Bill Text: CA AB2599 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: High-occupancy vehicle lanes: County of Riverside.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2022-08-11 - In committee: Held under submission. [AB2599 Detail]

Download: California-2021-AB2599-Amended.html

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Amended  IN  Assembly  March 10, 2022

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 2599

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Introduced by Assembly Member Cervantes

February 18, 2022

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An act to amend and repeal Section 1978 149.2 of the Streets and Highways Code, and to add Section 21655.4 to the Vehicle Code, relating to streets and highways.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 2599, as amended, Cervantes. Courtesy signs: state or county highways. High-occupancy vehicle lanes: County of Riverside.

Existing law authorizes the Department of Transportation to designate certain lanes for the exclusive or preferential use of high-occupancy vehicles. When those exclusive or preferential use lanes are established and double parallel solid lines are in place to the right thereof, existing law prohibits any person driving a vehicle from crossing over those double lines to enter into or exit from the lanes, and entrance into or exit from those lanes is authorized only in areas designated for these purposes or where a single broken line is in place to the right of the lanes, except as specified. Existing law authorizes a regional transportation agency, in cooperation with the Department of Transportation, to apply to the California Transportation Commission to develop and operate high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes, including administration and operation of a value pricing program and exclusive or preferential lane facilities for public transit. Existing law authorizes a value pricing and transit program involving HOT lanes to be developed and operated on State Highway Route 15 in the County of Riverside by the Riverside County Transportation Commission.

This bill would prohibit all high-occupancy vehicle lanes in the County of Riverside, except for HOT lanes, from using double parallel solid lines to restrict the entrance into or exit from those lanes, and would require any existing double parallel solid lines to be removed. The bill would require the department to replace the removed double parallel solid lines of a high-occupancy vehicle lane with the appropriate markings and signage, as specified in the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.

Existing law requires the Department of Transportation to report to the transportation policy committees of the Legislature, on or before January 1, 2020, on the feasibility and appropriateness of limiting the use of high-occupancy vehicle lanes to high-occupancy vehicles and eligible vehicles, as defined, only during the hours of heavy commuter traffic on both State Route 91 between Interstate 15 and Interstate 215 in the County of Riverside, and State Route 60 in the County of Riverside.

In addition to that report, this bill would require the department to report on that topic again by January 1, 2024.

This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of Riverside.

Existing law authorizes county officials, with respect to any state or county highway within their respective jurisdictions and upon a resolution adopted by the respective county board of supervisors, to place and maintain, or cause to be placed and maintained, at or near the county line and at county expense, signs stating, or to add to their existing signs, the statement “Where We Honor Veterans.” Existing law requires the approval of the Department of Transportation if those signs are on a state highway.

This bill would make a nonsubstantive change to that approval requirement.

Digest Key

Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: NOYES   Local Program: NO  

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Bill Text

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

SECTION 1.

 Section 149.2 of the Streets and Highways Code is amended to read:

149.2.

 (a) (1) The department shall report to the transportation policy committees of the Legislature, in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code, on or before January 1, 2020, on the feasibility and appropriateness of limiting the use of high-occupancy vehicle lanes to high-occupancy vehicles and eligible vehicles only during the hours of heavy commuter traffic on both State Route 91 between Interstate 15 and Interstate 215 in the County of Riverside, and State Route 60 in the County of Riverside.

(2) In addition to the report required pursuant to paragraph (1), the department shall report to the transportation policy committees of the Legislature, in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code, on or before January 1, 2024, on the feasibility and appropriateness of limiting the use of high-occupancy vehicle lanes to high-occupancy vehicles and eligible vehicles only during the hours of heavy commuter traffic on both State Route 91 between Interstate 15 and Interstate 215 in the County of Riverside, and State Route 60 in the County of Riverside.

(b) For purposes of this section, “eligible vehicle” means a vehicle listed by the State Air Resources Board as eligible for a Clean Air Vehicle decal.

(c) The requirement for submitting a report imposed under subdivision (a) is inoperative on January 1, 2024, pursuant Pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code. Code, this section is repealed on January 1, 2028.

SEC. 2.

 Section 21655.4 is added to the Vehicle Code, to read:

21655.4.

 All high-occupancy vehicle lanes in the County of Riverside, except for high-occupancy toll lanes established pursuant to Section 149.7 or 149.8 of the Streets and Highways Code, shall not use double parallel solid lines to restrict the entrance into or exit from those lanes, and any existing double parallel solid lines shall be removed. The department shall replace the removed double parallel solid lines of a high-occupancy vehicle lane with the appropriate markings and signage, as specified in the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.

SEC. 3.

 The Legislature finds and declares that a special statute is necessary and that a general statute cannot be made applicable within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California Constitution because of the unique traffic circumstances in the County of Riverside.

SECTION 1.Section 1978 of the Streets and Highways Code is amended to read:

1978.

(a)County officials, with respect to any state or county highway within their respective jurisdictions and upon a resolution adopted by the respective county board of supervisors, may place and maintain, or cause to be placed and maintained, at or near the county line and at county expense, signs stating or adding to their existing signs the following statement: “Where We Honor Veterans.”

(b)Signs or additions to signs described in subdivision (a) that are on a state highway shall only be placed or added to upon the approval of the department.