September/October Changes to California Highways

Yup, a quiet weekend for a change. This, of course, meant that I had some time to work on the highway pages.

Processed backed up email changes, and based on my reading of the papers, some mailed in updates, and some updates from misc.transport.road, I updated information on the following routes, based on my research⁽¹⁾, and contributions of information on leads (via direct mail or Usenet) from Cameron Kaiser⁽²⁾, Chris Sampang⁽³⁾, terpsichoros⁽⁴⁾, Joel Windmiller⁽⁵⁾: Route 1⁽¹⁾, Route 21⁽⁴⁾, Route 77⁽⁴⁾, Route 82⁽³⁾, Route 85⁽¹⁾, Route 99⁽⁵⁾, Route 242⁽⁴⁾, US 395⁽²⁾, I-5⁽⁵⁾.

Updated the legislative information page. Noted the passage of the following:

• AB 1915 (Jeffries) Routes 49 and 74: relinquishment.
  This bill would authorize the commission to relinquish portions of Route 49 that are in the City of Auburn, in Placer County, and portions of Route 74 that are in the City of Lake Elsinore and the City of Perris, in Riverside County, to those cities under certain conditions.
  Chaptered September 30, 2008. Chapter 635

• AB 1954 (Jeffries) High-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes.
  This bill would authorize a value pricing and transit program involving HOT lanes to be developed and operated on Route 15 in Riverside County by the Riverside County Transportation Commission. The bill would require the Riverside County Transportation Commission and the Department of Transportation to implement the program pursuant to a cooperative agreement that addresses specified matters in connection with the program and to establish appropriate traffic flow guidelines, as specified. The bill would authorize the Riverside County Transportation Commission to impose tolls and issue revenue bonds for the HOT lane project, as specified. The bill would authorize toll revenues to be used for specified purposes related to the project and to Route 15. The bill would state that the commission is not entitled to compensation for the adverse effects on toll revenues due to construction of competing facilities by the department or local agencies.
  Chaptered September 27, 2008. Chapter 421

• AB 2211 (Karnette) State Highway Route 110.
  This bill would provide that Route 110 is from 9th Street in San Pedro to Glenarm Street in Pasadena and would provide for the relinquishment of a portion of Route 110 to the City of Los Angeles under specified conditions. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
  Chaptered September 30, 2008. Chapter 669.

• AB 2321 (Feuer) Transportation funding: County of Los Angeles.
  Existing law authorizes the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to impose, in addition to any other tax that it is authorized to impose, a transactions and use tax at the rate of 0.5% for 61/2 years or less, for the funding of specified transportation-related purposes designated as capital projects or capital programs. Existing law conditions the imposition of a tax under this authority upon voter approval as otherwise required by law. It also prohibits the MTA from incurring bonded indebtedness payable from the tax proceeds to fund those projects or programs or from substituting revenue from the tax proceeds for current funding commitments to the projects or programs. Existing law requires the MTA to prepare an expenditure plan prior to submitting the tax ordinance to voters, describing the projects and programs and their cost and funding sources. Existing law also creates the Capital Project Development Fund, into which the tax revenue is to be deposited, and makes those moneys available for expenditure by the MTA to fund the designated projects and programs. This bill would modify these provisions to require the MTA tax ordinance to specify that the tax is to be imposed for a period not to exceed 30 years, and to require the MTA to include specified projects and programs in its Long Range Transportation Plan. This bill would require the MTA to notify Members of the Legislature representing the County of Los Angeles of proposed amendments to the expenditure plan, as specified. This bill would also authorize the MTA to incur bonded indebtedness, as specified, and would make other related changes.
  Chaptered September 25, 2008. Chapter 302.

