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Article 3. The Department Of Transportation of California Streets And Highways Code >> Division 1. >> Chapter 1. >> Article 3.

The department shall have full possession and control of all state highways and all property and rights in property acquired for state highway purposes. The department is authorized and directed to lay out and construct all state highways between the termini designated by law and on the locations as determined by the commission.
The powers and duties enumerated in this section are intended to give the department broader authority to recruit and retain qualified civil engineers.
  (a) The department shall develop and implement a recruitment and incentive program for highway engineer positions which may include, but not be limited to, participation by the department in the repayment of student loans of persons recruited through the program. The department shall not expend more than one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars ($125,000) annually to develop and implement the student loan program, which may be paid from funds available to the department from the State Highway Account.
  (b) The department shall determine the number of engineers needed in each of its 12 transportation districts and shall recruit engineers based on the personnel-year needs in each of the districts.
  (c) In order to achieve the recruiting goal specified in subdivision (b), the director may offer salaries to prospective employees at any pay level above the lowest salary step, not to exceed the maximum of the range for which that person is qualified. Salaries of existing employees with similar qualifications in the same transportation district shall be increased to that level.
  (d) To encourage registration, persons employed in the department' s civil engineering entry level classification shall be eligible to advance to a higher salary range within the appropriate classification, as specified in the agreement entered into by the department and Professional Engineers in California Government on May 3, 1991. Movement within this range remains subject to performance criteria.
  (e) The department shall provide training or reimbursement for departmental approved training and related expenses to prepare employees for engineering license and certificate examinations. This training shall include, but is not limited to, preparation for civil engineering, land surveying, or landscape architect license examinations, and engineer-in-training or land surveyor-in-training certificate examinations. Employees shall be allowed time off without loss of compensation to attend departmental approved training or educational preparation for those licenses and certificates.
  (f) The director may offer student loans of up to five thousand dollars ($5,000) per student for tuition, room, board, and expenses directly related to school attendance, to students enrolled in land surveying or Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) certified structural and civil engineering curriculums. While these loans are intended to help recruit new engineers into the department, the director is not precluded from offering student loans to permanent state employees, at the discretion of the director. The student or employee shall be obligated to repay the entire loan to the department. However, for the first two years the employee works for the department, or the first two additional years an employee agrees to stay with the department, five hundred dollars ($500) of the loan shall be forgiven. For every additional year of employment after the first two or additional two years, one thousand dollars ($1,000) of the loan shall be forgiven. If the employee voluntarily leaves the employment of the department prior to the entire loan being forgiven, the employee shall pay the remaining portion of the loan in accordance with a proportionate repayment policy adopted by the director. Criteria shall be established by the director to administer this program.
  (g) The complexity of the department's engineering work and the level of responsibility imposed on the department's engineering staff have increased significantly. For example, engineering oversight for projects funded from sources such as county tax measures for transportation and the contracting out for basic engineering services have significantly increased that complexity and level of responsibility. To reflect this increase in complexity and level of responsibility, the first level of supervision for engineering positions shall be as specified in the agreement entered into by the department and Professional Engineers in California Government on May 3, 1991.
The department shall improve and maintain the state highways, including all traversable highways which have been adopted or designated as state highways by the commission, as provided in this code.
(a) The department shall perform construction inspection services for projects on or interfacing with the state highway system authorized pursuant to Chapter 6.5 (commencing with Section 6820) of Part 1 of Division 2 of the Public Contract Code. The department shall use department employees or consultants under contract with the department to perform the services described in this subdivision and subdivision (b), consistent with Article XXII of the California Constitution. Construction inspection services performed by the department for those projects include, but are not limited to, material source testing, certification testing, surveying, monitoring of environmental compliance, independent quality control testing and inspection, and quality assurance audits. The construction inspection duties and responsibilities of the department shall include a direct reporting relationship between the inspectors and senior department engineers responsible for all inspectors and construction inspection services. The senior department engineer responsible for construction inspection services shall be responsible for the acceptance or rejection of the work.
  (b) Notwithstanding any other law, the department shall retain the authority to stop the contractor's operation wholly or in part and take appropriate action when public safety is jeopardized on a project on or interfacing with the state highway system authorized pursuant to Chapter 6.5 (commencing with Section 6820) of Part 1 of Division 2 of the Public Contract Code. The department shall ensure that public safety and convenience is maintained whenever work is performed under an encroachment permit within the state highway right-of-way, including, but not limited to, work performed that includes lane closures, signing, work performed at night, detours, dust control, temporary pavement quality, crash cushions, temporary railings, pavement transitions, falsework, shoring, and delineation. The department shall regularly inspect the job sites for safety compliance and any possible deficiencies. If any deficiency is observed, a written notice shall be sent by the department to the regional transportation agency's designated resident engineer to correct the deficiency. Once the deficiency is corrected, a written notice describing the resolution of the deficiency shall be sent to the department and documented.
  (c) The department shall use department employees or consultants under contract with the department to perform the services described in subdivisions (a) and (b), consistent with Article XXII of the California Constitution. Department employee and consultant resources necessary for the performance of those services, including personnel requirements, shall be included in the department's capital outlay support program for workload purposes in the annual Budget Act.
  (d) "Construction inspection services" shall not include surveying work performed as part of a design-build contract.
  (e) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2024, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2024, deletes or extends that date.
  (f) If any provision or application of this section is held invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, the department shall post on its Internet Web site within 10 business days of the decision of invalidity that this section has been held invalid.
(a) The department may enter into an agreement to accept funds, materials, equipment, or services from any person for maintenance or roadside enhancement, including the cleanup and abatement of litter, of a section of a state highway. The department and the sponsoring person may specify in the agreement the level of maintenance that will be performed.
  (b) The director may authorize a courtesy sign. These courtesy signs shall be consistent with existing code provisions and department rules and regulations concerning signs.
The department shall, within its maintenance programs relating to litter cleanup and abatement, assign a high priority to litter deposited along state highway segments adjoining storm drains, streams, rivers, waterways, beaches, the ocean, and other environmentally sensitive areas. The department may use litter traps in drains and any other effective technology in carrying out these responsibilities.
(a) The department shall, within its maintenance program, establish procedures for the removal and disposal of animal carcasses on state highways.
  (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, including, but not limited to, prohibitions on the possession and transportation of endangered or protected species, or the property rights associated with livestock and other commercially valuable animals, the department may remove or relocate an animal carcass from a state highway for safety purposes.
  (c) The department shall dispose of animal carcasses in an environmentally appropriate manner considering both of the following:
  (1) The animal's probable legal status, whether as domestic or commercial property, wild, feral, protected, or endangered, as follows:
  (A) When practicable, an owner of a domestic animal shall be notified of the location or disposition of the animal carcass. Unless returned to the owner, license tags, nameplates, or other identification shall be retained by the department for 30 days.
  (B) A branded livestock carcass shall be removed from the roadway but not otherwise transported until the owner is contacted. If the owner cannot be identified, the department shall notify the regional brand inspector.
  (C) In the case of wild, feral, protected, or endangered animals, disposal shall be accomplished in accordance with applicable provisions of the Fish and Game Code.
  (2) If disposal technologies including, but not limited to, natural decomposition, burial, incineration, donation, rendering, or composting are not available or practicable, the department may use any nontraditional or novel technology that may be appropriate under the circumstances.
  (d) Animal carcasses shall not be relocated to or disposed of within 150 feet of waterways or drainageways that lead directly to waterways, or buried within five feet of groundwater.
  (e) The department shall maintain a record of designated disposal sites used for consolidation of animal carcasses.
The department may do any act necessary, convenient or proper for the construction, improvement, maintenance or use of all highways which are under its jurisdiction, possession or control.
Where practical or desirable, the department shall, along any highway under its jurisdiction, possession, or control, replace trees that have been destroyed or removed because of projects undertaken to widen the highway. Money from the State Highway Account available for the widening of highways shall also be available for the planting of trees pursuant to this section.
(a) The department shall do both of the following:
  (1) Discontinue further water intensive freeway landscaping and use drought resistant landscaping whenever feasible, taking into consideration such factors as erosion control and fire retardant needs.
  (2) Eliminate any dependency on imported water for landscaping as soon as practicable.
  (b) The department shall require the use of recycled water for the irrigation of freeway landscaping when it finds and determines that all of the following conditions exist:
  (1) The recycled water is of adequate quality and is available in adequate quantity for the proposed use.
  (2) The proposed use of the recycled water is approved by the California regional water quality control board having jurisdiction.
  (3) There is a direct benefit to the state highway program for the proposed use of recycled water.
  (4) The recycled water is supplied by a local public agency or water public utility able to contract for delivery of water and the installation, maintenance, and repair of facilities to deliver the water.
  (5) The installation of the water delivery facilities does not unreasonably increase any hazard to vehicles on the freeway or create unreasonable problems of highway maintenance and repair.
  (c) In cooperation with local public agencies and water public utilities, the department shall permit local public agencies and water public utilities to place transmission lines for recycled water in freeway rights-of-way for use by the local public agencies and water public utilities to transmit recycled water to others, when to do so will promote a beneficial use of recycled water and that transmission does not unreasonably interfere with use of the freeway or unreasonably increase any hazard to vehicles on the freeway, subject to paragraphs (1) to (5), inclusive, of subdivision (b) and the following additional requirements:
  (1) The local public agency or water public utility holds the department harmless for any liability caused by a disruption of service to other users of the recycled water and will defend the department in any resulting legal action and pay any damages awarded as a result of that disruption.
  (2) The department, in cooperation with the local public agency or water public utility, may temporarily interrupt service in order to add to or modify its facilities without liability, as specified in paragraph (1).
  (3) The local public agency or water public utility obtains and furnishes the department an agreement by all other users of recycled water from the transmission system holding the department harmless for any disruption in service.
  (4) The local public agency or water public utility has furnished the department a list of other recycled water users and information on any backup system or other source of water available for use in case of a service disruption.
  (5) The local public agency is responsible for the initial cost or any relocation cost of the recycled water transmission lines for service to other users in the right-of-way and waives its rights to require the department to pay the relocation costs pursuant to Sections 702 and 704.
  (6) The local public agency or water public utility maintains the water transmission system subject to reasonable access for maintenance purposes to be negotiated between the department and the local public agency or water public utility.
  (7) The department has first priority with respect to the recycled water supply contracted for by the department.
  (8) The local public agency or water public utility installs an automatic control system which will allow the water transmission system to be shut down in case of an emergency. The department shall have access to all parts of the transmission system for purposes of the agreement.
  (9) All transmission lines are placed underground and as close as possible to the freeway right-of-way boundary or at other locations authorized by the department.
  (10) The plans and specifications for the recycled water transmission facilities have been approved by the department prior to construction.
  (d) As used in this section:
  (1) "Local public agency" means any local public agency which transmits or supplies recycled water to others.
  (2) "Water public utility" means any privately owned water corporation which is subject to the jurisdiction and control of the Public Utilities Commission.
Where a city street or county road abuts upon real property acquired by the state for freeway purposes, the department may contribute toward the cost of construction of the half of such street or road that directly fronts or abuts upon such property if such street or road was established, but not yet constructed, at the time when the location of such freeway was established by the commission.
The department shall install, in all tunnels and underpasses on state highways within metropolitan areas where the tunnel or underpass is of sufficient length to impede radio reception, wires, or other devices which will sustain reception of broadcasts by radios in vehicles traveling through the tunnels and underpasses. The Legislature declares that the installation of such devices in state highway tunnels and underpasses is an improvement of highways within the meaning of Section 1 of Article XIX of the California Constitution since it will assist law enforcement officers in their patrol duties by enabling them to receive essential radio calls and also will increase the enjoyment of the people in the use of the state highways.
At such locations as shall be determined by the department to be appropriate, screening shall be installed and maintained on state freeway overpasses on which pedestrians are allowed, in order to prevent objects from being dropped or thrown upon vehicles passing underneath. First consideration shall be given to freeway overpasses in urban areas.
