Vehicles: length limitations: buses: bicycle transportation devices.

Existing law imposes a 40-foot limitation on the length of vehicles that may be operated on the highways, with specified exemptions. Existing law exempts from this limitation an articulated bus or trolley and a bus, except a schoolbus, that is operated by a public agency or passenger stage corporation that is used in a transit system if it is equipped with a folding device attached to the front of the vehicle that is designed and used exclusively for transporting bicycles, does not materially affect efficiency or visibility of vehicle safety equipment, and does not extend more than 36 inches from the front of the body of the bus or trolley when fully deployed. In addition, existing law prohibits a bicycle that is transported on the above-described device from having the bicycle handlebars extend more than 42 inches from the front of the vehicle. This bill would authorize the North County Transit District to install folding devices attached to the front of its buses that are designed and used exclusively for transporting bicycles if the use of the device meets certain requirements, including, but not limited to, that the device does not extend more than 43 inches from the front of the bus, or more than 36 inches from the front bumper, when fully deployed, and that the handlebars of the bicycles being transported do not extend more than 49 inches from the front of the bus, or more than 42 inches from the front bumper. This bill would also establish, for a specified purpose, a route review committee prior to the installation of the initial folding device on a bus that is more than 40 feet in length. This bill would require the committee to perform an initial review of the routes on which the district proposes to operate a bus that is longer than 40 feet and that is equipped with a front-mounted bicycle rack, and would require the committee to make a determination of, by unanimous vote of all members, the routes that are suitable for the safe operation of those types of buses. The bill would require the district to submit a report, containing specified requirements, to the Assembly Committee on Transportation and the Senate Committee on Transportation and Housing on or before December 31, 2020. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the North County Transit District.