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 articulated trolley coach that does not exceed a length of 60 feet, and authorizes the bus or trolley to be equipped with a folding device attached to the front of the bus or trolley if the device is designed and used exclusively for transporting bicycles. Existing law prohibits the above-described device from extending more than 36 inches from the front body of the bus when fully deployed, and prohibits a bicycle that is transported on that device from having the bicycle handlebars extend more than 42 inches from the front of the bus. This bill would additionally authorize an articulated bus or articulated trolley coach that does not exceed a length of 60 feet to be equipped with a folding device attached to the front of the bus or trolley if the device is designed and used exclusively for transporting bicycles as long as the device does not extend more than 40 inches from the front body of the bus when fully deployed. The bill would require a public agency operating transit services to establish a route review committee, as specified, in order to operate that articulated bus or articulated trolley coach, and would require the committee, by a majority vote, to make a determination of which routes are suitable for the safe operation of that articulated bus or articulated trolley coach. The bill would also make technical, nonsubstantive changes and a conforming change in a related provision.