High-occupancy toll lanes: Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority.

Existing law provides that the Department of Transportation has full possession and control of the state highway system. Existing law authorizes a regional transportation agency or the department to apply to the California Transportation Commission to develop and operate high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes or other toll facilities. Existing law provides for the review and approval by the commission of each proposed toll facility pursuant to eligibility criteria set forth in guidelines established by the commission and requires a toll facility approved by the commission to be subject to specified minimum requirements. Existing law requires revenue remaining after certain expenses are subtracted to be used in the corridor from which the revenue was generated pursuant to an expenditure plan developed by the sponsoring agency. With regard to a facility sponsored by a regional transportation agency, existing law requires the regional transportation agency to develop an expenditure plan in consultation with the department and the governing board of the regional transportation agency to review and approve the expenditure plan and any updates. This bill would authorize the Santa Clara Transportation Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) to apply to the commission pursuant to the above-described provisions to conduct, administer, and operate HOT lanes or other toll facilities on State Highway Route 101 and a specified portion of State Highway Route 280 in the City and County of San Francisco if the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA) approves the facilities before VTA submits an application to the commission for approval. The bill would require VTA to conduct, administer, and operate the facility in coordination with SFCTA. The bill would require SFCTA, in collaboration with the department and VTA, to develop the expenditure plan and would require the governing board of SFCTA to review and approve the expenditure plan and any updates. Existing law authorizes VTA to conduct, administer, and operate a value pricing high-occupancy toll (HOT) lane program on 2 corridors included in the high-occupancy vehicle lane system in the County of Santa Clara and on State Highway Route 101 in the County of San Mateo in coordination with the City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County and the San Mateo County Transportation Authority, as prescribed. For the value pricing program authorized on State Highway Route 101 in the County of San Mateo, existing law requires all remaining revenue generated by the program after specified expenditures are made to be used in the corridor from which the revenues were generated exclusively for certain purposes. This bill would provide that those remaining revenues may also be used for projects that benefit the corridor, as specified. The bill would make other nonsubstantive and minor substantive changes.