Chapter 6.2. Neighborhood Electric Vehicle Transportation Plan For The County Of Riverside of California Streets And Highways Code >> Division 2.5. >> Chapter 6.2.

It is the intent of the Legislature, in enacting this chapter, to authorize the County of Riverside or any city in the county to establish a neighborhood electric vehicle (NEV) transportation plan. The purpose of this NEV transportation plan is to further the vision of creating a sustainable development that reduces gasoline demand and vehicle emissions by offering a cleaner, more economical means of local transportation within the plan area. It is the further intent of the Legislature that this NEV transportation plan be designed and developed to best serve the functional travel needs of the plan area, to have the physical safety of the NEV driver's person and property as a major planning component, and to have the capacity to accommodate NEV drivers of every legal age and range of skills.

The following definitions apply to this chapter:
  (a) "Plan area" means any portion of the County of Riverside, or any portion of any city in the county, and any streets and roads under the jurisdiction of the county or city, to the extent the county or city has adopted a NEV transportation plan pursuant to Section 1962.2, including the privately owned land of any owner that consents to its inclusion in the plan.
  (b) "Neighborhood electric vehicle" or "NEV" means a low-speed vehicle as defined by Section 385.5 of the Vehicle Code.
  (c) "NEV lanes" means all publicly or privately owned facilities that provide for NEV travel, including roadways designated by signs or permanent markings that are shared with pedestrians, bicyclists, and other motorists in the plan area.

(a) The County of Riverside or any city in the county may, by ordinance or resolution, adopt a NEV transportation plan for the plan area within its jurisdiction. Two or more jurisdictions may jointly adopt a NEV transportation plan for all or a portion of the territory under their respective jurisdictions.
  (b) The transportation plan shall have received a prior review and the comments of the Riverside County Transportation Commission and any agency having traffic law enforcement responsibilities in an entity included in the plan area.
  (c) The transportation plan may include the use of a state highway, or any crossing of the highway, subject to the approval of the Department of Transportation.

The transportation plan shall include, but need not be limited to, all of the following elements:
  (a) Route selection, which includes a finding that the route will accommodate NEVs without an adverse impact upon traffic safety and will consider, among other things, the travel needs of commuters and other users.
  (b) Transportation interfacing, which shall include, but not be limited to, coordination with other modes of transportation so that a NEV driver may employ multiple modes of transportation in reaching a destination in the plan area.
  (c) Provision for NEV-related facilities, including, but not limited to, special access points, special NEV turnouts, and NEV crossings.
  (d) Provisions for parking facilities at destination locations, including, but not limited to, community commercial centers, golf courses, public areas, and parks.
  (e) Provisions for special paving, road markings, signage, and striping for NEV travel lanes, road crossings, parking, and circulation, as appropriate.
  (f) Provisions for NEV electrical charging stations.
  (g) NEV lanes for the purposes of the transportation plan shall be classified as follows:
  (1) Class I NEV routes provide for a completely separate right-of-way for the use of NEVs.
  (2) Class II NEV routes provide for a separate striped lane adjacent to roadways with speed limits of 55 miles per hour or less.
  (3) Class III NEV routes provide for shared use by NEVs with conventional vehicle traffic on streets with speed limits of 35 miles per hour or less.

If the County of Riverside or any city in the county adopts a NEV transportation plan for the plan area pursuant to Section 1962.2, it shall do all of the following:
  (a) Establish minimum general design criteria for the development, planning, and construction of separated NEV lanes, including, but not limited to, the design speed of the facility, the space requirements of the NEV, and roadway design criteria, if the plan envisions separated NEV lanes.
  (b) In cooperation with the department, establish uniform specifications and symbols for signs, markers, and traffic control devices to control NEV traffic; to warn of dangerous conditions, obstacles, or hazards; to designate the right-of-way as between NEVs, other vehicles, and bicycles, as may be applicable; to state the nature and destination of the NEV lane; and to warn pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists of the presence of NEV traffic.
  (c) Submit the transportation plan to the director for approval following a review and recommendation by the California Traffic Control Devices Committee.

If the County of Riverside or any city in the county adopts a NEV transportation plan for the plan area pursuant to this chapter, it shall also adopt all of the following as part of the plan:
  (a) NEVs eligible to use NEV lanes shall meet the safety requirements for low-speed vehicles as set forth in Section 571.500 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
  (b) Minimum safety criteria for NEV operators, including, but not limited to, requirements relating to NEV maintenance and NEV safety. Operators shall be required to possess a valid California driver's license and to comply with the financial responsibility requirements established pursuant to Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 16000) of Division 7 of the Vehicle Code.
  (c) (1) Restrictions limiting the operation of NEVs to NEV routes identified in the transportation plan, and allowing only those NEVs that meet the safety equipment requirements specified in the plan to be operated on those routes.
  (2) Any person operating a NEV in the plan area in violation of this subdivision is guilty of an infraction punishable by a fine not exceeding one hundred dollars ($100).

(a) If the County of Riverside or any city in the county adopts a NEV transportation plan for the plan area pursuant to this chapter, the county or city shall submit a report to the Legislature on or before January 1, 2016, in consultation with the Department of Transportation, the Department of the California Highway Patrol, and any applicable local law enforcement agency.
  (b) The report shall include all of the following:
  (1) A description of the NEV transportation plan and its elements that have been authorized up to that time.
  (2) An evaluation of the effectiveness of the NEV transportation plan, including its impact on traffic flows and safety.
  (3) A recommendation as to whether this chapter should be terminated, continued in effect, or expanded statewide.

This chapter shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2017, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2017, deletes or extends that date.