The Freeway Service Patrol Act authorizes and provides funding for freeway service patrols, operated pursuant to an agreement between the Department of the California Highway Patrol, the Department of Transportation, and a regional or local governmental entity, to provide emergency roadside assistance on traffic-congested urban freeways throughout the state. The act requires each tow truck participating in a freeway service patrol to bear a specified logo that identifies the Department of the California Highway Patrol and the Department of Transportation, and, at the option of the entity, the participating regional or local entity. This bill would require the Department of Transportation, the Department of the California Highway Patrol, and participating and eligible regional and local entities to, each time the guidelines for program operations are updated after January 1, 2026, consider developing or revising and including in the guidelines operational requirements for sponsorship agreements between a participating regional or local entity and any private third party that allow for the display of the sponsor's name and logo on participating tow trucks, as provided. The bill would authorize a participating regional or local entity to generate additional revenue for its freeway service patrol by entering into a sponsorship agreement, subject to those operational requirements, that allows for the display of a sponsor's name and logo on participating tow trucks, as specified, that are in addition to the above-described required logo.
Existing law establishes the Department of Transportation and requires the department to improve and maintain the state highways. This bill would establish the Quick-Build Pilot Program to expedite development and implementation of low-cost improvements on the state highway system, as specified. The bill would require the department, on or before December 31, 2027, to develop and publish guidance for the deployment of district quick-build improvements. The bill would require the department, on or before December 31, 2028, to identify and commit to funding a minimum of 6 quick-build improvements statewide.
Existing law appropriates, for the 2023–24 fiscal year, $375,000,000 from the General Fund to the State Air Resources Board for the California Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP) to fund grants to local educational agencies, as defined, for zero-emission schoolbuses to replace heavy-duty internal combustion schoolbuses owned by local educational agencies, as specified. Existing law requires any schoolbuses that are replaced pursuant to the HVIP to be scrapped no later than 24 months from date of delivery of the replacement. Existing law requires grantees to provide to the state board proof of scrap of the retired internal combustion schoolbus or schoolbuses. This bill would exclude a schoolbus from that scrapping requirement if the schoolbus is 25 years of age or less at the time of delivery of the replacement vehicle and its ownership is transferred to a frontier local educational agency meeting certain requirements.
Existing law establishes the state transportation improvement program (STIP) process, pursuant to which the California Transportation Commission programs, on a biennial basis, available state and federal funds for transportation capital improvement projects, other than state highway rehabilitation and repair projects, for the 5-year period of the STIP, based on the interregional transportation improvement program (ITIP) prepared by the Department of Transportation and the regional transportation improvement programs (RTIP) prepared by regional transportation planning agencies. Existing law requires projects included in the ITIP to be consistent with the interregional transportation strategic plan (ITSP) . Existing law requires the department to submit the ITSP to the commission for approval and requires the ITSP, among other things, to be directed at achieving a high functioning and balanced interregional transportation system and consistent with the California Transportation Plan. This bill would require, to the extent feasible and consistent with the California Transportation Plan, the department to assess incorporating bicycle highways into strategic interregional corridors within the ITSP.
Existing law requires the Department of Transportation (Caltrans) , for any project on the state highway system in a connectivity area that adds a traffic lane or that has the potential to significantly impair wildlife connectivity, to perform an assessment, in consultation with the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) , to identify potential wildlife connectivity barriers and any needs for improved permeability, as specified. Existing law requires the implementing agency to remediate barriers to wildlife connectivity in conjunction with the project if any structural barrier to wildlife connectivity exists or will be added by the project for target species in the connectivity area, as provided. Existing law authorizes Caltrans to use compensatory mitigation credits to satisfy this requirement if DFW concurs with the use of those credits. This bill would require a lead agency to incorporate appropriate wildlife passage features into a transportation infrastructure project in a connectivity area, as specified. By requiring a lead agency to expand the scope of its transportation project, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would exempt a project on the state highway system from this requirement if Caltrans is the lead agency. The bill would authorize a lead agency to use compensatory mitigation credits to satisfy this requirement, as specified. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
The California High-Speed Rail Act creates the High-Speed Rail Authority to develop and implement a high-speed rail system in the state, with specified powers and duties. The act requires the authority to prepare, publish, adopt, and submit to the Legislature a business plan containing specified elements on a biennial basis and to also provide on a biennial basis a project update report, approved by the Secretary of Transportation as consistent with specified criteria, to the budget committees and the appropriate policy committees of both houses of the Legislature, on the development and implementation of intercity high-speed train service, as provided. The act requires the authority to develop schedules for the delivery of specified tasks relating to the Merced to Bakersfield segment of the high-speed rail project for inclusion in the project update report and the business plan and also requires the authority to include certain other information in the project update report and the business plan relating to the Merced to Bakersfield segment, as provided. This bill would require the authority, as part of the business plan that is due on or before May 1, 2026, to provide a detailed funding plan for the Merced to Bakersfield segment that includes certain information, including an updated estimate of the funding gap for completing the segment and a strategy for addressing the funding gap.