  The projects that would be funded by this include: (A) Capital Projects. (i) Exposition Boulevard Light Rail Transit Project from downtown Los Angeles to Santa Monica. $925,000,000. (ii) Crenshaw Transit Corridor from Wilshire Boulevard to Los Angeles International Airport along Crenshaw Boulevard. $235,500,000. (iii) San Fernando Valley North-South Rapidways. $100,500,000 (iv) Metro Gold Line (Pasadena to Claremont) Light Rail Transit Extension. $735,000,000. (v) Metro Regional Connector. $160,000,000. (vi) Metro Westside Subway Extension. $900,000,000. (vii) Route 5 Carmenita Road Interchange Improvement. $138,000,000. (viii) Route 5 Capacity Enhancement (Route 134 to Route 170, including access improvement for Empire Avenue). $271,500,000. (ix) Route 5 Capacity Enhancement (Route 605 to the Orange County line, including improvements to the Valley View Interchange). $264,800,000. (x) Route 5/Route 14 Capacity Enhancement. $90,800,000. (xi) Capital Project Contingency Fund. $173,000,000. (B) Capital Programs. (i) Alameda Corridor East Grade Separations. $200,000,000. (ii) MTA and Municipal Regional Clean Fuel Bus Capital (Facilities and Rolling Stock). $150,000,000. (iii) Countywide Soundwall Construction (MTA Regional List and Monterey Park/Route 60). $250,000,000. (iv) Local return for major street resurfacing, rehabilitation, and reconstruction. $250,000,000. (v) Metrolink Capital Improvements. $70,000,000. (vi) Eastside Light Rail Access. $30,000,000. In addition to the above, the adopted expenditure plan includes other high-priority projects and funding amounts for the region, including, but not limited to, the following projects: (1) Green Line Extension to the Los Angeles International Airport – two hundred million dollars (($200,000,000). (2) Interstate 710 North Gap Closure (tunnel) – seven hundred eighty million dollars ($780,000,000). (3) Gold Line Eastside Extension – one billion two hundred seventy-one million dollars ($1,271,000,000). (4) Interstate 605 Corridor “Hot Spot” Interchanges – five hundred ninety million dollars ($590,000,000).

  Note: This is Los Angeles County Measure R on the November 4, 2008 ballot.

• AB 2326 (Lieu) State Highway Routes 1 and 107: City of Torrance.
  This bill would provide for the relinquishment of certain portions of State Highway Routes 1 and 107 to the City of Torrance under specified conditions.
  Chaptered September 30, 2008. Chapter 639.

• AB 2750 (Krekorian) Music piracy; restitution.
  Existing law makes it a crime for a person to fail to disclose the origin of a recording or audiovisual work if the person advertises for sale or sells the work for commercial advantage or private financial gain, as specified. Existing law also makes it a crime to misappropriate recorded music for commercial advantage or private financial gain, as specified. Under existing law, it is also a crime for a person to transport any article containing sounds of a live performance or to record or master any article with the sounds of a live performance and with the intent to sell the article for commercial advantage or private financial gain with knowledge the sounds of the live performance were recorded or mastered without consent of the owner, as specified. Under existing law, in every case in which a victim has suffered economic loss as a result of the defendant’s conduct, the court is required to impose an order upon the defendant to make restitution to the victim or victims, as specified. This bill would instead require a person convicted of a violation of any of the above-mentioned crimes to make restitution, as specified, to the owner or lawful producer, or trade association acting on behalf of the owner or lawful producer, of the phonograph record, disc, wire, tape, film, or other device or article from which the sound or visual images were derived that suffered economic loss resulting from the violation.
  Chaptered September 27, 2008. Chapter 468.

• ACR 139 (Villines) The Kimberly Marie Hamilton Memorial Interchange
  Designates the Route 180 interchange at Fowler Avenue in the City of Fresno as the “Kimberly Marie Hamilton Memorial Interchange”.
  Chaptered September 5, 2008. Resolution Chapter 136.

• ACR 141 (La Malfa) CHP Officer Andrew “Andy” Stevens Memorial Highway
  Designates the section of Route 16 in Yolo County between County Road 98 and I-505 as the “CHP Officer Andrew “Andy” Stevens Memorial Highway”.
  Chaptered September 5, 2008. Resolution Chapter 137.

• ACR 144 (Anderson) Border Patrol Officer Neil Wilkie Hepburn Memorial Bridge.
  Designate the bridge on Route 52 that crosses over West Hills Parkway in Santee, California, as the “Border Patrol Officer Neil Wilkie Hepburn Memorial Bridge“.
  Chaptered September 5, 2008. Resolution Chapter 133.

