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 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.

This bill would prohibit, commencing July 1, 2016, any high-occupancy vehicle lane from being established on specified portions of state highway routes in the County of Los Angeles, unless that lane is established as a high-occupancy vehicle lane only during the hours of heavy commuter traffic, as determined by the department. The bill would require any existing high-occupancy vehicle lane established on the specified portions of these routes to be modified to conform with those requirements. The bill would authorize the department, on or after May 1, 2017, to reinstate 24-hour high-occupancy vehicle lanes on the specified portions of these routes if the department makes a specified determination, and would authorize the department to report to the Legislature, on the impact on traffic of limiting the use of high-occupancy lanes only during the hours of heavy commuter traffic, as provided in the bill.

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 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.

This bill would prohibit, commencing July 1, 2016, any high-occupancy vehicle lane from being established on specified portions of state highway routes in the County of Los Angeles, unless that lane is established as a high-occupancy vehicle lane only during the hours of heavy commuter traffic, as determined by the department. The bill would require any existing high-occupancy vehicle lane established on the specified portions of these routes to be modified to conform with those requirements. The bill would authorize the department, on or after May 1, 2017, to reinstate 24-hour high-occupancy vehicle lanes on the specified portions of these routes if the department makes a specified determination and would require the department to report to the Legislature on the impact on traffic of limiting the use of high-occupancy lanes only during the hours of heavy commuter traffic, as provided in the bill.

GOVERNOR'S VETO

GV Bill Id:AB 210

Author:(Gatto)

As Enrolled Ver:September 9, 2015

2/3 vote

SUMMARY: Requires the conversion of high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes on State Route (SR) 134 and SR 210 from full-time to part-time operation. Specifically, this bill:

1. Prohibits, notwithstanding any other law [except if the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) makes a specific determination, described below], an HOV lane from being established on SR 134 between SR 170 and SR 210, or on SR 210 between SR 134 and SR 57 unless the HOV lane is established on a part-time basis.

2. Requires any existing HOV lanes on these routes also to be converted to part-time operation.

3. Requires Caltrans to report to the Legislature by January 1, 2018, on the impact to traffic by converting these HOV lane segments to part-time operation.

4. Provides that, on or after May 1, 2017, if Caltrans determines that part-time operation of these lanes has resulted in an adverse impact on safety, traffic conditions, or the environment, it may notify the Assembly Transportation Committee and the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee of its intent to reinstate the lanes to 24-hour operation; thereafter, specifically authorizes Caltrans to reinstate full-time operation of the HOV lanes.

5. Encourages Caltrans to introduce part-time operations on other HOV lanes in Los Angeles County.

6. Makes provisions requiring the conversion of specific routes to part-time HOV operation operative on July 1, 2016, and repeals these same provisions 60 days after Caltrans notifies the Legislature of its intent to reinstate the lanes to 24-hour operation; requires Caltrans to post the date that the Legislature receives the notice on the Caltrans Web site.

FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, one-time special fund costs to Caltrans of around $482,000 for sign replacement – 35 overhead signs at $10,000 each and 132 ground- or barrier-mounted signs at $1,000 each. Similar costs would be incurred if the HOV lanes had to be reverted back to full-time operation. Costs for the legislative report are minor and absorbable [State Highway Account].

COMMENTS: The primary purpose of an HOV lane is to increase the total number of people moved through a congested corridor by offering two kinds of incentives: a savings in travel time and a reliable and predictable travel time. Because HOV lanes carry vehicles with a higher number of occupants, they may move significantly more people during congested periods, even when the number of vehicles that use the HOV lane is lower than on the adjoining general-purpose lanes.

State and regional transportation agencies are required to ensure that federally supported highway and transit projects do not cause new air quality violations, worsen existing violations, or delay timely attainment of air quality standards. Consequently, when transportation agencies identify a need to add highway capacity, their options are limited. They often rely on the addition of HOV lanes, which are generally considered a viable solution to adding highway capacity in nonattainment areas – i.e., where air quality is worse than the national ambient air quality standards.

In Northern California, HOV lanes are only operational Monday through Friday during posted peak congestion hours, for example between 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. All other vehicles may use the lanes during off-peak hours. This is referred to as "part-time" operation.

In Southern California, HOV lanes are generally separated from other lanes by a buffer zone. HOV lanes are in effect 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – referred to as "full-time" operation. (SR 14 is an exception. Previous legislation (AB 1871 (Runner), Chapter 337, Statutes of 2000) created a demonstration project to evaluate part-time use of the HOV lanes on SR 14. Caltrans continues to operate part-time HOV lanes on a portion of SR 14.)