The department may construct and maintain detours as may be necessary to facilitate movement of traffic where state highways are closed or obstructed by construction or otherwise. The department may direct traffic onto any other public highway which will serve as a detour, in which case the department, upon the completion of such use, and upon the request of the local agency having jurisdiction over the highway, shall restore the same to its former condition; provided, that the local agency shall reimburse the department for the amount of all betterment to such highway caused by the restoration. The department shall also reimburse the local agency for all reasonable additional expenses incurred by that agency in maintaining said highway during the period of detour if such additional expenses were caused by said detour.
(a) The department may make and enter into any contracts in the manner provided by law that are required for performance of its duties, provided that contracts with federally recognized Indian tribes shall be limited to activities related to on-reservation or off-reservation cultural resource management and environmental studies and off-reservation traffic impact mitigation projects on or connecting to the state highway system.
  (b) To implement off-reservation traffic impact mitigation contracts with federally recognized Indian tribes, all of the following shall apply:
  (1) Any contract shall provide for the full reimbursement of expenses and costs incurred by the department in the exercise of its contractual responsibilities. Funds for the project shall be placed in an escrow account prior to project development. The contract shall also provide for a limited waiver of sovereign immunity by that Indian tribe for the state for the purpose of enforcing obligations arising from the contracted activity.
  (2) The proposed transportation project shall comply with all applicable state and federal environmental impact and review requirements, including, but not limited to, the California Environmental Quality Act (Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000) of the Public Resources Code).
  (3) The department's work on the transportation project under the contract shall not jeopardize or adversely affect the completion of other transportation projects included in the adopted State Transportation Improvement Program.
  (4) The transportation project is included in or consistent with the affected regional transportation plan.
To the extent that existing provisions of Part 23 (commencing with Section 23.1) of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as amended April 27, 1981, are not applicable to highway contracts awarded by the department that are solely state funded, the department shall develop a program to implement comparable provisions applicable to those contracts.
(a) It shall be unlawful for a person to:
  (1) Knowingly and with intent to defraud, fraudulently obtain, retain, attempt to obtain or retain, or aid another in fraudulently obtaining or retaining or attempting to obtain or retain, certification as a minority business enterprise for the purposes of this article.
  (2) Willfully and knowingly make a false statement with the intent to defraud, whether by affidavit, report, or other representation, to a state official or employee for the purpose of influencing the certification or denial of certification of any entity as a minority business enterprise.
  (3) Willfully and knowingly obstruct, impede, or attempt to obstruct or impede any state official or employee who is investigating the qualifications of a business entity which has requested certification as a minority business enterprise.
  (4) Knowingly and willfully with intent to defraud, fraudulently obtain, attempt to obtain, or aid another person in fraudulently obtaining or attempting to obtain, public moneys to which the person is not entitled under this article.
  (b) Any person who is found by the department to have violated any of the provisions of subdivision (a) is subject to a civil penalty of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000).
  (c) If a contractor, subcontractor, supplier, subsidiary, or affiliate thereof, has been found by the department to have violated subdivision (a) and that violation occurred within three years of another violation of subdivision (a) found by the department, the department shall prohibit that contractor, subcontractor, supplier, subsidiary, or affiliate thereof, from entering into a state project or state contract and from further bidding to a state entity, and from being a subcontractor to a contractor for a state entity and from being a supplier to a state entity.
  (d) For the purposes of this section, "minority" means those individuals who can be identified as being part of one of the following groups:
  (1) "Black Americans," which includes persons having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa.
  (2) "Hispanic Americans," which includes persons of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.
  (3) "Native Americans," which includes persons who are American Indians, Eskimos, Aleuts, or Native Hawaiians.
  (4) "Asian-Pacific Americans," which includes persons whose origins are from Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, the Philippines, Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Trust Territories of the Pacific, and the Northern Marianas.
  (5) "Asian-Indian Americans," which includes persons whose origins are from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
  (6) Those persons determined by the department, on a case-by-case basis, as socially and economically disadvantaged in accordance with applicable federal regulations.
  (e) For the purposes of this section, "minority business enterprise" means a small business concern, as defined in Section 632 of Title 15 of the United States Code, and which also meets the following requirements:
  (1) It is at least 51 percent owned by one or more women or minority individuals or, in the case of any publicly-owned business, at least 51 percent of its stock is owned by one or more women or minority individuals.
  (2) Its management and daily business operations are controlled by one or more of the women or minority individuals who own it.
Whenever the commission relinquishes any portion of any state highway superseded by relocation and the construction of a freeway and when the department has prior to relinquishment maintained snow removal operations on the portion of state highway relinquished and when property having access to the relinquished portion of state highway was developed for winter recreational purposes at the time of relinquishment, the department may with the consent of the county or counties to which the road is relinquished, maintain snow removal operations on all or a portion of the state highway which has been superseded by relocation.
From and after November 8, 1967, the department shall remove snow from that portion of former U.S. Route 40, which has been superseded by the relocation and construction of Interstate Route 80, commencing at its intersection with Interstate Route 80 near Donner Memorial Park westerly approximately four miles to the vicinity of Donner Lake.
(a) The department shall adopt and implement, on or before July 1, 1992, a deicing policy for state highways. The policy shall be set forth in a plan and method for deicing state highways, using all appropriate deicing technologies, while at the same time maintaining highway safety.
  (b) The plan shall be submitted to the Legislature on or before July 1, 1992. All or part of the elements of the plan shall be incorporated in the department's budget proposal for the 1992-93 fiscal year and budget proposals for subsequent fiscal years. The department shall examine all possible funding sources.
  (c) The plan shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:
  (1) A review of research conducted in California and other states on the use of deicing salt substitutes and deicing technologies.
  (2) When available, the incorporation of applicable technical findings of the ongoing study by the Transportation Research Board of the National Research Council which will analyze the costs to the public and private sectors, including, but not limited to, damage to vegetation, highway structures, and motor vehicles, of using salt as a deicing agent as compared with the use of commercially available substitute deicing materials or techniques.
  (3) A plan for reducing or eliminating the use of salt as a primary deicing agent on specified routes, including, but not limited to, State Highway Routes 28, 50, 80, and 89 in the Lake Tahoe Basin, and substituting environmentally safe deicing techniques where significant environmental damage has already occurred, in accordance with the legislative intent expressed in subdivision (f) of Section 1 of the act which added this section.
  (4) An analysis of the direct cost to each state transportation district for both initial capital costs, including repair of road salt's environmental damage, and annual costs to convert to an environmentally safe deicing policy.
If any directional or traffic control sign installed or maintained by the department within the right-of-way of a state highway is defaced with graffiti in a manner which interferes with the ability of motorists to comprehend the information which the sign was intended to convey, thereby posing a danger to the public, the department shall, as soon as reasonably possible after learning of the graffiti, either remove the graffiti and treat the sign with an anti-graffiti substance or material, or replace the sign, whichever is more practical and economical.
(a) A state highway segment shall be designated by the department as a Safety Enhancement-Double Fine Zone if all of the following conditions have been satisfied:
  (1) The highway segment is eligible for designation pursuant to subdivision (b).
  (2) The Director of Transportation, in consultation with the Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol, certifies that the segment identified in subdivision (b) meets all of the following criteria:
  (A) The highway segment is a conventional highway or expressway and is part of the state highway system.
  (B) The rate of total collisions per mile per year on the segment under consideration has been at least 1.5 times the statewide average for similar roadway types during the most recent three-year period for which data are available.
  (C) The rate of head-on collisions per mile per year on the segment under consideration has been at least 1.5 times the statewide average for similar roadway types during the most recent three-year period for which data are available.
  (3) The Department of the California Highway Patrol or local agency having traffic enforcement jurisdiction, as the case may be, has concurred with the designation.
  (4) The governing board of each city, or county with respect to an unincorporated area, in which the segment is located has by resolution indicated that it supports the designation.
  (5) An active public awareness effort to change driving behavior is ongoing either by the local agency with jurisdiction over the segment or by another state or local entity.
  (6) Other traffic safety enhancements, including, but not limited to, increased enforcement and other roadway safety measures, are in place or are being implemented concurrent with the designation of the Safety Enhancement-Double Fine Zone.
  (b) The following segments are eligible for designation as a Safety Enhancement-Double Fine Zone pursuant to subdivision (a): State Highway Route 12 between the State Highway Route 80 junction in Solano County and the State Highway Route 5 junction in San Joaquin County.
  (c) Designation of a segment as a Safety Enhancement-Double Fine Zone by the department pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be done in writing and a written notification shall be provided to the court with jurisdiction over the area in which the highway segment is located. The designation shall be valid for a minimum of two years from the date of submission to the court.
  (d) After the two-year period, and at least every two years thereafter, the department, in consultation with the Department of the California Highway Patrol, shall evaluate whether the highway segment continues to meet the conditions set forth in subdivision (a). If the segment meets those conditions, the department shall renew the designation in which case an updated notification shall be sent to the court. If the department, in consultation with the Department of the California Highway Patrol, determines that any of those conditions no longer apply to a segment designated as a Safety Enhancement-Double Fine Zone under this section, the department shall revoke the designation and the segment shall cease to be a Safety Enhancement-Double Fine Zone.
  (e) A Safety Enhancement-Double Fine Zone is subject to the rules and regulations adopted by the department prescribing uniform standards for warning signs to notify motorists that, pursuant to Section 42010 of the Vehicle Code, increased penalties apply for traffic violations that are committed within a Safety Enhancement-Double Fine Zone.
  (f) (1) The department or the local authority having jurisdiction over these highway and road segments shall place and maintain the warning signs identifying these segments by stating that a "Special Safety Zone Region Begins Here" and a "Special Safety Zone Ends Here."
(2) Increased penalties shall apply to violations under Section 42010 of the Vehicle Code only if appropriate signage is in place pursuant to this subdivision.
  (3) If designation as a Safety Enhancement-Double Fine Zone is revoked pursuant to subdivision (d), the department shall be responsible for removal of all signage placed pursuant to this subdivision.
  (g) Safety Enhancement-Double Fine Zones do not increase the civil liability of the state or local authority having jurisdiction over the highway segment under Division 3.6 (commencing with Section 810) of Title 1 of the Government Code or any other provision of law relating to civil liability.
  (1) Only the base fine shall be enhanced pursuant to this section.
  (2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any additional penalty, forfeiture, or assessment imposed by any other statute shall be based on the amount of the base fine before enhancement or doubling and shall not be based on the amount of the enhanced fine imposed pursuant to this section.
  (h) The projects specified as a Safety Enhancement-Double Fine Zone shall not be elevated in priority for state funding purposes.
  (i) The requirements of subdivision (a) shall not apply to the Safety Enhancement-Double Fine Zone established prior to the effective date of this subdivision pursuant to Section 97.4 or to the Safety Enhancement-Double Fine Zones established pursuant to Section 97.5.
The following segments are eligible for designation as Safety Awareness Zones pursuant to Section 97.1:
  (a) The Golden Gate Bridge.
(a) A highway segment shall be designated as a Safety Awareness Zone if all of the following conditions have been met:
  (1) The highway segment is eligible for designation under Section 97.01.
  (2) Each local governing body or bodies, with jurisdiction over the area or areas in which the eligible segment is located, has adopted a resolution indicating its support for the designation as well as a Safety Awareness Zone Plan addressing education, enforcement, and engineering measures intended to support the designation.
  (3) If the highway segment is a state highway, the Safety Awareness Zone Plan has been approved by the Director of Transportation and the Commissioner of the Department of the California Highway Patrol.
  (b) A Safety Awareness Zone designation shall be deemed effective immediately upon satisfaction of all requirements pursuant to subdivision (a) and may remain in effect for a period not to exceed three years from the effective date. The designation may be renewed for a period not to exceed three years. Renewal of a designation for a highway segment that is a state highway shall require the approval by the Director of Transportation and the Commissioner of the Department of the California Highway Patrol of an updated Safety Awareness Zone Plan.