• ACR 147 (Maze) Detective Kent Haws Memorial Highway and Senior Investigator Laura Jean Cleaves Memorial Junction.
  Designate the portion of Route 65 between Route 198 and Route 137 in Tulare County as the “Detective Kent Haws Memorial Highway and the intersection of Route 154 and Route 246 in Santa Barbara County as “Senior Investigator Laura Jean Cleaves Memorial Junction“
  Chaptered September 19, 2008. Resolution Chapter 161

• ACR 150 (La Malfa) Joan Bechtel Memorial Highway.
  Designate the Tudor Bypass segment of Route 99, from the intersection of Route 99 and Route 113 south to the intersection of Route 99 and Central Avenue, in Sutter County as the “Joan Bechtel Memorial Highway“.
  Chaptered September 19, 2008. Resolution Chapter 162.

• ACR 156 (Berryhill) The CDF Firefighter Eva Marie Schicke Memorial Highway.
  Designates the portion of Route 120 from the Mariposa/Tuolumne County line to the Rim of the World Vista as the “CDF Firefighter Eva Marie Schicke Memorial Highway“.
  Chaptered September 19, 2008. Resolution Chapter 166.

• SB 1366 (Negrete) McLeod State highway routes: relinquishments. .
  This bill would authorize the commission to relinquish to the City of Oxnard certain portions of Route 1, Route 34, and Route 232 that are located within the city limits of that city under specified conditions. The bill would also authorize the commission to relinquish to the City of Rialto that portion of Route 66 within its city limits under specified conditions. This bill would have incorporated additional changes to Sections 301 and 366 of the Streets and Highways Code, proposed by both this bill and SB 432, to be operative only if SB 432 and this bill are both enacted, each bill amends the respective sections, and this bill is enacted after SB 432 (but SB 432 was vetoed).
  Chaptered September 30, 2008. Chapter 717.

• SB 1455 (Cogdill) Vehicles: special license plates.
  Under existing law, the Department of Motor Vehicles issues environmental and other specialized license plates. The issuance of some of those license plates is subject to additional fees. Existing law prohibits the department from establishing a specialized license plate program for a state agency until the department has received not less than 7,500 applications for the plates. This bill would authorize the Department of Veterans Affairs to sponsor a Gold Star Family specialized license plate program and would waive the 7,500 minimum applications requirement. The bill would authorize a person who is an eligible family member, as defined, of a member of the Armed Forces who was killed in the line of duty, as specified, to apply for the specialized license plate. The bill would establish the Gold Star Family Specialized License Plate Account in the Specialized License Plate Fund. The bill would authorize the Department of Veterans Affairs to actively request and receive donations that would be deposited in the account and, upon appropriation by the Legislature, those moneys would be available to the Department of Motor Vehicles for the necessary administrative costs of establishing the Gold Star Family Specialized license plate program. The bill would exempt the participants in this program from the payment of additional specialized license plate fees for the issuance, renewal, of the plate. The bill would also specify the conditions pursuant to which a Gold Star Family Specialized license plate would be retired from use.
  Chaptered September 26, 2008. Chapter 309.

• SCR 132 (Perata) California Highway Patrol Officer Brent William Clearman Memorial Freeway.
  Designates the portion of I-880 in Alameda County between northbound mile marker 26.61 and southbound mile marker 27.63 as the “California Highway Patrol Officer Brent William Clearman Memorial Freeway“
  Chaptered September 9, 2008. Resolution Chapter 141.

The following bills were vetoed:

• AB 2295 (Arambula) Transportation capital improvement projects.
  Existing law generally provides for allocation of transportation capital improvement funds pursuant to the State Transportation Improvement Program process. Existing law provides for 75% of funds available for transportation capital improvement projects to be made available for regional projects, and 25% for interregional projects. Existing law describes the types of projects that may be funded with the regional share of funds, and includes local road projects as a category of eligible projects. This bill would state that local road rehabilitation projects are eligible for these funds.
  Vetoed by Governor. 09/28/2008