Existing law requires a driver approaching, among others, a stationary marked Caltrans vehicle that is displaying flashing lights to approach with due caution and either change lanes to a lane not immediately adjacent to the vehicle, or, if unable to safely do so, slow to a reasonable and prudent speed, as specified. Existing law makes a violation of that provision an infraction, punishable by a fine of not more than $50. This bill would expand that requirement to apply to all marked highway maintenance vehicles, as defined, and would also make that requirement applicable to any other stationary vehicle displaying flashing hazard lights or another warning device, including, but not limited to, cones, flares, or retroreflective devices. By expanding the scope of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Existing law defines an electric bicycle and classifies electric bicycles into 3 classes with different restrictions. Under existing law, a "class 1 electric bicycle" is a bicycle equipped with a motor that, among other things, provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling and ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches the speed of 20 miles per hour. Under existing law, a "class 2 electric bicycle" is a bicycle equipped with a motor that may be used exclusively to propel the bicycle and is not capable of providing assistance when the bicycle reaches the speed of 20 miles per hour. Under existing law, a "class 3 electric bicycle" is a bicycle equipped with a speedometer and a motor that, in pertinent part, provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling, and that ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches the speed of 28 miles per hour. Existing law prohibits a person under 16 years of age from operating a class 3 electric bicycle. A violation of this provision is punishable as an infraction. This bill would prohibit a person from selling a class 3 electric bicycle to a person under 16 years of age and would make a violation of that prohibition an infraction punishable by a fine not to exceed $250. By creating a new infraction, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Existing law, the Basic Inspection of Terminals (BIT) program, makes it unlawful for a motor carrier to operate specified vehicles, such as motortrucks of 3 or more axles that are more than 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight rating, truck tractors, or other motortrucks regulated by the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Public Utilities Commission, or the United States Secretary of Transportation, without identifying to the Department of Motor Vehicles all terminals, as defined, where the vehicle may be inspected by the department and where vehicle inspection and maintenance records and driver records will be made available for inspection. Existing law, until January 1, 2026, excludes an agricultural vehicle, as defined, from being subject to the BIT program. This bill would extend the exemption of agricultural vehicles from the BIT program until January 1, 2031. Under existing law, the Department of the California Highway Patrol, in consultation with the Department of Motor Vehicles, on or before January 1, 2022, shall report to the Governor and the Legislature about the impact of excluding an agricultural vehicle, as defined, from being subject to the BIT program. The report shall include, but is not limited to, information about collisions involving excluded vehicles and any traffic safety issues associated with excluded vehicles. The report shall be submitted pursuant to Section 9795 of the Government Code. This bill would delete this obsolete provision.
(1) Existing law requires a bicycle operated during darkness on a highway, sidewalk, or bikeway to be equipped with, among other things, a red reflector or a solid or flashing red light with a built-in reflector on the rear that is visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear when directly in front of lawful upper beams of headlamps on a motor vehicle. Existing law defines "bicycle" for these purposes to, among other things, include an electric bicycle. Existing law defines an electric bicycle as a bicycle equipped with fully operable pedals and an electric motor that does not exceed 750 watts of power and categorizes electric bicycles into 3 classes. A violation of the provisions relating to the requirements for equipping a bicycle or an electric bicycle is punishable as an infraction. This bill would require an electric bicycle during all hours to be equipped with a red reflector or a solid or flashing red light with a built-in reflector on the rear that is visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear when directly in front of lawful upper beams of headlamps on a motor vehicle. By expanding the requirements for equipping an electric bicycle, the violation of which would be an infraction, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law requires a minor to wear a properly fitted and fastened helmet when engaged in specified activities, including operating a bicycle, nonmotorized scooter, or skateboard or wearing in-line or roller skates and requires that the helmet meet the standards of the American Society for Testing and Materials or the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission. Existing law prohibits a record of a violation of those provisions from being transmitted to the court and prohibits the imposition of a fee if the parent or guardian of the minor delivers proof that the minor has a helmet that meets specific standards and has completed a bicycle safety course, as specified. Existing law makes a violation of these provisions an infraction punishable by a fine of not more than $25, except as specified. This bill would, for a violation of these provisions involving an electric bicycle, prohibit a record of a violation from being transmitted to the court and the imposition of a fee if the parent or guardian of the minor delivers proof that the minor has a helmet that meets the specified safety standards and has completed a specialized electric bicycle safety course. The bill would also specify that the specialized electric bicycle safety course developed by the Department of the California Highway Patrol satisfies the requirement that a person complete a specialized electric bicycle safety course. By imposing new requirements with respect to electric bicycles, the violation of which would be an infraction, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (3) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