The operational practices vary differently between northern California versus southern California because of traffic volumes and commuter patterns in the two regions. Northern California highways usually experience two weekday congestion periods during peak morning and afternoon commute hours, followed by a long period of non-congestion. Full-time operation would leave the HOV lane relatively unoccupied during off-peak hours and would not constitute an efficient use of the roadway. Southern California normally experiences very long hours of congestion, typically between six to eleven hours per day, with short off-peak traffic hours. Part-time operation under these conditions is generally considered infeasible.

HOV lanes work best where significant roadway congestion during peak periods occurs. (Optimum HOV lane usage is generally considered to be about 1,650 vehicles per hour. In contrast, mixed-flow lanes are generally expected optimally to carry between 1,800 and 2,000 vehicles per hour.) Experience with HOV lanes from around the country has shown a positive relationship between ridership and travel time savings, suggesting that, as congestion grows, the travelers' willingness to carpool or ride on a bus that uses an HOV lane also grows.

Caltrans reports annually on the use of its HOV system. In its 2014 HOV report, Caltrans reported that the average peak-hour volume in the SR 134 HOV lane was 1,157 vehicles, notably below the optimum volume of 1,650 vehicles per hour. In the SR 210 HOV lane, Caltrans reported the average peak-hour usage at 1,281 vehicles. Data for both highways indicate that the HOV lane usage drops substantially after the 6 p.m. hour.

The author introduced this bill because "motorists who do not qualify for the carpool lane are frequently caught in bumper-to-bumper traffic at odd hours of the night while carpool lanes may be underutilized. This bill would offer an opportunity for flexibility, especially in areas where people drive the freeways at all hours of the day."

GOVERNOR'S VETO MESSAGE:

The bill limits the 24/7 carpool lane controls on specified segments of the 134 and 210 freeways in Los Angeles to the hours of heavy commuter traffic.

I vetoed a nearly identical bill last session. I continue to believe that carpool lanes are especially important in Los Angeles County to reduce pollution and maximize the use of freeways. Therefore, we should continue to retain the current 24/7 carpool lane control.

Analysis Prepared by: Janet Dawson / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093 FN: 0002455

 THIRD READING  

Bill No: AB 210

Author: Gatto (D)

Introduced: 2/2/15

Vote: 21

SENATE TRANS. & HOUSING COMMITTEE: 11-0, 6/23/15

AYES: Beall, Cannella, Allen, Bates, Gaines, Galgiani, Leyva, McGuire, Mendoza, Roth, Wieckowski

SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: 7-0, 8/27/15

AYES: Lara, Bates, Beall, Hill, Leyva, Mendoza, Nielsen

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 77-1, 6/1/15 - See last page for vote

SUBJECT: High-occupancy vehicle lanes: County of Los Angeles

SOURCE: Author

DIGEST: This bill restricts the hours of operation of high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes on State Route (SR) 134 and SR 210 in Los Angeles County.

ANALYSIS: Existing law permits the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) or local transportation agencies to designate particular segments of highway lanes as exclusive or preferential lanes for HOVs (HOV lanes), granting access only to vehicles with more than one occupant. Prior to establishing an HOV lane, existing law requires Caltrans or the local transportation agency to complete a traffic engineering assessment of the proposed HOV lane on safety, congestion, and highway capacity. In some instances HOV lanes are only restricted to HOVs at certain specified times of day when congestion is generally heaviest, and available to any vehicle during less-congested times. In other instances, HOV lanes are restricted to HOVs all hours of the day regardless of congestion levels.

This bill:

1. Restricts, as of July 1, 2016, the hours of operation of any HOV lanes on SR 134 between SR 170 and SR 210 and HOV lanes on SR 210 between SR 134 and SR 57 in Los Angeles County to the times of day with heavy commuter traffic, as determined by Caltrans.

2. Requires Caltrans to report to the Legislature on the traffic impact of limiting operations of these HOV lanes by January 1, 2018.

3. Allows Caltrans to reinstate 24-hour HOV lanes on or after May 1, 2017, if Caltrans determines that restricting the hours of operation has created an adverse impact on safety, congestion, or the environment and submits a notice of such determination to the Legislature.

Comments

Purpose. According to the author, the 24-hour HOV lane restrictions in Southern California lead to motorists frequently being caught in bumper-to-bumper congestion at odd hours of the night while the HOV lane remains empty. The author contends that this bill resolves this issue on SR 134 and SR 210 by mandating that Caltrans only restrict access to the HOV lanes on these highways during the most congested times of day, as determined by Caltrans.

