Vehicles: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

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, among other things, an articulated bus or articulated trolley coach that does not exceed a length of 60 feet. This bill would authorize the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority to operate articulated buses that do not exceed a length of 82 feet on the route designated as the Orange Line in the County of Los Angeles. The bill would require the authority to establish a route review committee prior to operation of those buses, as specified. The bill would provide that implementation of those articulated bus operations would be contingent upon specified conditions, including, among other things, determinations by the Department of the California Highway Patrol and the Department of Transportation that those portions of the proposed routes on state highways, if any, are suitable for the operation of those buses, as specified. The bill would also make implementation of those articulated bus operations contingent upon specified collective bargaining requirements. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.