  (c) The department shall develop a sign to notify motorists of the presence of a Safety Awareness Zone, and shall place and maintain the signs for as long as the designation is in effect pursuant to this section.
  (d) Presence of a Safety Awareness Zone does not increase the civil liability of the state or local authority having jurisdiction over the highway segment under Division 3.6 (commencing with Section 810) of Title 1 of the Government Code or any other provision of law relating to civil liability.
  (e) Projects on a highway segment specified as a Safety Awareness Zone shall not be elevated in priority for state funding purposes.
  (f) For purposes of this section, "highway" has the meaning set forth in Section 360 of the Vehicle Code.
(a) Notwithstanding subdivision (a) of Section 97, the segment of county highway known as Vasco Road, between the State Highway Route 580 junction in Alameda County and the Walnut Boulevard intersection in Contra Costa County, may be designated as the Vasco Road Safety Enhancement-Double Fine Zone upon the approval of resolutions of the Alameda County and Contra Costa County boards of supervisors supporting that designation.
  (b) Each local governing body that chooses to designate a double fine zone in its jurisdiction pursuant to this section shall, prior to the establishment of a double fine zone, do all of the following:
  (1) Undertake a public awareness campaign to inform the public of the double fine zone designation, where it is located, its purpose, and its consequences.
  (2) Where appropriate, implement increased traffic safety enhancements, enforcement, and other roadway safety measures in coordination with the establishment of the double fine zone.
  (c) The Vasco Road Safety Enhancement-Double Fine Zone is subject to the rules and regulations adopted by the department prescribing uniform standards for warning signs to notify motorists that, pursuant to Section 42010 of the Vehicle Code, increased penalties apply for traffic violations that are committed within a Safety Enhancement-Double Fine Zone as authorized under Section 97.
  (d) The local authority having jurisdiction over the Vasco Road Safety Enhancement-Double Fine Zone shall place and maintain the warning signs identifying these segments by stating that a "Special Safety Zone Region Begins Here" and a "Special Safety Zone Ends Here."
(e) If a double fine zone is designated pursuant to this section, the Counties of Alameda and Contra Costa, in consultation with the department, shall jointly conduct an evaluation of its effectiveness and submit their findings in one report to the Assembly Committee on Transportation and the Senate Committee on Transportation and Housing one year prior to the termination of the double fine zone. The report shall include a recommendation on whether the zone should be reauthorized by the Legislature, as well as a comparative evaluation of the volume and speed of traffic, the number and severity of collisions, and the contributing factors that led to collisions prior to and following the establishment of the double fine zone.
  (f) The Vasco Road Safety Enhancement-Double Fine Zone does not increase the civil liability of the state or local authority having jurisdiction over the highway segment under Division 3.6 (commencing with Section 810) of Title 1 of the Government Code or any other law relating to civil liability.
  (g) (1) Only the base fine shall be enhanced pursuant to this section.
  (2) Notwithstanding any other law, any additional penalty, forfeiture, or assessment imposed by any other statute shall be based on the amount of the base fine before enhancement or doubling and shall not be based on the amount of the enhanced fine imposed pursuant to this section.
  (h) This section 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.
Using existing resources, the department shall monitor the cumulative impact of fragmented gaps in the state highway system to identify safety and long-term maintenance issues.
The department is authorized to do any and all things necessary to lay out, acquire and construct any section or portion of a State highway as a freeway or to make any existing State highway a freeway.
The department is authorized to enter into an agreement with the city council or board of supervisors having jurisdiction over the street or highway and, as may be provided in such agreement, to close any city street or county highway at or near the point of its interception with any freeway or to make provision for carrying such city street or county highway over or under or to a connection with the freeway and may do any and all work on such city street or county highway as is necessary therefor. No city street or county highway shall be closed, either directly or indirectly, by the construction of a freeway except pursuant to such an agreement or while temporarily necessary during construction operations. No city street, county road, or other public highway of any kind shall be opened into or connected with any freeway unless and until the commission adopts a resolution consenting thereto and fixing the terms and conditions on which such connection shall be made and the commission may give or withhold its consent or fix such terms and conditions as, in its opinion, will best subserve the public interest.
(a) Whenever a street or highway closing agreement is required by Section 100.2, the department shall not acquire, except by gift, and except in hardship or protective cases as determined by the department or the commission, any real property for a freeway through a city until an agreement is first executed with the city council, or for a freeway through unincorporated territory in a county until an agreement is first executed with the board of supervisors. The department shall give notice to the city council or the board of supervisors, as the case may be, of any acquisition of real property prior to the execution of an agreement.
  (b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), a city council, or a county board of supervisors may, by resolution, authorize the purchase of rights-of-way prior to approval of an agreement if the purchase is limited to the mainline corridor of the proposed freeway and the alignment of the freeway is not at issue.
The city council or board of supervisors shall, prior to entering into the agreement contemplated by Section 100.2, conduct a public hearing on the subject.
In addition to the other matters that may be covered by the agreements authorized under Section 100.2, provisions for improvements, revisions or extensions of city streets or county highways leading to or from a freeway, deemed by the department to be necessary in accommodating the freeway traffic in making proper connections between the existing system of city streets or county roads and the freeway, may be included in such agreements and the department may perform such work as a part of the freeway construction.
From and after the adoption of a resolution by the commission declaring any section of a state highway to be a freeway, the highway described in such resolution shall have the status of a freeway for all purposes of Section 100.2. Such declaration shall not affect private property rights of access, and any such rights taken or damaged within the meaning of Section 19 of Article I of the California Constitution for such freeway shall be acquired in a manner provided by law. No state highway shall be converted into a freeway except with the consent of the owners of abutting lands or the purchase or condemnation of their right of access thereto.
When the department constructs a freeway on the route selected pursuant to Section 100.4 the department shall meet and confer with affected counties and cities with respect to the design of the portion of the freeway to be constructed within the jurisdiction of the affected county or city.
Whenever the location of a State highway is such that a ferry must be used to completely traverse said highway, and there is no existing ferry furnishing service to traffic on said highway, the department may construct, maintain and operate such a ferry, or may, by cooperative agreement, delegate the construction, maintenance or operation thereof to a county, or if the termini of a ferry are within one or more cities, to the cities concerned. Whenever a highway between the termini of which a publicly owned ferry is used, is declared to be a State highway, the title to the ferry and all appurtenances thereto vests in the State. The department is authorized to promulgate reasonable rules and regulations governing the hours of operation of such ferries. The department may impose a charge of not to exceed one dollar per vehicle for the use of such ferries between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.; provided, that in no event shall any charge be imposed on any ferry formerly operated by a county where the county maintained free ferry service for twenty-four hours per day at the time the ferry is or was taken over by the department. It is unlawful to operate on any such ferries or the approaches thereto, a vehicle of a size or weight or at a speed, greater than that which any such ferry or its approaches, with safety to itself and to the traveling public, will permit. The department shall determine the maximum size, weight and speed of vehicles which with safety can be permitted on such ferries and shall by appropriate signs notify the public of its determination. It is prima facie evidence of violation of this section to exceed the limit specified by the department upon such signs. The department is authorized to recover by civil action any damages done to such ferries or the approaches thereof by reason of a failure to comply with the provisions of this section and a violation of the limits specified on the signs erected by the department is prima facie evidence of such violation.
Notwithstanding any provision of Section 100.5, whenever any bridge or highway crossing over a navigable waterway in this state, including, but not limited to, toll bridges or other toll highway crossings built or acquired under the provisions of the California Toll Bridge Authority Act, is closed to traffic because of accident thereto or repair thereof or is for any reason unable fully to accommodate traffic, the department may operate a vehicular or passenger ferry as a substitute therefor. In the operation of such vehicular or passenger ferry, the department may impose a toll for passage. For the purpose of imposing such toll, the department may employ any reasonable classification of vehicles, including, but not limited to, classification by weight, length, or number of axles.
The department may, on behalf of the State of California, enter into agreements with any adjoining state, or any proper agency of such state, for the construction, reconstruction, operation and maintenance, by any party to such agreement, in the manner and by such means as may be provided in the agreement, of bridges over interstate waters and may enter into like agreements with respect to construction, reconstruction, operation and maintenance of highways within this State or such adjoining state, when such highways are at or near the common boundary of the states. Payment for work done pursuant to such agreements may be made from any fund available to the department for highway purposes.
The department may, for the protection of the State of California, insure any bridge on the State Highway System acquired or constructed under provisions of the California Toll Bridge Authority Act against all risks in any amount up to the full insurable value thereof. In case of damage or destruction, the proceeds of such insurance shall be applied to the restoration of such bridge. Any such bridge may be so insured irrespective of the retirement of all indebtedness incurred for its acquisition or construction, and the cost of such insurance shall be paid from any funds available to the department for highway purposes. Any such bridge, other than bridges over the San Francisco Bay, shall, after retirement of all indebtedness incurred for its acquisition or construction, be maintained and operated as a free bridge and the cost thereof charged to funds available for maintenance of state highways.
When any state highway is relocated in such a manner as to bypass a city or business district, the department shall erect and maintain appropriate directional signs, at the junction of the bypass and the road leading into such city or business district, and at a reasonable distance in advance of such junction, for the guidance of traffic desiring to enter the city or business district. Upon relinquishment of the bypassed highway to the county or city concerned, the signs, other than those designating the state or federal route number of such highway, previously erected on such highway shall be left in place by the department and thereafter shall be maintained by such county or city. When relinquishing any such bypassed highway, the department shall direct the attention of the county or city concerned to the provisions of this section regarding continued maintenance of such signs by the county or city.
(a) The department shall keep in repair all objects or markers adjacent to a state highway which have been erected to mark registered historical places and shall keep such markers free from vegetation which may obscure them from view.
  (b) When the Legislature, by concurrent resolution, has designated names for certain districts and state highway bridges, and requested the placing of name plaques at the boundaries of the districts or on the bridges, the department is authorized to expend reasonable sums for such plaques.
  (c) Any major bridge not previously named by the Legislature may be named by the Legislature, by concurrent resolution, for a serviceman killed in action who was a resident of the county in which the bridge is located. The name shall be selected from names submitted to the department by veterans' associations as defined by Section 1260 of the Military and Veterans Code.
(a) The department may place the state's 9-1-1 emergency telephone number on road signs on all state highways at state entry points and county, city, and town limit entry points. The department shall place and maintain, or cause to be placed and maintained, on all state highways at the city limit of each incorporated city and at the limits of each unincorporated town, as determined by the department, a uniform road sign which sets forth the name of the city or town, its population, and its altitude, as determined by the department. Where the limits of a county, city, or town intersect a state highway at more than two points, the department, in its discretion, need erect the signs only at each of the two outermost points on the state highway where the intersection occurs.
  (b) The department shall adopt specifications to provide for uniform signs of permanent character setting forth the information required in subdivision (a). The emergency telephone numbers shall be added to the road signs in subdivision (a) only when the signs are changed for other purposes.
The department may, when it deems it necessary, replace or cause to be replaced any city limit road sign.
The department shall submit all plans and specifications for any bridge or other structure across any river or other drainage channel or basin subject to the jurisdiction of the Reclamation Board for approval in accordance with the provisions of the Reclamation Board Act, and shall not construct any such bridge or structure without the approval of the said board. Whenever a bridge or other structure has been constructed according to plans and specifications which have been approved by the Reclamation Board, no change in or replacement or relocation of such bridge or structure shall be required by said board from funds appropriated for highway purposes without the consent of the department.
The department shall replace or cause to be replaced any city limit road sign if all the following conditions exist:
  (a) If the legislative body of a city requests the replacement.
  (b) If the request is based upon a substantial change of population evidenced by a special or general federal census.
  (c) If no previous request has been made by the city within a period of five years.