Potentially concerning precedent. Environmental advocates claim that HOV lanes are a proven way to encourage carpooling, reduce congestion, and manage traffic without adding new general-purpose lanes. HOV lanes can be challenging to implement, however, due to general assumptions made by the affected public that they provide little benefit to average drivers and do not relieve congestion. Advocates for HOV lanes suggest that, due to their complicated and controversial nature, changes to HOV lane restrictions such as operational periods and occupancy requirements should be based upon detailed technical analyses conducted by traffic operations experts and not driven by general assumptions or anecdotal experience. Some are concerned about the precedent this bill would set for the Legislature to make decisions involving HOV lanes without basing those decisions on sound traffic engineering studies.

Prior Legislation

Last session, the Legislature passed AB 405 (Gatto, 2014), a bill identical to AB 210 except for the specified dates. AB 405 received only two “NO” votes on both the Assembly and Senate Floors. Governor Brown vetoed the bill stating, “Carpool lanes are especially important in Los Angeles County to reduce pollution and maximize use of freeways. We should retain the current 24/7 carpool lane control.”

Further, in 2012 the Legislature passed and sent to Governor Brown AB 2200 (Ma), which suspended the HOV lane on eastbound Interstate 80 in the San Francisco Bay Area during the morning commute. That bill was also vetoed by Governor Brown. In his veto message, the Governor stated, “Encouraging carpooling is important to reduce pollution and make more efficient use of our highways. This bill goes in a wrong direction.”

FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes Local: No

According to Senate Appropriations Committee:

• One-time Caltrans costs of approximately $500,000 in 2015-16 to replace HOV lane signage to indicate limited hours of operation (State Highway Account).
  
  

• Potential future one-time costs of $500,000 for signage replacement to the extent that the lanes are converted back to full-time operation following a Caltrans determination that part-time operation had specified adverse impacts (State Highway Account).
  
  

• Minor and absorbable one-time costs in 2017-18 for Caltrans to report on the impact of limiting HOV lane use to periods of heavy commuter traffic (State Highway Account).

SUPPORT: (Verified 8/27/15)

None received

OPPOSITION: (Verified 8/27/15)

None received

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 77-1, 6/1/15

AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Travis Allen, Baker, Bigelow, Bloom, Bonilla, Bonta, Brough, Brown, Burke, Calderon, Campos, Chang, Chau, Chávez, Chiu, Chu, Cooley, Cooper, Dababneh, Dahle, Daly, Dodd, Frazier, Beth Gaines, Gallagher, Cristina Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gatto, Gipson, Gomez, Gonzalez, Gray, Grove, Hadley, Harper, Roger Hernández, Holden, Irwin, Jones, Jones-Sawyer, Kim, Lackey, Levine, Linder, Low, Maienschein, Mathis, Mayes, McCarty, Medina, Melendez, Mullin, Nazarian, Obernolte, O'Donnell, Olsen, Patterson, Perea, Quirk, Rendon, Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez, Salas, Santiago, Steinorth, Mark Stone, Thurmond, Ting, Wagner, Waldron, Weber, Wilk, Williams, Wood, Atkins

NOES: Lopez

NO VOTE RECORDED: Eggman, Gordon

Prepared by: Eric Thronson / T. & H. / (916) 651-4121

8/30/15 19:42:01

**** END ****

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND HOUSING

Senator Jim Beall, Chair

2015 - 2016 Regular

Bill No: AB 210 Hearing Date: 6/23/2015

SUBJECT: High-occupancy vehicle lanes: County of Los Angeles

DIGEST: This bill restricts the hours of operation of high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes on State Route (SR) 134 and SR 210 in Los Angeles County.

ANALYSIS:

Existing law permits the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) or local transportation agencies to designate particular segments of highway lanes as exclusive or preferential lanes for HOVs (HOV lanes), granting access only to vehicles with more than one occupant. Prior to establishing an HOV lane, existing law requires Caltrans or the local transportation agency to complete a traffic engineering assessment of the proposed HOV lane on safety, congestion, and highway capacity.

In some instances HOV lanes are only restricted to high-occupancy vehicles at certain specified times of day when congestion is generally heaviest, and available to any vehicle during less-congested times. In other instances, HOV lanes are restricted to high-occupancy vehicles all hours of the day regardless of congestion levels.

This bill:

1. As of July 1, 2016, restricts the hours of operation of any HOV lanes on SR 134 between SR 170 and SR 210 and HOV lanes on SR 210 between SR 134 and SR 57 in Los Angeles County to the times of day with heavy commuter traffic, as determined by Caltrans.

