Transportation finance: federal funding: bridges.

Under existing law, the purpose of the Bridge Reconstruction and Replacement Act is to implement the federal Special Bridge Replacement Program in California. The act authorizes boards of supervisors, city councils, and the Department of Transportation to do all things necessary and proper to secure federal aid under that federal program. The act authorizes the department to allocate to counties and cities federal funds received for approved bridge reconstruction or replacement projects in accordance with procedures promulgated by the Director of Transportation, as specified. Existing law requires the California Transportation Commission, in allocating funds, and the department, in expending funds, for bridge replacement projects, to follow federal design standards, except as specified. This bill would instead provide that the purpose of the act is to implement the federal Highway Infrastructure Program. The bill would authorize the above-described entities to do all things necessary and proper to secure federal funds instead under the federal Highway Infrastructure Program. The bill would instead require that the division and allocation of federal Highway Infrastructure Program funds occur pursuant to a specified formula approved by the commission, and authorize the department to revise the other procedures for allocating federal bridge funding and selecting projects, as specified. The bill would require the commission to annually allocate, at minimum, certain amounts of federal National Highway Performance Program funds and federal Surface Transportation Block Grant Program funds to the department for local bridge repair and replacement projects, as specified. The bill would delete the requirement that federal design standards be followed, and would instead authorize federal Highway Infrastructure Program funds, federal National Highway Performance Program funds, and federal Surface Transportation Block Grant Program funds allocated pursuant to the act to be used for local bridge project costs only if the local bridge project is consistent with the most recent edition of specified design standards.