BILL ANALYSIS �
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Kevin de Le�n, Chair
SB 1368 (Wolk) - State highways: relinquishment of park-and-ride
lots.
Amended: As Introduced Policy Vote: T&H 11-0
Urgency: No Mandate: No
Hearing Date: May 23, 2014 Consultant: Mark McKenzie
SUSPENSE FILE.
Bill Summary: SB 1368 would authorize the California
Transportation Commission (CTC) to relinquish a park-n-ride lot
to a joint powers authority (JPA) that is formed to provide
transportation services.
Fiscal Impact: Potential one-time costs of over $150,000 to the
Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to relinquish each
park-and-ride lot, depending on the terms of the relinquishment
agreement. (State Highway Account)
Ongoing savings to Caltrans from reduced maintenance and
rehabilitation costs for relinquished park-and-ride lots. (State
Highway Account)
Background: The Legislature has provided statutory authorization
to CTC to relinquish a number of state highway segments to local
jurisdictions under specified conditions. Relinquishment
provides the recipient agency with greater control over local
transportation projects and relieves Caltrans of any further
responsibility to improve, maintain, or repair infrastructure
related to the relinquished segment of state highway.
Generally, relinquishments are subject to terms and conditions
of agreements between Caltrans and a local jurisdiction seeking
control of a local highway segment. CTC must determine that the
agreement for relinquishment, which typically involves a
one-time payment of State Highway Account funds to the local
entity, is in the best interests of the state. Some agreements
for relinquishments are negotiated at no costs to the state.
Existing law, SB 415 (Price), Chap. 353/2012, authorizes the CTC
to relinquish a park-and-ride lot to a county transportation
commission or a regional transportation planning agency (RTPA)
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on terms and conditions that CTC finds to be in the best
interests of the state. Caltrans and the local transportation
entity must enter into an agreement providing for that
relinquishment, including a requirement that the local entity
maintain an equal or greater number of parking spaces in the
lot.
Caltrans has relinquished park-and-ride lots to cities and
counties pursuant to statutory authority provided in Streets and
Highways Code Section 73. The authority to relinquish these
facilities to RTPAs or county transportation commissions, as
authorized by SB 415, has not been exercised to date.
Proposed Law: SB 1368 would authorize CTC to relinquish a
park-and-ride lot to a JPA formed for purposes of providing
transportation services in the same manner authorized under
current law for relinquishing those facilities to a county
transportation commission or RTPA.
Staff Comments: This bill is intended to allow the Solano County
Transit (SolTrans) Joint Powers Authority to take ownership of a
park-and-ride lot facility known as the Curtola Park-and-Ride
Lot that is located within state highway right-of-way. Soltrans
is a JPA comprised of the City of Benicia, the City of Vallejo,
and the Solano Transportation Authority that provides unified
public transit services in the southern Solano County cities of
Benicia and Vallejo. Soltrans would like to assume ownership of
the lot to increase parking supply, improve transit operations,
facilitate carpools, modernize on-site amenities, and serve a
transit hub to nearby facilities such as the Vallejo Transit
Center and the Vallejo Ferry Terminal. Caltrans has been
engaged in ongoing dialogue with SolTrans, the City of Vallejo,
and the Solano County Transit Authority regarding planned
improvements to the Curtola Park-and-Ride Lot.
Caltrans indicates that local jurisdictions frequently seek
concessions-typically future maintenance funds as well as
upfront rehabilitation from the department-as part of
relinquishment agreements. Depending on the outcome of
negotiations between Caltrans and transportation JPAs, the
number of lots proposed for relinquishment, and the condition of
those lots, potential one-time special fund costs could exceed
$150,000. Any upfront costs would be offset in future years by
ongoing savings related to avoided maintenance and
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rehabilitation costs.
Current federal regulations do not allow for the relinquishment
of park-and-ride facilities procured with federal funds.