2. Requires Caltrans to report to the Legislature on the traffic impact of limiting operations of these HOV lanes by January 1, 2018.

3. Allows Caltrans to reinstate 24-hour HOV lanes on or after May 1, 2017, if Caltrans determines that restricting the hours of operation has created an adverse impact on safety, congestion, or the environment and submits a notice of such determination to the Legislature.

COMMENTS:

1. Purpose. According to the author, the 24-hour HOV lane restrictions in Southern California lead to motorists frequently being caught in bumper-to-bumper congestion at odd hours of the night while the HOV lane remains empty. The author contends that this bill resolves this issue on SR 134 and SR 210 by mandating that Caltrans only restrict access to the HOV lanes on these highways during the most congested times of day, as determined by Caltrans.

2. Potentially concerning precedent. Environmental advocates claim that HOV lanes are a proven way to encourage carpooling, reduce congestion, and manage traffic without adding new general-purpose lanes. HOV lanes can be challenging to implement, however, due to general assumptions made by the affected public that they provide little benefit to average drivers and do not relieve congestion. Advocates for HOV lanes suggest that, due to their complicated and controversial nature, changes to HOV lane restrictions such as operational periods and occupancy requirements should be based upon detailed technical analyses conducted by traffic operations experts and not driven by general assumptions or anecdotal experience. Some are concerned about the precedent this bill would set for the Legislature to make decisions involving HOV lanes without basing those decisions on sound traffic engineering studies.

3. Previously vetoed legislation. Last session, the Legislature passed AB 405 (Gatto), a bill identical to AB 210 except for the specified dates. AB 405 received only two “NO” votes on both the Assembly and Senate Floors. Governor Brown vetoed the bill stating, "Carpool lanes are especially important in Los Angeles County to reduce pollution and maximize use of freeways. We should retain the current 24/7 carpool lane control."

Further, in 2012 the Legislature passed and sent to Governor Brown AB 2200 (Ma), which suspended the HOV lane on eastbound Interstate 80 in the San Francisco Bay Area during the morning commute. That bill was also vetoed by Governor Brown. In his veto message, the governor stated, "Encouraging carpooling is important to reduce pollution and make more efficient use of our highways. This bill goes in a wrong direction."

In light of Governor Brown’s apparent feeling about bills of this nature, the committee may wish to consider why this bill may enjoy a different fate from last year’s effort.

Related Legislation:

AB 2200 (Ma, Statutes of 2012) — suspended the HOV lane on eastbound Interstate 80 in the San Francisco Bay Area during the morning commute. That bill was vetoed.

AB 405 (Gatto, Statutes of 2013) — a bill identical to AB 210 except for the specified dates. That bill was vetoed.

Assembly Votes:

Floor: 77-1

Appr: 16-0

Trans: 15-0

FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes Local: No

POSITIONS: (Communicated to the committee before noon on Wednesday,

June 17, 2015.)

SUPPORT:

None received

OPPOSITION:

None received

-- END --

SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair

2015 - 2016 Regular Session

AB 210 (Gatto) - High-occupancy vehicle lanes: County of Los Angeles

This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File.

Bill Summary:

AB 210 would prohibit the establishment or continued operation of high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes on specified segments of state highway route (SR) 134 and SR 210 in Los Angeles County, unless the hours of operation are restricted to hours of heavy commuter traffic.

Fiscal Impact:

• One-time Department of Transportation (Caltrans) costs of approximately $500,000 in 2015-16 to replace HOV lane signage to indicate limited hours of operation (State Highway Account).
  
  

• Potential future one-time costs of $500,000 for signage replacement to the extent that the lanes are converted back to full-time operation following a Caltrans determination that part-time operation had specified adverse impacts (State Highway Account).
  
  

• Minor and absorbable one-time costs in 2017-18 for Caltrans to report on the impact of limiting HOV lane use to periods of heavy commuter traffic (State Highway Account).

Background:

Existing law authorizes Caltrans and local authorities to permit preferential use of highway lanes for HOVs under specified conditions, which grants access to vehicles with more than one occupant. Prior to establishing an HOV lane, Caltrans or the local entity must perform engineering studies to evaluate the impacts of the lane designation on safety, congestion, and highway capacity.

In northern California, HOV lanes are only operational Monday through Friday during posted peak congestion hours when commuter traffic is heaviest. All other vehicles may use the lanes during off-peak hours. In southern California, HOV lanes are generally separated from other lanes by a buffer zone, and are operational at all times. These distinct operational practices are due to different traffic volumes and commuter patterns in the two regions. Northern California highways usually experience congestion only during weekday peak commute hours, so full full-time operation would leave the HOV lane relatively unoccupied during off-peak hours and thus not constitute efficient use of the roadway. Southern California normally experiences very long hours of congestion, typically between six to eleven hours per day, with short off-peak traffic hours. Part-time operation of HOV lanes under these conditions is generally considered infeasible.

