High-occupancy toll lanes: San Diego County and Santa Clara County.

Existing law authorizes the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) to administer and operate high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes on Interstate 15 and on 2 other transportation corridors within the county, under which single-occupancy vehicles may use high-occupancy vehicle lanes by paying a toll. Existing law similarly authorizes the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) to administer and operate HOT lanes on 2 state highway corridors within the county. Existing law requires that implementation of the HOT lanes ensure that specified levels of service, described as Level of Service C or D, as specified, be maintained at all times in the high-occupancy lanes and that unrestricted access to the lanes by high-occupancy vehicles be available at all times. Existing law requires SANDAG and VTA to establish, with the assistance of the Department of Transportation, appropriate traffic flow guidelines for the purpose of ensuring optimal use of the HOT lanes by high-occupancy vehicles without adversely affecting other traffic in the state highway system. This bill would delete the reference to Level of Service C or D, and instead would require SANDAG and VTA to establish, with the consent of the Department of Transportation, appropriate performance measures, such as speed or travel times, for the purpose of ensuring that optimal use of the HOT lanes. The bill would provide that high-occupancy vehicles using these HOT lanes may be required to have an electronic transponder or other electronic device for enforcement purposes. Existing law, with respect to the above-referenced HOT lane corridors, specifies the authorized uses of toll revenues generated from those lanes, including costs associated with operation of the HOT lanes, transit service improvements, and high-occupancy vehicle facilities within the affected corridor. This bill would additionally authorize the use of the toll revenues for transportation corridor improvements within the affected corridor.