The department may file for record with the State Lands Commission such maps as are necessary to furnish an accurate description of any ungranted swamp, overflow, tide, or submerged lands, the bed of any navigable channel, stream, river, creek, lake, bay, or inlet, or other sovereign lands of the State of California which, in the opinion of the department, are needed as a right-of-way for, and for the protection of, any state highway or as a source of materials for the construction, maintenance, or improvement of any state highway. Upon the approval of such map by the State Lands Commission, the lands described therein shall be reserved for such use by the department and the department is thereupon authorized to enter upon, occupy, and use such lands for such purpose or purposes. Any subsequent grant or permission to use such lands shall be subordinate to such reservation. Any such reservation may be released by the written certificate of the director filed with the State Lands Commission. This section shall not apply to state school lands. The department shall determine the reasonable value of such right-of-way or materials and shall deposit such amount in the State Parks and Recreation Fund. The amount so deposited shall be considered as part of the cost of construction of the state highways.
The department shall design, place and maintain or cause to be placed and maintained at appropriate places along state highways signs which indicate the maximum penalty which may be prescribed for throwing or discharging any litter or any flammable or glowing substance from any vehicle outside of a business or residence district. County road commissioners shall place such signs along roads for which they are responsible.
(a) The department shall adopt rules and regulations that allow the placement, near exits on freeways located in rural areas, of information signs identifying specific roadside businesses offering fuel, food, lodging, camping services, approved 24-hour pharmacy services, or approved attractions, and that prescribe the standards for those signs.
  (b) The department shall provide equal access to all business applicants.
  (c) (1) (A) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the department shall not approve the placement of a sign within an urban area designated by the United States Bureau of the Census as having a population of 5,000 or more.
  (B) The department may not remove an information sign that was placed before January 1, 2003, due solely to population growth in an urban area that results in a population of 5,000 or more but less than 10,000.
  (2) (A) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the department, until January 1, 2021, shall allow the placement of information signs along State Highway Route 65 within, or at exits leading to, the City of Lincoln and along Interstate 80 within, or at exits leading to, the City of Truckee.
  (B) The authorization in this paragraph with respect to information signs along Interstate 80 within, or at exits leading to, the City of Truckee, shall apply only to incorporated areas with a population density of less than one person per acre surrounded entirely by land of the Tahoe National Forest.
  (C) On or before January 1, 2020, the department shall report to the transportation committees of the Senate and Assembly on the implementation of this paragraph. The report shall describe the implementation and any benefits of, or concerns regarding, that implementation, and shall include recommendations as to whether or not the period of this program should be extended and whether or not the authorization for information signs under this section should be expanded to urban areas having a population of 5,000 or more.
  (d) The information signs authorized in this section may be placed near the freeway exits in addition to, or in lieu of, other highway signs of the department, but not in lieu of on-premises or off-premises highway oriented business signs and directional signs.
  (e) The department shall establish and charge a fee to place and maintain information signs in an amount not less than 25 percent above its estimated cost in placing and maintaining the information signs. The department shall annually review the amount of that fee and revise it as necessary. Funds derived from the imposition of the fee, after deduction of the cost to the department for the placement and maintenance of the information signs, shall be available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for safety roadside rest purposes.
  (f) The department shall incorporate the use of an "RV-friendly" symbol on an information sign placed pursuant to this section for a specific roadside business that meets criteria of the department regarding sufficiency for recreational vehicles with respect to the parking spaces and surfaces, vertical clearance, turning radius, and entrances and exits of the facility. A specific roadside business otherwise qualified for a sign pursuant to this section may qualify for and request an "RV-friendly" symbol for that sign. The department shall adopt rules and regulations for an "RV-friendly" symbol consistent with this section as well as the Federal Highway Administration's Interim Approval for Addition of RV-friendly Symbol to Specific Service Signs. The rules and regulations adopted by the department shall include a provision for the roadside business to acknowledge that overnight occupancy is not permitted unless the roadside business is licensed as a special occupancy park as defined in Section 18862.43 of the Health and Safety Code. The department shall establish and charge an additional fee pursuant to subdivision (e) to place and maintain the symbol.
  (g) The department shall develop rules and regulations governing signs for approved attractions, which shall include amusement parks, botanical and zoological facilities, business districts and main street communities, education centers, golf courses, historical sites, museums, religious sites, resorts, ski areas, marinas, "u-pick" farms and orchards, farmers' markets, and wineries, viticulture areas, and vineyards.
(a) The department may design, place, and maintain, or cause to be designed, placed, and maintained, along state highways, signs to inform motorists of rail transportation services which receive public funding, in whole or in part, unless the sign would result in incurring the penalty specified in subsection (b) of Section 131 of Title 23 of the United States Code.
  (b) These signs may only be placed within the right-of-way of state highways that are parallel or adjacent to publicly funded passenger rail routes.
  (c) The signs are information structures or information signs as those terms are used in Sections 5203 and 5221 of the Business and Professions Code.
(a) The department shall adopt rules and regulations to allow, in rural areas, the placement, on interstate and primary highways near public exits, of guide signs indicating the existence, within one-half mile of that exit, of a fire station which is open 24 hours each day of the year.
  (b) Upon the request of the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection or a city or county, the department may place and maintain the signs in accordance with the adopted rules and regulations. The department shall bear the costs of placing and maintaining the signs.
(a) (1) The department shall design, construct, place, and maintain, or cause to be designed, constructed, placed, and maintained, along state highways, signs that read as follows: "Please Don't Drink and Drive," followed by: "In Memory of (victim's name)." These signs shall be placed upon the state highways in accordance with this section, placement guidelines adopted by the department, and any applicable federal limitations or conditions on highway signage, including location and spacing. Signs may memorialize more than one victim. "Victim" for purposes of this section means a person who was killed in a vehicular accident, but does not include a party described in paragraph (2) of subdivision (c).
  (2) The department shall adopt program guidelines for the application for and placement of signs authorized by this section, including, but not limited to, the sign application and qualification process, the procedure for the dedication of signs, and procedures for the replacement or restoration of any signs that are damaged or stolen.
  (b) If the placement at the location of a vehicular accident is safe and practical and the conditions of subdivisions (c) and (d) are met, the department shall place a sign described in subdivision (a) in close proximity to the location where the vehicular accident occurred.
  (c) (1) A party to that accident was convicted of any of the following:
  (A) Murder of the second degree under Section 187, and the violation was a direct result of driving a vehicle while in violation of Section 23152 or 23153 of the Vehicle Code.
  (B) Gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated under subdivision (a) of Section 191.5 of the Penal Code.
  (C) Vehicular manslaughter under subdivision (b) of Section 191.5 of the Penal Code.
  (2) A party to that accident operated a vehicle involved in the vehicular accident in violation of Section 23152 or 23153 of the Vehicle Code, but died in the accident or was not prosecuted because he or she is found mentally incompetent pursuant to Section 1367 of the Penal Code.
  (d) (1) Upon the request of an immediate family member of the deceased victim involved in an accident occurring on and after January 1, 1991, and described in subdivision (b), the department shall place a sign in accordance with this section. A person who is not a member of the immediate family may also submit a request to have a sign placed under this section if that person also submits the written consent of an immediate family member. The department shall charge the requesting party a fee to cover the department's cost in designing, constructing, placing, and maintaining that sign, and the department's costs in administering this section. The sign shall be posted for seven years from the date of initial placement, or until the date the department determines that the condition of the sign has deteriorated to the point that it is no longer serviceable, whichever date is first.
  (2) "Immediate family" means spouse, child, stepchild, brother, stepbrother, sister, stepsister, mother, stepmother, father, or stepfather.
  (3) If there is any opposition to the placement of the memorial sign by a member of the immediate family, no sign shall be placed pursuant to this section.
(a) The Department of Transportation shall, through the erection of highway signs and appropriate markers, provide recognition of the historical importance of the Byzantine-Latino Quarter in the City of Los Angeles. In order to implement this subdivision, the department shall determine the cost of signs and other appropriate markers, consistent with the signing requirements for the state highway system, showing this special designation, and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources sufficient to cover the cost, shall erect those signs and other appropriate markers at the appropriate locations on Interstate Highway 10.
  (b) Local designation efforts and other similar actions may complement this project.
The department may place and maintain, or cause to be placed and maintained, signs on state highways directing motorists to communities within the geographical boundaries of a city, county, or city and county if all of the following conditions are satisfied:
  (a) The name of the community is culturally unique and historically significant.
  (b) The name of the community has resulted from the influence of a culture over a significant period of time.
  (c) The general public and media commonly recognize the name of the community.
  (d) The community is located within a city, county, or city and county.
  (e) Signs are consistent with the signing requirements for the state highway system.
  (f) The geographical boundary of the community is within three miles of the state highway exit.
  (g) Trailblazing signs are installed on the appropriate streets or roads prior to installation of signs on the state highway.
  (h) The city, county, or city and county provides funds from nonstate sources that cover all costs for the Department of Transportation to place and maintain, or cause to be placed and maintained, appropriate signs on state highways.
  (i) The governing body of the city, county, or city and county in which the community is located adopts a resolution that does the following:
  (A) Designates the name of the community that is to be used on directional signs.
  (B) Defines the geographical boundaries of the community.
  (C) Requests the department to post signs on state highways.
The department shall erect, at appropriate locations on highways in the state highway system, generic directional signs to each Veterans' Home of California authorized pursuant to Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 1010) or Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 1100) of Division 5 of the Military and Veterans Code, upon receiving funds from nonstate sources sufficient to cover the cost. Placement of the signs shall be consistent with criteria for signing to federal or state hospitals as set forth in the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, adopted pursuant to Section 21400 of the Vehicle Code.
(a) Prior to June 30, 2016, and subject to federal approval as provided in subdivision (d), the department shall update its internal policies to allow displays of the following types of messages on changeable message signs:
  (1) Safety messages.
  (2) Transportation-related messages.
  (3) Reminders to register to vote, as requested by the Secretary of State, not more than two days prior to, and on the last day to, register to vote in a particular statewide general election, statewide primary election, or statewide special election conducted pursuant to the Elections Code.
  (4) Reminders to vote, as requested by the Secretary of State, as elections approach, not more than two days prior to, and on election day of, a particular statewide general election, statewide primary election, or statewide special election conducted pursuant to the Elections Code.
  (b) For purposes of this section, "changeable message sign" means any electronic sign on a roadway with a changeable message typically used to alert motorists of traffic conditions, unusual weather conditions, emergencies, or other events.
  (c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to alter the requirements of the Emergency Alert System, the Amber Plan under Section 8594 of the Government Code, or the Blue Alert System under Section 8594.5 of the Government Code. The department may give priority to other messages, including, but not limited to, the display of emergency alerts, Amber Alerts, Blue Alerts, safety messages, and transportation-related messages, over the messages authorized pursuant to paragraph (3) or (4) of subdivision (a).
  (d) The department shall not display any information on a changeable message sign authorized pursuant to paragraph (3) or (4) of subdivision (a) unless the United States Department of Transportation, or any of its agencies, has expressly approved the display of that information. If the department is advised by the United States Department of Transportation, or any of its agencies, that the display of information otherwise authorized by paragraph (3) or (4) of subdivision (a) will result in the reduction of federal aid highway funds to the state pursuant to Section 131 of Title 23 of the United States Code, that display of information shall not be made.
(a) In the name of the people of the State of California, the department may acquire by eminent domain any property necessary for state highway purposes.
  (b) For any property that the department is acquiring by, or under threat of, eminent domain, the department shall, in a timely manner, provide a copy of all appraisals it performed or obtained for the property to the property owner. If any appraisals that are performed or paid for by the department are first provided to the property owner, the appraiser shall provide a copy of those appraisals to the department.
(a) As used in this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
  (1) "Multimodal" means transportation options within a transportation corridor, including, but not limited to, highways, rail lines, pedestrian walkways and bike lanes, and commuter transit services.
  (2) "North coast corridor project" means a 27-mile long series of projects within the coastal zone that includes improvements to a segment of State Highway Route 5 and the portion of the Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo rail corridor between the City of Oceanside and the City of San Diego in San Diego County.