In its annual HOV report for 2014, Caltrans indicates that the peak-hour volume in the SR 134 HOV lane was 1,157 vehicles, well below the optimum volume of 1,650 vehicles per hour. In the SR 210 HOV lane, the peak-hour usage was 1,281 vehicles. Data indicates that usage of HOV lanes in both corridors drops substantially after the 6:00 p.m. hour.

Proposed Law:

AB 210 would prohibit the establishment or operation of HOV lanes, effective July 1, 2016, on SR 134 between SR 170 and SR 210, or on SR 210 between SR 134 and SR 57, unless the operation is limited to hours of heavy commuter traffic, as determined by Caltrans. The bill would allow Caltrans to reinstate 24-hour HOV lanes on or after May 1, 2017, if it determines that the restricting the hours of operation has an adverse impact on safety, traffic conditions, or the environment, and submits a specified notice to the Legislature. The bill would also require Caltrans to submit a report to the Legislature by January 1, 2018 on the traffic impact of limiting the use of HOV lanes on SR 210 and SR 134 to hours of heavy commuter traffic.

Related Legislation:

AB 405 (Gatto) is an identical bill, except for the specified dates, was vetoed by Governor Brown in 2013. The veto message stated the following:

This bill limits the 24/7 carpool lane controls on about 13 miles of the 134 freeway in Los Angeles to the hours of heavy commuter traffic.
Carpool lanes are especially important in Los Angeles County to reduce pollution and maximize use of freeways. We should retain the current 24/7 carpool lane control.

Staff Comments:

The restriction of HOV-lane use to commute hours in the SR 134 and SR 210 corridors would require replacement of 35 overhead signs, at a cost of $10,350 each, and 132 ground- or barrier-mounted signs, at a cost of $1,035 each, for a total cost of approximately $500,000 in the 2015-16 fiscal year. Similar costs would be incurred as early as 2017-18, if Caltrans makes a specified determination and reinstates 24-hour restrictions. These costs reflect fabrication and installation costs, as well as costs associated with any necessary lane closures and traffic control measures. There could be additional Caltrans costs, to the extent that public relations and outreach efforts are necessary.

-- END --

ASSEMBLY THIRD READING

ATR Bill Id:AB 210

Author:(Gatto)

As Introduced Ver:February 2, 2015

Majority vote

SUMMARY: Requires the conversion of high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes on State Route (SR) 134 and SR 210 from full-time to part-time operation. Specifically, this bill:

1. Prohibits, notwithstanding any other law [except if the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) makes a specific determination, described below], an HOV lane from being established on SR 134 between SR 170 and SR 210, or on SR 210 between SR 134 and SR 57 unless the HOV lane is established on a part-time basis.

2. Requires any existing HOV lanes on these routes also to be converted to part-time operation.

3. Requires Caltrans to report to the Legislature by January 1, 2018, on the impact to traffic by converting these HOV lane segments to part-time operation.

4. Provides that, on or after May 1, 2017, if Caltrans determines that part-time operation of these lanes has resulted in an adverse impact on safety, traffic conditions, or the environment, it may notify the Assembly Committee on Transportation and the Senate Committee on Transportation and Housing of its intent to reinstate the lanes to 24-hour operation; thereafter, specifically authorizes Caltrans to reinstate full-time operation of the HOV lanes.

5. Encourages Caltrans to introduce part-time operations on other HOV lanes in Los Angeles County.

6. Makes provisions requiring the conversion of specific routes to part-time HOV operation operative on July 1, 2016, and repeals these same provisions 60 days after Caltrans notifies the Legislature of its intent to reinstate the lanes to 24-hour operation; requires Caltrans to post the date that the Legislature receives the notice on the department's web site.

FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, one-time special fund costs to Caltrans of around $482,000 for sign replacement – 35 overhead signs at $10,000 each and 132 ground- or barrier-mounted signs at $1,000 each. Similar costs would be incurred if the HOV lanes had to be reverted back to full-time operation. Costs for the legislative report are minor and absorbable [State Highway Account].

COMMENTS: The primary purpose of an HOV lane is to increase the total number of people moved through a congested corridor by offering two kinds of incentives: a savings in travel time and a reliable and predictable travel time. Because HOV lanes carry vehicles with a higher number of occupants, they may move significantly more people during congested periods, even when the number of vehicles that use the HOV lane is lower than on the adjoining general-purpose lanes.

