victoria Alvarez / TRANS. / (916) 319-
2093
SB 1175
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