  (3) "8+4 Buffer Alternative" means the addition of a multimodal managed lane facility consisting of two lanes on either side of State Highway Route 5 within the north coast corridor, separated from general purpose lanes by striping or other approved traffic control devices, and which, to the maximum extent feasible, is built within existing rights-of-way owned by the department. The managed lanes would give priority to high-occupancy vehicles, vanpools, and one or more bus rapid transit routes. Value pricing techniques would allow single-occupant vehicles to use the facility by paying a toll, as long as single-occupant vehicle use does not negatively impact the transit uses of the managed lanes.
  (4) "Public works plan" means a plan as described in Section 30605 of the Public Resources Code. A public works plan allows for an integrated regulatory review by the California Coastal Commission rather than a project-by-project approval approach, but does not change or abridge any of the California Coastal Commission's existing authorities, including, but not limited to, federal consistency review authorities under the federal Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. Sec. 1451 et seq.). The public works plan allows for an expedited process that describes, evaluates, and provides mitigation measures for coastal access, highway, transit, multimodal and community enhancement, and environmental mitigation projects within the north coast corridor.
  (b) A public works plan approved for the north coast corridor project within the coastal zone shall include all of the elements of the north coast corridor project to be carried out by the department or the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), including coastal access, highway, transit, multimodal, community enhancement, and environmental restoration, and mitigation projects. Once the public works plan for the north coast corridor has been approved and certified by the California Coastal Commission, subsequent review by the California Coastal Commission of a notice of intent to develop for a specific project in the public works plan shall be limited to imposing conditions to ensure consistency of the project with the public works plan. The public works plan shall satisfy all of the following:
  (1) Identify the California Coastal Commission's area of original jurisdiction and provide a process for obtaining coastal development permits from the California Coastal Commission directly in those areas.
  (2) Contain, but not be limited to, the following elements: the type, size, intensity, and location of all development included in the north coast corridor project; the maximum and minimum size of facilities proposed to be constructed; the standards to which the projects should conform; the thresholds for when amendments to the public works plan may be required; and a proposed timetable and phasing program for all projects.
  (3) Establish the mitigation measures that the department and SANDAG will be required to undertake prior to construction of each phase. The mitigation measures shall be described with sufficient detail to allow the department and SANDAG to accurately estimate the cost and effort associated with each particular measure and avoid the need for an amendment to the public works plan unless a project is inconsistent with the project description in the approved public works plan.
  (4) Establish the process by which project design and mitigation measures included in the public works plan, and the California Coastal Commission's findings regarding those measures, may be applied to subsequent coastal development permit approvals and other approvals or determinations for subsequent phases of the project.
  (c) For all elements of the north coast corridor project that are located, entirely or in part, in the coastal zone, as defined by Sections 30103 and 66610 of the Public Resources Code, the department and SANDAG shall comply with all of the following requirements:
  (1) Collaborate with all stakeholders, including local agencies through which the proposed project traverses, the California Coastal Commission, and other affected local, state, and federal agencies to ensure that multimodal transportation options are evaluated and included in the public works plan and, where appropriate, in the project design.
  (2) SANDAG shall establish a safe routes to transit program that integrates the adopted regional bike plan with transit services.
  (3) SANDAG shall recommend that the department select an alternative no larger than the 8+4 Buffer Alternative as the preferred alternative for the State Highway Route 5 north coast corridor after it makes a finding that it is consistent with TransNet as approved by voters in 2004. The determination of the preferred alternative shall be made by the department and the Federal Highway Administration in their environmental impact report or environmental impact statement, and SANDAG shall include the preferred alternative in its next update to the regional transportation plan.
  (4) In order to reduce environmental impacts to the coastal lagoons, both rail and highway bridges crossing each lagoon shall be planned and constructed concurrently, unless construction in phases will result in an environmentally superior alternative to concurrent construction. SANDAG and the department shall ensure that bridges are constructed to their ultimate width and length so that construction impacts to each lagoon are minimized.
  (5) The public works plan shall evaluate the traffic impacts of the proposed capacity-increasing highway project on city and county streets and roads within the coastal zone, and the department shall consult with the affected local jurisdictions regarding those impacts and include the results of the consultations within the public works plan.
  (6) Environmental consequences of the proposed north coast corridor project shall be monitored to ensure that the benefits from mitigation, as described in the permits issued for the individual projects, are being achieved.
  (7) Construction of all or a portion of the capacity-increasing project on State Highway Route 5 shall move forward concurrently with multimodal projects and environmental mitigation and enhancement projects within each phase, as specified in the public works plan. The phasing plan shall include criteria specified by the California Coastal Commission within the public works plan that shall be met before the next phase of development can occur, and each phase shall include a balance of transit and highway improvements. Although the department and SANDAG shall endeavor to maintain a balance of transit, rail, highway, and environmental improvements in each phase, nothing in this section is intended to limit the ability of the department or SANDAG to seek a public works plan amendment from the California Coastal Commission in order to accelerate a project from a later phase in the public works plan if additional funding is identified to carry out the project at an earlier stage than originally intended.
  (8) Prior to a public works plan being submitted to the California Coastal Commission by the department and SANDAG, the department and SANDAG shall provide at least two public hearings on the public works plan for the north coast corridor project.
  (9) SANDAG has agreed that it will be responsible for constructing improvements in the Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo rail corridor and funding portions of the improvements to that corridor and State Highway Route 5 within the north coast corridor using funding from a San Diego County voter-approved transaction and use tax ordinance known as TransNet. Pursuant to that agreement, SANDAG shall commit to dedicate a portion of the TransNet Regional Habitat Conservation Fund for regional habitat acquisition, management, and monitoring activities necessary to implement habitat conservation plans based on the estimated economic benefits derived from permitting and approval efficiencies on the north coast corridor project as a result of the procedures of this section, with that funding to be released by SANDAG in phases based upon the proportion of project work that has been issued permits, consistency reviews, or other applicable approvals, and in accordance with any other criteria as deemed appropriate by SANDAG taking into account the purpose and intent of TransNet.
  (d) The California Coastal Commission, the department, and SANDAG shall work cooperatively toward completing all design approvals, reviews, determinations, and permitting for the north coast corridor project on an expedited basis. To meet the goals in this section, the following provisions shall apply:
  (1) The Legislature finds that it is the California Coastal Commission's role to apply a regional or statewide perspective to land use debates where the use in question is of greater than local significance. To that end, the California Coastal Commission is authorized to utilize Section 30515 of the Public Resources Code for the north coast corridor project and the process referenced in that section may be streamlined pursuant to agreement between the California Coastal Commission and those jurisdictions with an approved local coastal program.
  (2) The department and SANDAG shall perform work and complete development consistent with the phasing program adopted in the public works plan pursuant to subdivision (b) unless changes are reviewed and approved by the California Coastal Commission.
  (3) A public works plan prepared for the north coast corridor project by the department and SANDAG shall be treated as a long-range development plan to which the provisions in Sections 21080.5 and 21080.9 of the Public Resources Code shall apply.
  (4) A permitting agency's decision to review and approve a public works plan, a plan amendment, or related notice of impending development, make a consistency determination, or issue a permit for the north coast corridor project shall be reviewed under the substantial evidence standard.
  (5) The Legislature finds that the California Coastal Commission, the department, and SANDAG have agreed that, following approval of the public works plan, the California Coastal Commission shall limit its subsequent regulatory review of the rail aspects of the north coast corridor project to federal consistency.
  (e) A notice of determination issued pursuant to Section 21108 or 21152 of the Public Resources Code after January 1, 2011, but prior to January 1, 2012, for a project subject to this section shall be suspended by the department until it is determined that the project's environmental documents are consistent with the provisions of this section.
  (f) (1) Nothing in this section shall be construed to supersede, or in any way alter or lessen the effect or application of, the California Coastal Act of 1976 (Division 20 (commencing with Section 30000) of the Public Resources Code).
  (2) Nothing in this section shall be construed to narrow the authority of the California Coastal Commission, at any stage of the approval or review process, to resolve policy conflicts pursuant to Section 30200 of the Public Resources Code.
  (3) Nothing in this section is intended to apply to any program, project, or other activity that is not related to the north coast corridor project.
Subject to Sections 1240.670, 1240.680, and 1240.690 of the Code of Civil Procedure, the real property which the department may acquire by eminent domain, or otherwise, includes any property dedicated to park purposes, however it may have been dedicated, when the commission has determined by resolution that such property is necessary for state highway purposes.
(a) It is the intent of the Legislature that the department should have a reasonable opportunity to acquire properties needed for transportation projects.
  (b) Whenever the department determines that a specific parcel of private property will or may be required for the right-of-way of a state highway transportation corridor within seven years, or is located within a corridor which is the subject of a special study, the department shall so notify the planning department of the city or county in which the parcel is located. When reviewing proposals for the development of a parcel so identified, the city or county shall review with the department the status of the proposed transportation project involving that parcel.
  (c) As used in this section, "special study" means a highway study approved by the commission or the department on or before July 1, 1989, or a study approved after that date conducted pursuant to Section 14530.5 of the Government Code.
The department may acquire, either in fee or in any lesser estate or interest, any real property which it considers necessary for state highway purposes. Real property for such purposes includes, but is not limited to, real property considered necessary for any of the following purposes:
  (a) For rights-of-way, including those necessary for state highways within cities.
  (b) For the purposes of exchanging the same for other real property to be used for rights-of-way.
  (c) For rock quarries, gravel pits, or sand or earth borrow pits.
  (d) For offices, shops, or storage yards.
  (e) For parks adjoining or near any state highway.
  (f) For the culture and support of trees which benefit any state highway by aiding in the maintenance and preservation of the roadbed, or which aid in the maintenance of the attractiveness of the scenic beauties of such highway.
  (g) For drainage in connection with any state highway.
  (h) For the maintenance of an unobstructed view of any portion of a state highway so as to promote the safety of the traveling public.
  (i) For the construction and maintenance of stock trails.
  (j) For the construction and maintenance of nonmotorized transportation facilities, as defined in Section 156.
If property is provided through donation or at less than fair market value to the department for state highway purposes, or purchased with funds provided by a local agency, the donor or seller may reserve the right to develop the property, but any development of the property shall be subject to the approval of the department and any reservations, restrictions, or conditions that it determines necessary for highway safety.
Whenever the right of occupancy of any person upon national forest or national park lands is terminated because of the proposed construction of a state highway across such lands, the department shall, in connection with the construction of the highway, acquire, by purchase or condemnation, any buildings or improvements constructed upon such lands by the person.
The director may execute all deeds or conveyances necessary to convey any real property or interest therein to be sold or exchanged under the provisions of this code. He may insert in any such deed or conveyance such conditions, covenants, exceptions and reservations as in his opinion are in the public interest or may convey in fee simple absolute. All statutes relating to State lands or to reservations of minerals therein or to reservations of rights to prospect for or mine or remove such minerals are inapplicable to lands heretofore or hereafter acquired by the State or conveyed by the State pursuant to the provisions of this code or pursuant to the provisions of previously existing statutes codified in this code, and no such statute in respect to State lands hereafter enacted shall be applicable thereto unless the Legislature expressly so declares. It shall be conclusively presumed in favor of any purchaser for value and without notice of any real property or interest therein conveyed pursuant to the provisions of this code that the department acted within its lawful authority in acquiring the property, and that the director acted within his lawful authority in executing any deed or conveyance or lease authorized by this code.
The authority conferred by this code to acquire real property for state highway purposes includes authority to acquire for future needs. Structures maintained or allowed to remain on property which has been acquired, or is acquired in the future, for future highway needs shall be maintained in conformance with standards established in the building and safety ordinances of the city or county having jurisdiction. The standards to which such structure shall be made to conform are those standards, except for such variances as may be applicable to the structure when acquired, of the city or county having jurisdiction which are in effect at the time of acquisition by the department. The department is authorized to lease any lands which are held for state highway purposes and are not presently needed therefor on such terms and conditions as the director may fix and to maintain and care for such property in order to secure rent therefrom. Except for any rent required under the California Toll Bridge Authority Act (Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 30000) of Division 17), or any bond indenture executed under that act, to be deposited in some other fund, all such rent shall be deposited to the credit of the State Highway Account in the State Transportation Fund. Twenty-four percent of such rent in the State Highway Account shall be allocated pursuant to Section 104.10. Whenever it is determined by the department that any rental revenue collected under this section represents overpayment or payment in duplicate, the department may make refund of such overpayment or payment in duplicate from the State Highway Account. Any reference in any law or regulation to the Highway Properties Rental Fund or to the Highway Properties Rental Account in the Transportation Tax Fund shall be deemed to refer to the State Highway Account.