• AB 2617 (Duvall) Highways: high-occupancy vehicle lanes.
  Existing law authorizes the establishment of high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes for the exclusive or preferential use of high-occupancy vehicles, as prescribed. Existing law also authorizes the operation of a motorcycle upon those exclusive or preferential use lanes unless specifically prohibited by a traffic control device. This bill would require the Department of Transportation or the local authority, where a motorcycle is permitted upon an exclusive or preferential use lane, to ensure that signs advertising such use are in place along the HOV lanes of the highways under their respective jurisdictions, to place and maintain these signs, as specified, and to comply with these requirements through the placement of signs or decals on existing signs or posts, as appropriate.
  Vetoed by Governor. 9/27/2008

• SB 432 (Lowenthal). Transportation.
  (1) This bill would require the Caltrans to periodically update and make a draft of its proposed California Transportation Plan available to specified entities. The bill would also authorize a designee of the Governor to adopt the plan and submit it to the Legislature and the Secretary of the United States Department of Transportation. (2) This bill would revise certain state highway route descriptions to reflect relinquishments to various cities that have been completed. The bill would also describe Route 275 and would make technical corrections to the descriptions of other state highway routes. (3) This bill would require that at an intersection at which there is an automated enforcement system in operation, the minimum yellow light change interval would be established in accordance with the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. (4) This bill would substitute the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for the federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices or a Department of Transportation approved supplement to that manual as the source defining a sign or signal as regulatory. (5) Existing law requires that vehicles be driven on the right half of the roadway, subject to specified exceptions, and states that this provision does not prohibit bicycles from being operated on any shoulder of a highway, unless that operation is otherwise prohibited by the Vehicle Code or local ordinance. This bill would further specify that the requirement that vehicles be driven on the right half of the roadway does not prohibit bicycles from being operated on a sidewalk, on a bicycle path within a highway, or along a crosswalk or bicycle path crossing. The bill would also define the terms “bicycle path,” “bike path,” and “bicycle path crossing” for purposes of the Vehicle Code. (6) Existing law authorizes a vehicle equipped with a special license plate, placard, or temporary placard indicating the person is a disabled person, disabled veteran, or an organization or agency involved in the transportation of disabled persons or disabled veterans, as specified, to exercise certain parking privileges, including parking or leaving standing a vehicle in a stall or parking place designated for a disabled person or disabled veteran. Existing law requires these spaces to be distinguished by signs and markings placed pursuant to certain specifications, including signs indicating a minimum fine of $250 for unauthorized parking in those spaces. This bill would revise the provisions relating to those signs to delete certain language. (7) Under existing law, it is unlawful for a person to park or leave standing a vehicle in a stall or parking place designated for a disabled person or disabled veteran, unless the vehicle displays a special license plate or placard, as specified. Existing law requires certain parking facilities under the jurisdiction or control of state agencies to reserve stalls or parking places for the exclusive use of a vehicle that displays the special license plate or placard. This bill would also specify that it is unlawful for a person to park or leave standing a vehicle in a stall or space designated for disabled persons or disabled veterans in a state parking facility, unless the vehicle displays the special license plate or placard. (8) Existing law requires the governing body of a jurisdiction that issues parking violation notices to establish a schedule of parking penalties for parking violations and late payment penalties to be collected as civil penalties. This bill would specify minimum and maximum amounts for the civil penalties to be established for unlawfully parking or leaving standing a vehicle in a stall or parking place designated for a disabled person or disabled veteran. The bill would authorize an agency issuing a notice of the violation to suspend the imposition of the penalty in specified circumstances. Because this bill would place additional duties on local agencies by requiring a governing body to establish and administer the specified minimum civil penalty, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (9) The bill would make other technical nonsubstantive changes and would delete certain obsolete language. (10) This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 301 of the Streets and Highways Code, proposed by both this bill and SB 1366, to be operative only if SB 1366 and this bill are both enacted, each bill amends that section, and this bill is enacted after SB 1366.
  Vetoed by Governor. 9/30/2008

Reviewed the August and September CTC Summary and Web Books. I noted the following items for inclusion:

• 2.1a. Program Amendments/Project Approvals – STIP Amendments for Action

  (1/September) The Department, in conjunction with the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), proposes to amend the STIP to split the Route 74 widening project (PPNO 4110) into two segments.