State and regional transportation agencies are required to ensure that federally supported highway and transit projects do not cause new air quality violations, worsen existing violations, or delay timely attainment of air quality standards. Consequently, when transportation agencies identify a need to add highway capacity, their options are limited. They often rely on the addition of HOV lanes, which are generally considered a viable solution to adding highway capacity in nonattainment areas – i.e., where air quality is worse than the national ambient air quality standards.

In Northern California, HOV lanes are only operational Monday through Friday during posted peak congestion hours, for example between 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. All other vehicles may use the lanes during off-peak hours. This is referred to as "part-time" operation.

In Southern California, HOV lanes are generally separated from other lanes by a buffer zone. HOV lanes are in effect 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – referred to as "full-time" operation. (SR 14 is an exception. Previous legislation (AB 1871 (Runner), Chapter 337, Statutes of 2000) created a demonstration project to evaluate part-time use of the HOV lanes on SR 14. Caltrans continues to operate part-time HOV lanes on a portion of SR 14.)

The operational practices vary differently between northern California versus southern California because of traffic volumes and commuter patterns in the two regions. Northern California highways usually experience two weekday congestion periods during peak morning and afternoon commute hours, followed by a long period of non-congestion. Full-time operation would leave the HOV lane relatively unoccupied during off-peak hours and would not constitute an efficient use of the roadway. Southern California normally experiences very long hours of congestion, typically between six to eleven hours per day, with short off-peak traffic hours. Part-time operation under these conditions is generally considered infeasible.

HOV lanes work best where significant roadway congestion during peak periods occurs. (Optimum HOV lane usage is generally considered to be about 1,650 vehicles per hour. In contrast, mixed-flow lanes are generally expected optimally to carry between 1,800 and 2,000 vehicles per hour.) Experience with HOV lanes from around the country has shown a positive relationship between ridership and travel time savings, suggesting that, as congestion grows, the travelers’ willingness to carpool or ride on a bus that uses an HOV lane also grows.

Caltrans reports annually on the use of its HOV system. In its 2014 HOV report, Caltrans reported that the average peak-hour volume in the SR 134 HOV lane was 1,157 vehicles, notably below the optimum volume of 1,650 vehicles per hour. In the SR 210 HOV lane, Caltrans reported the average peak-hour usage at 1,281 vehicles. Data for both highways indicate that the HOV lane usage drops substantially after the 6 p.m. hour.

The author introduced this bill because "motorists who do not qualify for the carpool lane are frequently caught in bumper-to-bumper traffic at odd hours of the night while carpool lanes may be underutilized. This bill would offer an opportunity for flexibility, especially in areas where people drive the freeways at all hours of the day."

Please see the policy committee analysis for a full discussion of this bill.

Analysis Prepared by: Janet Dawson / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093 FN: 0000613

Date of Hearing: April 15, 2015

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Jimmy Gomez, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 210

Author:(Gatto) – As Introduced Ver:February 2, 2015

Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: No Reimbursable: No

SUMMARY:

This bill requires conversion of high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes from full-time to part-time operation on sections of two freeways in Los Angeles County. Specifically, this bill:

1. Requires, effective July 1, 2016, that the existing HOV lanes on State Route (SR) 134 between SR 170 and SR 210, and on SR 210 between SR 134 and SR 57, be converted to part-time operation during hours of heavy commuter traffic, as determined by Caltrans.

2. Requires Caltrans to report to the Legislature by January 2018 on the impact of this conversion.

3. Authorizes Caltrans, if after May 1, 2017, it determines the conversion has an adverse impact on safety, traffic conditions, or the environment, to reinstate full-time HOV operation after providing notice to the transportation policy committees in each house.

4. Encourages Caltrans to make similar conversions to other HOV lanes in Los Angeles County to provide greater mobility benefits.

5. Makes all of the above inoperative 60 days following receipt by the Legislature of the notification per (3).

FISCAL EFFECT:

One-time special fund costs to Caltrans of around $482,000 for sign replacement—35 overhead signs at $10,000 each and132 ground- or barrier-mounted signs at $1,000 each. Similar costs would be incurred if the HOV lanes had to be reverted back to full-time operation. Costs for the legislative report are minor and absorbable [State Highway Account].

COMMENTS:

1. Purpose. According to the author, motorists not qualifying for the carpool lane are frequently caught in bumper-to-bumper traffic at odd hours of the night while carpool lanes may be underutilized. AB 210 is intended to offer flexibility in HOV operations, especially in areas where people drive the freeways at all hours of the day. The author indicates, for example, that SR 134, which connects SR 101 to Pasadena and the surrounding communities, is utilized by commuters who work non-traditional work hours and often look upon the empty carpool lanes while sitting in midnight traffic.

