Vehicles: commercial vehicles: weight restriction: State Route 154.

(1) Existing law authorizes the Department of Transportation to declare and fix a weight limit for a highway under its jurisdiction that is less than the maximum weight limits otherwise authorized under the Vehicle Code, upon determining that the highway will not sustain those maximum weights and, after conducting a public hearing on the issue, determining the maximum weight that the highway will sustain. The department is prohibited from establishing a maximum weight limit that is less than 16,000 pounds. A violation of the Vehicle Code is a crime. This bill would prohibit, with specified exemptions, the operation of a commercial vehicle with 3 or more axles, or a gross vehicle weight or a combined gross weight of 9,000 pounds or more on the segment of State Route 154 (SR-154) that is located between the State Route 101 and SR-154 intersection in the City of Santa Barbara and SR-154 and State Route 246 intersection in the County of Santa Barbara. The bill would provide that, upon conviction, a violation of the above prohibition is subject to a fine based on the weight of the vehicle or $1,000, whichever is greater. Because the bill would create a new crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the department to erect suitable signs to give adequate notice of the prohibition. (2) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.