(a) Unless otherwise provided by statute, when requested by a city, county, or special district, the department shall provide information regarding, and shall lease, unoccupied, unimproved property that is held for future highway purposes to the city, county, or special district within which the property is located. The city, county, or special district may use the leased property first for agricultural and community garden purposes, and second for recreational purposes, on terms and conditions not unreasonably inhibiting the use of the property, including, but not limited to, assumption of liability and installation and removal of improvements. The lease shall be for one dollar ($1) per year for not less than one year and shall be renewable. The city, county, or special district may sublease the property for agricultural or recreational purposes upon prior written notification to the department, and may proceed with the sublease unless disapproved by the department within 10 working days after the notice is sent to the department. The first priority for a sublease shall be given to the owner of property contiguous to the leased land. In a sublease of the property, the city, county, or special district may charge rental fees at least sufficient to pay its administrative costs. All money received by the city, county, or special district under a sublease, less administrative costs, shall be transmitted to the department for deposit in the State Highway Account.
  (b) Unoccupied, unimproved property that has commercial, industrial, or residential use as its most feasible or best use, as determined by the department, is not subject to this section.
  (c) The Legislature finds and declares that the lease of unoccupied, unimproved property pursuant to this section serves a public purpose.
The department may retain in its records all deeds, conveyances, and other evidences of title to or interests in real property acquired by the department under the provisions of this code. The Secretary of State and any other State officer or department having custody of any such documents is authorized and directed to deliver custody of such instruments to the department. The department may furnish on demand to any person paying the cost of preparing the same a certified copy of any such document.
None of the deeds, conveyances or other evidences of title to or interests in real property acquired by the department under the provisions of this code for highway purposes, need be recorded by the Secretary of State.
The Department of Transportation shall, not later than the first day of November following the close of any fiscal year, pay the rents computed pursuant to Section 104.6 to the county in which such real property is situated. The Department of Transportation shall certify to the Department of Finance the amount of such rentals attributable to each county and shall notify each county of the rental and location of each piece of rental property for which rents are deposited in the State Highway Account in the State Transportation Fund. The county auditor shall distribute any payment received by the county pursuant to this section, to the county, to each revenue district for which the county assesses and collects real property taxes or assessments, and to every other taxing agency within the county in which the property is situated in the amount as determined by the board of supervisors, except that one-half of the allocation for a rental property shall be allocated to the city in which the rental property is located. As used in this section, the terms "taxing agency" and "revenue district" have the same meanings given them in the Revenue and Taxation Code. The money received by the respective jurisdictions under this section shall be expended only for purposes authorized by Article XIX of the California Constitution.
(a) Upon a finding that the action would not adversely affect the activities of the department, the department may lease, in whole or in part, property owned by it in the block bounded by First Street, Main Street, Second Street, and Los Angeles Street in the City of Los Angeles to public agencies or private entities for any term not to exceed 99 years. Each lease shall be subject to reservations, restrictions, and conditions as the department deems appropriate. Prior to entering into a lease, the department shall determine that the proposed lease is not in conflict with local zoning ordinances. The lease may provide for joint use of the property by the department. Each lease shall be subject to prior approval by the commission.
  (b) Revenues from leases shall be deposited in the State Highway Account.
  (c) The department shall act as agent for the payment of its tenant's possessory interest tax in accordance with the procedures of Section 104.13.
(a) The department may lease to public agencies or private entities for any term not to exceed 99 years the use of areas above or below state highways, subject to any reservations, restrictions, and conditions that it deems necessary to ensure adequate protection to the safety and the adequacy of highway facilities and to abutting or adjacent land uses. Authorized emergency vehicles, as defined in Section 165 of the Vehicle Code, which are on active duty and are not merely being stored, shall be given preference in the use of these areas, and no payment of consideration shall be required for this use of the areas by these vehicles. Prior to entering into any lease, the department shall determine that the proposed use is not in conflict with the zoning regulations of the local government concerned. The leases shall be made in accordance with procedures to be prescribed by the commission, except that, in the case of leases with private entities, the leases shall only be made after competitive bidding unless the commission finds, by unanimous vote, that in certain cases competitive bidding would not be in the best interests of the state. The possibilities of entering into the leases, and the consequent benefits to be derived therefrom, may be considered by the department in designing and constructing the highways. Revenues from the leases shall be deposited in the State Highway Account. If leased property was provided to the department for state highway purposes through donation or at less than fair market value, the lease revenues shall be shared with the donor or seller if so provided by contract when the property was acquired. If the donor or seller was a local agency which no longer exists at the time the department enters into the lease, the local agency's share of lease revenues shall be paid to the county or counties within which the local agency was situated.
  (b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), in any case where sufficient land or airspace exists within the right-of-way of any highway, constructed in whole or in part with federal-aid highway funds, to accommodate needed passenger, commuter, or high-speed rail, magnetic levitation systems, and highway and nonhighway public mass transit facilities, the department may make the land or airspace available, with or without charge, to a public entity for those purposes, subject to any reservations, restrictions, or conditions that it determines necessary to ensure adequate protection to the safety and adequacy of highway facilities and to abutting or adjacent land uses.
  (c) The department shall consider future lease potential of areas above or below state highway projects when planning new state highway projects. This consideration shall be accomplished by intradepartment consultation between offices concerned with project development and airspace lease development.
(a) The department shall act as agent for the payment of possessory interest taxes due from persons to whom the department leases property of a type described in subdivision (e).
  (b) The department shall annually provide a current list of all such property located in each county to the assessor of the county. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the assessor shall submit the possessory interest tax bill for each property directly to the department, and the department shall be responsible for the payment of the tax in the manner described in subdivision (c).
  (c) All funds distributed to a county pursuant to Section 104.10 shall be deemed to be in full or partial payment on the total possessory interest taxes due on the property described in subdivision (e) located in the county. If the amount transferred to a county pursuant to Section 104.10 in any year is less than the total possessory interest tax due on all the property located in the county, the department shall promptly forward to the county the amount of the balance due.
  (d) In lieu of the information required by Section 107.6 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, all leases of property of a type described in subdivision (e) shall contain a statement that the department will pay all possessory interest taxes arising from the lease and that the amount of rent charged reflects the cost of this added responsibility of the department.
  (e) This section shall apply only to real property held for future state highway needs and to real property originally held for that purpose, which the department has determined is no longer needed for that purpose, prior to its sale or exchange by the department.
Whenever land has been acquired pursuant to former Section 104.1 or pursuant to Article 5 (commencing with Section 1240.410) of Chapter 3 of Title 7 of Part 3 of the Code of Civil Procedure, the department may, in its discretion, lease to a local agency for park purposes all or any portion of the remainder outside the boundary of the state highway or public work or improvement, but not beyond the next adjacent dedicated street, when such use will protect such highway, public work, or improvement and its environs, and will preserve its view, appearance, light, air, and usefulness. Such lease shall be made in accordance with procedures, terms, and conditions to be prescribed by the commission. Such terms and conditions shall include all of the following:
  (a) Provisions requiring the local agency to develop and maintain such portion of the remainder as a park.
  (b) Provisions that whenever such portion of the remainder is needed for state highway purposes, the lease shall terminate.
  (c) Provisions that whenever such portion of the remainder ceases to be used for park purposes, the lease shall terminate.
(a) Any airspace under a freeway, or real property acquired for highway purposes, in the City and County of San Francisco, which is not excess property, may be leased by the department to the city and county or another political subdivision or a state agency for purposes of an emergency shelter or feeding program.
  (b) The lease shall be for one dollar ($1) per month. The lease amount may be paid in advance of the term covered in order to reduce the administrative costs associated with the payment of the monthly rental fee. The lease shall require the payment of an administrative fee not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500) per year, unless the department determines that a higher administrative fee is necessary, for the department's cost of administering the lease.
  (c) The Legislature finds and declares that the lease of real property pursuant to this section serves a public purpose.
(a) The department may provide information regarding, and may lease, airspace under the interchange of Route 4 and Route 5 in San Joaquin County and on the northeast corner of Route 101 and De La Vina Street in the County of Santa Barbara, to a city, county, or other political subdivision or another state agency for emergency shelter or feeding program purposes. Property may be leased pursuant to this section only if there is no buyer. The lease shall be for one dollar ($1) per month. The lease amount may be paid in advance of the term covered in order to reduce the administrative costs associated with the payment of the monthly rental fee. Any lease executed pursuant to this section shall also provide for the cost of administering the lease. The administrative fee shall not exceed five hundred dollars ($500) per year unless the department determines that a higher administrative fee is necessary.
  (b) The Legislature finds and declares that the lease of real property pursuant to this section serves a public purpose.
  (c) Any lease executed pursuant to subdivision (a) for airspace under the interchange of Route 4 and Route 5 in San Joaquin County shall provide for the rescission of existing leases of this airspace between the department and the City of Stockton and for the refunding of any rent paid pursuant to those leases for periods commencing on or after January 1, 1988. Upon the request of the City of Stockton, the department may renew the lease executed pursuant to subdivision (a) for the airspace described in this subdivision for the period requested by the city, but not to exceed 10 years, and may, subsequent to that renewal, agree to not more than two additional renewals of not more than 10 years each.
(a) Real property in the City of San Diego between 17th Street and the west side of Route 5 between the southbound onramp and the offramp near J Street, which was acquired for highway purposes and which is not excess property, may be leased by the department to a city, county, or other political subdivision or another state agency for emergency shelter, feeding program purposes, or for the establishment of a day care center for children.
  (b) The lease shall be for one dollar ($1) per month. The lease amount may be paid in advance of the term covered in order to reduce the administrative costs associated with the payment of the monthly rental fee. The lease shall require the payment of an administrative fee not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500) per year, unless the department determines that a higher administrative fee is necessary, for the department's cost of administering the lease.
  (c) The Legislature finds and declares that the lease of real property pursuant to this section serves a public purpose.
(a) The excess property owned by the department described in subdivision (b) that is leased until June 30, 2005, to the Century Housing Corporation, a nonprofit corporation, and used for job training and placement purposes, shall continue to be leased to that party until June 30, 2028, at the existing rent.
  (b) The excess property consists of approximately 1.3 acres, is referred to as excess parcels 6160, 6166, 6167, and 6168, and is located adjacent to Lennox Boulevard and State Highway (Interstate) Route 405 in an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County.
(a) (1) The department may lease airspace under the interchange of Route 4 and Sutter Street in San Joaquin County to any city, county, or other political subdivision, or any state agency, for feeding program purposes. The department may provide information to those entities regarding the lease of that airspace for that use. Property may be leased under this section only if there is no buyer for the property. The lease shall be for one dollar ($1) per month. The lease amount may be paid in advance of the term covered in order to reduce the administrative costs associated with the payment of the monthly rental fee.
  (2) Any lease executed under this section shall also provide for the cost of administering the lease. The administrative fee shall not exceed five hundred dollars ($500) per year unless the department determines that a higher administrative fee is necessary.
  (b) The Legislature finds and declares that the lease of real property under this section serves a public purpose.
  (c) Upon the request of the City of Stockton, the department may renew the lease for the period requested by the city, but not to exceed 10 years, and may, subsequent to that renewal, agree to not more than two additional renewals of not more than 10 years each.
  (d) This section shall become operative on July 1, 1999.
(a) Notwithstanding any other law, the Department of Transportation shall, consistent with Article XIX of the California Constitution, transfer to the Department of Parks and Recreation the real property in the City of San Diego between Taylor Street and Wallace Street and between Juan Street and Calhoun Street, which was acquired for highway purposes and which was previously used by the department as its District 11 administrative headquarters, and which is commonly known as 2829 Juan Street, San Diego.