2. Background. The primary purpose of an HOV lane is to increase the total number of people moved through a congested corridor by offering two kinds of incentives: a savings in travel time, and a reliable and predictable travel time. Because HOV lanes carry vehicles with a higher number of occupants, they may move significantly more people during congested periods, even when the number of vehicles that use the HOV lane is lower than on the adjoining general-purpose lanes.

In northern California, HOV lanes are only operational Monday through Friday during posted peak congestion hours, such as 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. All other vehicles may use the lanes during off-peak hours. In southern California, HOV lanes are generally separated from other lanes by a buffer zone, and these lanes are in effect 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. These distinct operational practices are due to different traffic volumes and commuter patterns in the two regions. Northern California highways usually experience congestion only during weekdays at peak morning and afternoon commute hours. Using a full-time operation would leave the HOV lane relatively unoccupied during off-peak hours and thus not constitute efficient use of the roadway. Southern California normally experiences very long hours of congestion, typically between six to eleven hours per day, with short off-peak traffic hours. Part-time operation of HOV lanes under these conditions is generally considered infeasible.

In its annual HOV report for 2014, Caltrans indicates that the peak-hour volume in the SR 134 HOV lane was 1,157 vehicles, well below the optimum volume of 1,650 vehicles per hour. In the SR 210 HOV lane, the peak-hour usage was 1,281 vehicles. Data for both freeways indicate that usage drops substantially after the 6:00 p.m. hour.

3. Prior Legislation. In 2013, AB 405 (Gatto), an identical bill, was vetoed, with the Governor arguing for maintaining the current 24/7 carpool lane control.

In 2012, AB 2200 (Ma), which suspended the HOV lane on eastbound Interstate 80 in the San Francisco Bay Area during the morning commute, was vetoed, with the Governor stating, "Encouraging carpooling is important to reduce pollution and make more efficient use of our highways. This bill goes in a wrong direction."

Analysis Prepared by: Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081

Date of Hearing: March 23, 2015

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Frazier, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 210

Author:(Gatto) – As Introduced Ver:February 2, 2015

SUBJECT:

High-occupancy vehicle lanes: County of Los Angeles

SUMMARY:

Requires the conversion of high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes on State Route (SR) 134 and SR 210 from full-time to part-time operation. Specifically, this bill:

1. Prohibits, notwithstanding any other law [except if the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) makes a specific determination, described below], an HOV lane from being established on SR 134 between SR 170 and SR 210, or on SR 210 between SR 134 and SR 57 unless the HOV lane is established on a part-time basis.

2. Requires any existing HOV lanes on these routes also to be converted to part-time operation.

3. Requires Caltrans to report to the Legislature by January 1, 2018, on the impact to traffic by converting these HOV lane segments to part-time operation.

4. Provides that, on or after May 1, 2017, if Caltrans determines that part-time operation of these lanes has resulted in an adverse impact on safety, traffic conditions, or the environment, it may notify the Assembly Committee on Transportation and the Senate Committee on Transportation and Housing of its intent to reinstate the lanes to 24-hour operation; thereafter, specifically authorizes Caltrans to reinstate full-time operation of the HOV lanes.

5. Encourages Caltrans to introduce part-time operations on other HOV lanes in Los Angeles County.

6. Makes provisions requiring the conversion of specific routes to part-time HOV operation operative on July 1, 2016, and repeals these same provisions 60 days after Caltrans notifies the Legislature of its intent to reinstate the lanes to 24-hour operation; requires Caltrans to post the date that the Legislature receives the notice on the department's web site.

EXISTING LAW:

1. Authorizes Caltrans and local authorities, with respect to highways under their respective jurisdictions, to permit preferential use of highway lanes for HOVs, under specific conditions.

2. Requires Caltrans, or the appropriate local entity, to produce engineering reports that estimate the effect of an HOV lane prior to establishing the lane. The reports must evaluate the proposals for safety, congestion, and highway capacity.

3. Vests, under federal law, state departments of transportation with responsibility for establishing occupancy requirements for vehicles using HOV lanes, except that the requirement can be no less than two occupants.

FISCAL EFFECT:

Last session, the author introduced AB 405, a bill nearly identical to AB 210. According to the Assembly Appropriation Committee's analysis of AB 405, that bill would have resulted in one-time special fund costs to Caltrans of around $360,000 for sign replacement. Similar costs would have been incurred if the HOV lanes were reverted back to full-time operation.