  (3/September) The Department, in conjunction with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA), proposes to amend TCRP Project #42 (Route 5; widen Santa Ana Freeway to 10 lanes, Orange County line to Route 605 in Los Angeles County) to update the project funding plan to be consistent with the approved CMIA baseline agreement.

• 2.1b. Program Amendments/Project Approvals – STIP Amendments for Notice

  (August) The Department, in conjunction with the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), proposes to amend the STIP to split the Route 74 widening project (PPNO 4110) into two segments. Information only. To return in September for adoption.

• 2.1c. Traffic Congestion Relief (TCR)Program Application Approvals/Amendments

  (1/September) The Department, in conjunction with the LACMTA, proposes to amend the CMIA Project Baseline Agreement for the Route 405 Northbound High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane project, Route 10 to Route 101 in Los Angeles County (PPNO 0851G and TCRP Project #39) to revise the definitions of PS&E and Construction phases for the purposes of the design–build contract, designate LACMTA as co-applicant, redistribute TCRP funds between phases, and document the commitment of $48,000,000 in LACMTA alternate funding to temporarily backfill TCRP funds that are unavailable in FY 2008-09.

• 2.2c. Environmental Matters – Approval of Projects for Future Consideration of Funding, Route Adoption or New Public Road

  (1/August) I-5 In Los Angeles to Orange County – Construct new mixed flow and high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes from Route 91 in Orange County through the I-5/I-605 Interchange in Los Angeles County. Removed from Consent Calendar for discussion. After brief discussion about project funding, the resolution, findings, and statement of overriding consideration were approved, as modified.

  (1/September) Route 405 in Los Angeles County – Northbound Route 101 Connector Improvement project to replace the existing connector by constructing a new bridge over the Sepulveda Dam. (MND)

  (2/September) Route 50 in El Dorado County – Construct carpool lanes from the El Dorado County line to Ponderosa Road programmed in the CMIA Program. (ND)

  (3/September) Route 50 in El Dorado County – Reconstruct the El Dorado Hills Boulevard-Latrobe Road Interchange project programmed in the CMIA Program. (FEIR)

• 2.3c. Relinquishment Resolutions

  (August) 2-Teh-5-PM R27.5 Right of Way on Route 5 in the county of Tehama near the city of Red Bluff at Adobe Road, consisting of a relocated and reconstructed county road.. Approved.

  (August) 3-Sac-16-PM R11.4/19.5 Right of Way on Route 16 in the county of Sacramento near Sloughhouse, from 100 feet west of Sunrise Boulevard to 300 feet east of Murieta Parkway, consisting of reconstructed county road connections.. Approved.

• 2.3d. Vacation Resolutions

  (August) 2-Teh-36-PM 99.7/99.9 Right of Way on Route 36 in the county of Tehama near the junction of Route 32, between 0.1 and 0.3 miles northwest of the intersection with State Route 32, consisting of highway right of way no longer needed for State highway purposes.

  (August) 3-Sac-16-PM R16.7/R16.9 Right of Way on Route 16 in the county of Sacramento near Sloughhouse, between 0.1 miles west and 0.2 miles east of the intersection with Latrobe Road, consisting of highway right of way no longer needed for State highway purposes.. Approved.

• 2.5g. State-administered STIP Transportation Enhancement Projects — Financial Allocation

  (1a/September) $750,000,000 for two locally-administered CMIA projects, as follows:
  — $20,000,000 for one project on Route 50 in El Dorado Hills from El Dorado Hills Boulevard to Bass Lake Road. Contributions from other sources: $17,808,000.
  — $730,000,000 for one project on Route 405 in the city of Los Angeles, from Route 10 to Route 101. Contributions from other sources: $72,000,000. Contingent upon passage of the FY 2008-09 Budget Act.

  (1b/September) $48,200,000 for one State administered multi-program CMIA ($41,700,000)/STIP ($6,500,000) project on Route 101 in Rohnert Park from south of Wilfred Avenue to Santa Rosa Avenue. Contributions from other sources: $15,070,000. Contingent upon passage of the FY 2008-09 Budget Act.