  (b) The real property transferred pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be incorporated into the state park system upon its transfer to the Department of Parks and Recreation.
  (c) On and after the date of transfer, the Department of Transportation shall have no continuing obligation relating to the ownership, maintenance, or control of the transferred real property, and all obligations of ownership, maintenance, and control shall thereafter be borne by the Department of Parks and Recreation.
  (d) The transfer of the real property required by this section shall be completed within 90 days of the effective date of the act enacting this section in the 2013-14 Regular Session of the Legislature.
  (e) The transfer of the real property required by this section serves a public purpose.
The department may construct and maintain stock trails approximately paralleling any State highway and may retain and maintain for stock trails the right of way of any State highway which is superseded by relocation. The department may likewise designate as a stock trail any highway which the State has relinquished to a county and which approximately parallels any State highway. Where such a highway has been so designated as a stock trail, it thereafter may not be abandoned or vacated without the consent in writing of the department filed with the board of supervisors. The department shall post notices upon such stock trails, and upon each highway at the entrances of such trails, directing all persons to drive all untethered stock thereon. Any person who drives any untethered stock upon any State highway between the entrances of such a stock trail is guilty of a misdemeanor, and, in addition, thereto, is liable for all damage thereby done to said highway.
Whenever in its opinion the public convenience and necessity require it for State highway purposes, the department may enter into a cooperative agreement:
  (a) To construct a bridge across any river, stream, or inlet of the sea.
  (b) To reconstruct or replace an existing, privately owned bridge over any river, stream or inlet of the sea, which bridge is used for highway purposes by the public and the owner.
  (c) To acquire an existing bridge, or a right of way over the location of such bridge, whenever the acquisition of such bridge or right of way by the State alone would ordinarily require an excessive expenditure of State highway money.
Any such agreement may be:
  (a) With any person for the construction of a new bridge and the use of any such bridge thereafter jointly by such person and the public.
  (b) With the owner of any existing bridge for the reconstruction thereof, or for the replacement thereof by a new bridge, and the use of any such bridge thereafter jointly by such owner and the public.
Any agreement made under the authority of sections 106 and 107 may provide:
  (a) Either for apportionment of the expense of any such construction, reconstruction, replacement, improvement, or maintenance between such owner or person and the State, or for the surrender to the State of the rights and property of the owner and the construction, reconstruction, replacement, improvement, or maintenance of any such bridge partly or wholly at the expense of the State.
  (b) For the terms and conditions upon which the owner may use such bridge jointly with the public after the construction, reconstruction, replacement or improvement thereof.
  (c) For other pertinent matters to give effect to sections 106 and 107.
Any such bridge acquired, constructed, reconstructed, replaced or improved in the manner provided in sections 106, 107 and 108 is a part of the State highway system and title thereto shall vest in the State. Any funds which, without such cooperative agreement, would be available for the construction, reconstruction, replacement, improvement or maintenance of a bridge at such location on the State highway system, shall be available for a similar use under such cooperative agreement.
Whenever the construction of any facility of the United States or any department or agency thereof, or any feature thereof, requires construction or relocation of, or other change in any state highway or bridge, the department may enter into an agreement with the United States, or with the United States and any person, providing therefor, and for the exchange of any property required thereby. The department may enter into like agreements for acquisition of a right-of-way over, or respecting maintenance of, any facility, constructed or owned by the United States or any department or agency thereof, all or any portion of which is to be used for highway purposes.
Nothing in this article shall prohibit any county or city from contributing to the State, in the manner provided by law, funds or real property or interests therein for the acquisition, construction, reconstruction, replacement, improvement or maintenance of any such bridge as is provided for by sections 106, 107 and 108, nor prohibit the relinquishment of any such bridge by the department to any county or city. Upon relinquishment such bridge shall be under the supervision and control of the county or city to which it is relinquished.
Whenever the natural course of a State highway passes into or through any city and a State highway route through or around such city is not specifically described by law, the commission shall determine the location of the connecting portion necessary to make the State highway continuous. Such location may be either through or around such city, depending upon the commission's determination as to which location will be of the greatest benefit to through traffic upon such State highway. Any portion of any street or highway, within the limits of such city, may be adopted by the commission as a part of the State highway system without compensation to the city.
Whenever a city street or a county highway and an existing state highway (1) are substantially parallel; (2) each has been or is to be restricted to one-way traffic, proceeding in opposite directions as to each other, by ordinance of such city or county duly enacted and applicable thereto; and (3) the commission determines that the existing state highway is inadequate and that state highway traffic conditions can be improved and state highway traffic more economically served than by confining improvements to the existing state highway, the commission may adopt any portion of the city street or county highway so substantially parallel with an existing state highway, as a part of the State Highway System without compensation to the city or county, and the department may improve the same and make necessary connections to route traffic one way on such city street or county highway and the existing state highway, respectively. Whenever an ordinance of any city or county designating a particular highway as a one-way highway becomes applicable to a state highway, whether an existing state highway at the time of the enactment of such ordinance or a city street or county highway thereafter adopted as a state highway, such ordinance shall not be thereafter rescinded, repealed, revoked or amended by action of the legislative authority of such city or county without the consent in writing of the department with the approval of the commission first obtained, unless otherwise provided by the terms of any written agreement between the State and any city entered into prior to the effective date of this section. If any city street or county highway which has become a portion of the State Highway System pursuant to this section ceases to be a one-way street because the ordinance declaring such street or highway to be a one-way street or highway is rescinded, repealed, revoked, or amended, with the consent of the department, as hereinabove provided, such city street or county highway, or the portion thereof that is no longer restricted to one-way traffic, shall by operation of law revert to the status of a city street or county highway and cease to be a portion of the State Highway System.
The department may enter into an agreement with any city relative to proceedings to be taken by the city to fix or change the grade of any State highway, or portion thereof, within the city in order to establish a grade specified in such agreement. The city, in fixing such grade, may follow the procedure specified in any statute or ordinance providing for fixing or changing the grades of city streets with like effect as if such highway were a city street and the grade so established or changed shall be the official grade of such State highway or portion thereof. The city may contribute any part of the expense of such proceedings, including payment of claims, out of any funds available to it for the acquisition of rights of way for the construction, improvement or maintenance of streets. This section does not limit the right of the department, on authorization of the commission, to proceed as provided in Article 1 of Chapter 6 of this division.
Upon a request from the department the governing body of any city may acquire any real property or interest therein needed for state highway purposes and lying within such city. The title to such real property or interest therein may be taken in the name of the State or of the city. Any city may aid in the construction, improvement or maintenance of any state highway located in whole or in part within its boundaries by contributing any part of the expense thereof to the department out of any city funds available or to become available for construction, improvement or maintenance of streets within the city.
A city or county may enter into a cooperative agreement with the department to fund the construction or improvement of a segment of a state highway located in whole or in part within its jurisdiction when the project is included in the state transportation improvement program pursuant to Section 14529 of the Government Code. The project shall be constructed by the department, and, upon completion of construction, the highway segment shall be in the possession and control of, and operated and maintained by, the department.
(a) When the commission or other public entity has allocated any funds for the construction, improvement, or maintenance of any portion of a state highway within a city or a county, the department may enter into a cooperative agreement with the city or the county or other public entity for the performance of the work by the department or by the city or the county or other public entity, or for the apportionment of the expense of the work between the department and the city or the county or other public entity.
  (b) The department shall enter into a cooperative agreement with a city, county, or other public entity to perform professional and technical project development services, if the department determines that the city, county, or other public entity in which the project is located has qualified and available staff to perform the necessary project services.
All work performed pursuant to any provisions of sections 111, 113 and 114 shall be performed to the satisfaction of and subject to the approval of the department.
The department may delegate to any such city or county any part of the powers and jurisdiction vested by law in the department, except the power of approval, with respect to any portion of any such state highway within such city or county, and may withdraw such delegation.
Unless otherwise specifically provided in the instrument conveying title, the acquisition by the department of any right-of-way over any real property for state highway purposes, includes the right of the department to issue, under Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 660), permits for the location in the right-of-way of any structures or fixtures necessary to telegraph, telephone, or electric power lines or of any ditches, pipes, drains, sewers, or underground structures.
(a) If the department determines that real property or an interest therein, previously or hereafter acquired by the state for highway purposes, is no longer necessary for those purposes, the department may sell, contract to sell, sell by trust deed, or exchange the real property or interest therein in the manner and upon terms, standards, and conditions established by the commission. The payment period in a contract of sale or sale by trust deed shall not extend longer than 10 years from the time the contract of sale or trust deed is executed, and a transaction involving a contract of sale or sale by trust deed to private parties shall require a downpayment of at least 30 percent of the purchase price, except as follows:
  (1) For improved and unimproved real property sold or exchanged for the purpose of housing for persons and families of low or moderate income, as defined in Section 50093 of the Health and Safety Code, the payment period shall not exceed 40 years and the downpayment shall be at least 5 percent of the purchase price. All contracts of sale or sales by trust deed, for the purpose of housing for persons and families of low or moderate income shall bear interest. The rate of interest for the contract or sale shall be computed annually, and shall be the same as the average rate returned by the Pooled Money Investment Board for the past five fiscal years immediately preceding the year in which the payment is made. The contract of sale and sales by trust deeds shall not be utilized if the proposed development or sale qualifies for financing from other sources and if the financing makes feasible the provision of low- and moderate-income housing.
  (2) Improved residential property sold to a local public agency pursuant to paragraph (1), if subsequently sold or transferred to a nonprofit housing organization, shall have the endorsement of the city in which the parcels are located, or the county if the parcels are located in an unincorporated area, that the housing shall remain at affordable housing costs to persons and families of low or moderate income and very low income households for the longest feasible time, but for not less than 15 years, as determined by the city or county, as applicable. By endorsing the sale, the city or county accepts the responsibility of ensuring the housing remains affordable. The local public agency shall record in the office of the county recorder covenants or restrictions implementing this subdivision. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the covenants or restrictions shall run with the land and shall be enforceable against the original purchaser from the department and successors in interest.
  (b) A conveyance under this section shall be approved by the commission and shall be executed on behalf of the state by the director and the purchase price shall be paid into the State Treasury to the credit of any fund, available to the department for highway purposes, which the commission designates.
  (c) Any such real property or interest therein may in like manner be exchanged, either as whole or part consideration, for any other real property or interest therein needed for state highway purposes.
Except as provided in Article 8 (commencing with Section 54220) of Chapter 5 of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5 of the Government Code and Section 118. 6 of this code, with respect to commercial real property acquired for the construction of a state highway, but no longer required for that purpose because the construction will not be undertaken, the department shall first offer the real property for sale at its current fair market value to the occupant thereof if the occupant is renting or leasing the real property from the department, has used and occupied the real property, and has made improvements of a value in excess of five thousand dollars ($5,000) on the real property during that time at his or her own expense consistent with the terms of the rental or lease agreement with the department. For the purpose of establishing fair market value, the department shall obtain at least two independent appraisals from qualified appraisers. The failure of the department to first offer excess real property as required by this section shall not affect the validity of any conveyance of this excess real property to any person or entity unaware of the failure of the department to do so. However, this shall in no way be construed as releasing the department from its responsibility in offering that property to the occupants thereof first.
No parcel of property acquired by eminent domain for the purposes specified in Section 104 which, in its entirety, is found to be no longer necessary for such purposes shall be subject to public sale, unless an amount equal to the taxes which would have been paid by the owner had the property not been acquired by the state is transmitted by the department to the county auditor of the county in which the property is located. The amount of any payments made pursuant to Section 104.10 with respect to the property shall be deducted from the amount required to be transmitted pursuant to this section. The money received by the county under this section shall be expended only for the purposes authorized by Article XIX of the California Constitution.