Costs related to AB 210 are likely to be similar to those identified for last session's AB 405.

COMMENTS:

The primary purpose of an HOV lane is to increase the total number of people moved through a congested corridor by offering two kinds of incentives: a savings in travel time and a reliable and predictable travel time. Because HOV lanes carry vehicles with a higher number of occupants, they may move significantly more people during congested periods, even when the number of vehicles that use the HOV lane is lower than on the adjoining general-purpose lanes.

State and regional transportation agencies are required to ensure that federally supported highway and transit projects do not cause new air quality violations, worsen existing violations, or delay timely attainment of air quality standards. Consequently, when transportation agencies identify a need to add highway capacity, their options are limited. They often rely on the addition of HOV lanes, which are generally considered a viable solution to adding highway capacity in nonattainment areas—i.e., where air quality is worse than the national ambient air quality standards.

In northern California, HOV lanes are only operational Monday through Friday during posted peak congestion hours, for example between 6 a.m. - 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. - 7 p.m. All other vehicles may use the lanes during off-peak hours. This is referred to as "part-time" operation.

In southern California, HOV lanes are generally separated from other lanes by a buffer zone. HOV lanes are in effect 24 hours a day, 7 days a week--referred to as "full-time" operation. (SR 14 is an exception. Previous legislation (AB 1871, Runner, Chapter 337, Statutes of 2000) created a demonstration project to evaluate part-time use of the HOV lanes on SR 14. Caltrans continues to operate part-time HOV lanes on a portion of SR 14.)

The operational practices vary differently between northern California versus southern California because of traffic volumes and commuter patterns in the two regions. Northern California highways usually experience two weekday congestion periods during peak morning and afternoon commute hours, followed by a long period of non-congestion. Full-time operation would leave the HOV lane relatively unoccupied during off-peak hours and would not constitute an efficient use of the roadway. Southern California normally experiences very long hours of congestion, typically between six to eleven hours per day, with short off-peak traffic hours. Part-time operation under these conditions is generally considered infeasible.

HOV lanes work best where significant roadway congestion during peak periods occurs. (Optimum HOV lane usage is generally considered to be about 1,650 vehicles per hour. In contrast, mixed-flow lanes are generally expected optimally to carry between 1,800 and 2,000 vehicles per hour.) Experience with HOV lanes from around the country has shown a positive relationship between ridership and travel time savings, suggesting that, as congestion grows, the travelers’ willingness to carpool or ride on a bus that uses an HOV lane also grows.

Caltrans reports annually on the use of its HOV system. In its 2014 HOV report, Caltrans reported that the average peak-hour volume in the SR 134 HOV lane was 1,157 vehicles, notably below the optimum volume of 1,650 vehicles per hour. In the SR 210 HOV lane, Caltrans reported the average peak-hour usage at 1,281 vehicles. Data for both highways indicate that the HOV lane usage drops substantially after the 6:00 p.m. hour.

The author introduced this bill because "motorists who do not qualify for the carpool lane are frequently caught in bumper-to-bumper traffic at odd hours of the night while carpool lanes may be underutilized. This bill would offer an opportunity for flexibility, especially in areas where people drive the freeways at all hours of the day."

Previous Legislation: Last session, the Legislature passed AB 405 (Gatto), a bill identical to AB 210 except for the specified dates. AB 405 received only two "NO" votes on both the Assembly and Senate Floors. Governor Brown vetoed the bill stating, "Carpool lanes are especially important in Los Angeles County to reduce pollution and maximize use of freeways. We should retain the current 24/7 carpool lane control."

AB 2200 (Ma) of 2012, would have suspended the HOV lane on eastbound Interstate 80 in the San Francisco Bay Area during the morning commute. That bill was passed by the Legislature but ultimately vetoed by Governor Brown. In his veto message, the Governor stated, "Encouraging carpooling is important to reduce pollution and make more efficient use of our highways. This bill goes in a wrong direction."

AB 1871 (Runner), Chapter 337, Statutes of 2000, prohibited, until June 1, 2002, HOV lanes from being constructed on SR 14 between the City of Santa Clarita and the City of Palmdale unless the lane was established as an HOV lane only during the hours of heavy commuter traffic. That bill also required the Legislative Analyst Office to report on the traffic impact of the part-time HOV lanes. That report found that limiting the HOV lane to part-time operation had "essentially no effect on traffic congestion, either positive or negative."

REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:

Support

None on file

Opposition

None on file

Analysis Prepared by:

Janet Dawson/TRANS./(916) 319-2093