The department shall, to the greatest extent possible, offer to sell or exchange excess real property within one year from the date that it is determined by the department to be excess. "Excess real property," for the purposes of this section, means all land and improvements situated outside of calculated highway right-of-way lines not needed or used for highway or other public purposes, including, but not limited to, those leased to public agencies pursuant to Section 104.15, and available for sale or exchange. The department shall adopt rules and regulations to determine which real property outside of calculated right-of-way lines is no longer needed or used for highway or other public purposes, and which is available for sale or exchange. The department is authorized to lease all real property not presently needed or used for highway purposes pending the sale or exchange of such property. Excess real property which consists of lands of notable environmental value, such as, but not limited to, lands of extraordinary scenic beauty, lands fronting on waterway, lakes, and marshes, lands within the boundaries of parks, recreational areas, wildlife preserves or refuges, and lands providing wildlife habitat shall first be offered for sale or exchange to public agencies operating parks and recreational areas as follows:
  (a) To any park or recreation department of any city within which the land may be situated.
  (b) To any park or recreation department of the county within which the land is situated.
  (c) To any regional park authority having jurisdiction within the area in which the land is situated.
  (d) To the State Resources Agency or any agency which may succeed to its powers. The public agency desiring to purchase such land for park or recreation use shall notify the department within 60 days of its intent to purchase the land after receipt of the department's notification of intent to sell the land. If the public agency desiring to purchase the land and the department are unable to arrive at a mutually satisfactory sales price for the land during the 60-day period, the land may be disposed of in the normal manner. The failure of the department to first offer excess real property which consists of lands of notable environmental value to public agencies operating parks and recreational areas shall not affect the validity of any conveyance of such excess real property to any person or entity unaware of the failure of the department to do so; however, this shall in no way be construed as releasing the department from its responsibility in offering such property to such public agencies first.
(a) The department may, upon terms, standards, and conditions approved by the commission and the California Coastal Commission, transfer environmental mitigation property located within the city limits of Huntington Beach to a public agency or to a nonprofit corporation that is qualified pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and is organized for, among other things, open-space or land conservation purposes.
  (b) For the purposes of this section, "environmental mitigation property," means property owned by the department that is required by state or federal law, or by permit conditions imposed by a state or federal agency, to be preserved or restored as natural habitat to offset the environmental impacts caused by the construction and operation of a state highway improvement project. However, "environmental mitigation property" does not include property that is part of highway operating right of way. Environmental mitigation property shall be maintained as natural habitat in accordance with the permit conditions. "Environmental mitigation property" means property situated immediately east and adjacent to State Highway Route 1 located between Brookhurst Street and Newland Street with an approximate size of 7.1 acres.
  (c) As a condition to the transfer of environmental mitigation property pursuant to subdivision (a), the department may enter into a cooperative agreement with the transferee to provide funding for the future maintenance of the property consistent with any permit conditions and mitigation requirements imposed by state or federal law or conditions imposed by a state or federal agency. In determining the amount of the funding provided, the department shall consider the costs of maintaining the property and shall offset from the amount of those costs any benefit or value received by the transferee as a result of the transfer. The department shall provide the fiscal and transportation policy committees of the Legislature with at least 30 days prior written notice of the transfer and cooperative agreement, and the amount of any funding in accordance with the transfer and cooperative agreement, to facilitate the Legislature's review of the transfer. Funding provided as part of a transfer agreement shall be limited to a single occurrence.
  (d) (1) The public agency or nonprofit corporation to which the department transfers the environmental mitigation property shall assume the long-term responsibility for the future maintenance of the property.
  (2) (A) If the public agency or nonprofit corporation fails to maintain the property in the manner required by law and in the manner described in subdivision (b), or if the nonprofit corporation ceases to exist, the property shall automatically revert to the department.
  (B) If the property reverts back to the department pursuant to this paragraph, any remaining funds from the original transfer pursuant to subdivision (a) shall revert back to the department.
  (C) Any costs, including legal costs, associated with reversion pursuant to this paragraph shall not accrue to the department.
  (e) (1) All deeds conveying property in accordance with this section shall include a restriction limiting the use of the property solely for environmental mitigation purposes in accordance with the permit conditions specified in subdivision (b).
  (2) All deeds conveying property in accordance with this section and deeds related to a transfer or assignment of property under this section shall be filed with the county recorder's office in the county where the property is located.
  (f) The public agency or nonprofit corporation to which the department transfers environmental mitigation property shall not do any of the following:
  (1) Transfer or assign the property to another entity without approval from the department and compliance with this section.
  (2) Transfer or use the property for any other purpose than required by permit conditions and mitigation requirements.
  (3) Subdivide the property.
  (4) Allow the property to be used to obtain development approval for other property or to provide mitigation for the development of other property.
Any real property or interest therein which has passed to the State and has been accepted on behalf of the State by the department for highway purposes, inadvertently or by mistake, may be reconveyed to the persons entitled thereto. The reconveyance of any such real property or interest therein shall be executed by the director on behalf of the State. Such reconveyance shall not be made until the consideration originally received therefor by the grantor is first refunded or reconveyed to the State, or to any other party entitled thereto.
With the consent and approval of the Public Utilities Commission, the department may abandon that portion of any state highway which crosses the tracks or right of way of any railroad or street railroad, and may close such crossing.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a state highway that has been designated by the federal government as an All-American Road on or before April 30, 2002, shall be maintained and operated by the department consistent with the recommendations for context-sensitive design standards relative to aesthetics and safety that are contained in the corridor management plan submitted to the Federal Highway Administration.
Whenever jurisdiction over any highway within a State park has been relinquished to the authority charged by law with the management and control of such park, the department may construct, improve or maintain such highway. Any construction, improvement or maintenance of highways, other than State highways, within state parks shall be subject to the approval of the park authority.
The provisions of section 122 shall neither affect nor limit the department's authority, possession or control of any State highway even though any portion of such State highway is located within a State park.
The department shall erect and maintain signs directing the way to each of the 21 California Missions originally established by the Franciscan Fathers at the state highway intersection (or turn-offs in case of freeways) nearest to each of the missions.
The department may restrict the use of, or close, any State highway whenever the department considers such closing or restriction of use necessary:
  (a) For the protection of the public.
  (b) For the protection of such highway from damage during storms or during construction, improvement or maintenance operations thereon.
(a) Upon completion by the department of a safety study and a determination by the director, with the concurrence of the Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol, that truck traffic attributable to the United States-Mexico border crossing at Tecate in San Diego County constitutes a safety hazard to schoolbus operations, the department shall determine methods of mitigating the safety hazard, including, but not limited to, prohibiting the use of truck tractor-trailer combinations on Route 94 from the communities of Boulevard and Manzanita to the junction of Route 54 (traveling east and west) during the hours of 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on those days that public school districts utilize that portion of Route 94 to operate schoolbuses, as defined in Section 545 of the Vehicle Code.
  (b) Any person operating a vehicle on Route 94 in violation of this section is guilty of an infraction punishable as provided in Section 42001 of the Vehicle Code.
To notify the public that a state highway is closed or its use restricted, the department may:
  (a) Erect suitable barriers or obstructions upon such highway.
  (b) Post warnings and notices of the condition of any such highway.
  (c) Post signs for the direction of traffic upon it, or to or upon any other highway or detour open to public travel.
  (d) Place warning devices on such highway.
  (e) Assign a flagman to warn, detour or direct traffic on such highway.
The California Highway Patrol shall cooperate with the department in the enforcement of the closing, or restriction of use, of any State highway.
The department shall maintain, in each district office, a file of its final construction plans and right-of-way record maps for all completed state highway projects located within the district. The department may file, in the office of the recorder of the county in which any state highway is located, such plans, maps, or drawings of each state highway as the department deems necessary in the public interest, which the county recorder shall accept and file without fee. No certificate need be attached thereto other than the usual title of the department showing the approval of such plans, maps, or drawings by the proper officer or engineer of the department. All maps filed in the office of a county recorder pursuant to this section shall conform to the provisions of this paragraph. The map shall be legibly drawn, printed, or reproduced by a process that provides a permanent record. Each sheet of paper or other material used for such map shall be 22 by 36 inches in size, shall have clearly shown therein the particular number of the sheet, the total number of sheets comprising the map, and its relation to each adjoining sheet, and shall have encompassing its border a line that leaves a blank margin one inch in width, except that the left side margin shall be two inches in width. In any county using a microfilm system, such plans, maps, or drawings may be microfilmed in lieu of filing.
Each county recorder shall keep all such state highway plans, maps, or drawings filed in separate map books provided by the department for that purpose and each designated "State Highway Map Book No. ____, __________ County." Each such plan, map, or drawing shall be numbered in the order of filing and indexed in a separate index showing the number and the date of filing.
The department and any county, city, or joint highway district, or any of them, may enter into a contract in respect to the proportion of the expense of the acquisition, construction, improvement or maintenance of any state highway to be borne by the respective parties to such contract. Any such contract may provide for the advancement of funds, for the acquisition of rights of way and for the doing of the work, or any portion thereof, by any party to the contract, pursuant to the laws governing such party with reference to such type of acquisition or such character of work. Any money appropriated for the acquisition of rights of way for the construction, improvement or maintenance of county highways, city streets, or joint highway district roads may be expended in such acquisition, construction, improvement or maintenance of any state highway located in whole or in part within the limits of such city, county, or joint highway district, pursuant to such contract, and shall be made available therefor by resolution of the governing body of the city, county, or joint highway district, as the case may be.
Upon the completion of the improvement of any portion of any state highway constructed pursuant to Section 130 by the party designated in the contract, the governing body of such party may, and upon the completion of the whole of any such highway the governing body shall, adopt a resolution declaring such completion and transmit a copy of the resolution to the director.
Upon receipt of the resolution of completion by the director, the control of the state highway, or the portion thereof, declared completed by the resolution shall revert to the State of California and the state shall be liable for its future maintenance and care.
The department may enter into a contract with the Federal authority in charge of any National monument with respect to the portion of the expense of the acquisition, construction, improvement or maintenance of any State highway within such monument to be borne by the respective parties to such contract. The contract may provide for the construction, improvement or maintenance of the highway wholly by such Federal authority. No such contract shall limit in any respect the right of the public to use the highway in accordance with laws applicable thereto.
Upon the application of the governing authority of any county, city, or other governmental agency, the department may:
  (a) Aid in establishing grades and drainage systems for highways.
  (b) Advise with any such authority as to the construction, improvement, or maintenance of highways.
  (c) Prepare plans, specifications, or estimates for the construction, improvement, or maintenance of highways.
  (d) Act as the consulting engineer for any such authority.
  (e) Accept moneys from any such governmental unit for deposit in the State Treasury to the credit of any state fund which the department designates. The department shall use such moneys for the acquisition, construction, improvement, or maintenance of highways situated within such governmental unit, in accordance with the plans, specifications, and terms agreed upon. The governing authority of any such governmental unit may pay into the State Treasury, as provided in this subdivision, any moneys in its treasury or raised by the issuance of bonds, which moneys are available for use by such authority for highway purposes. Any county, by resolution of the board of supervisors, may authorize the State Controller to deduct, from any apportionments to it from the Motor Vehicle Account in the State Transportation Fund or the Motor Vehicle Fuel Account in the Transportation Tax Fund, such amounts as the county may desire to be paid to the department for any work to be done in accordance with this subdivision. Upon such authorization, the State Controller shall transfer such moneys to such fund as the department may designate.
  (f) Accept such compensation as may be agreed upon by such authority and the director for engineering services rendered to such authority.
  (g) Advance moneys, where the director determines that such advance can be made without interference with state highway work, for emergency construction or maintenance work on highways by state forces, or by state contractor, in cases of disaster due to storms or floods where (1) the Governor has declared an emergency pursuant to Section 188.1, and (2) the agency or agencies having jurisdiction over such highway or highways have, by resolution or contract, agreed to reimburse the department, from succeeding Highway User Tax Account in the Transportation Tax Fund apportionments or other sources specified in such resolution or contract and available to such agency or agencies for highway purposes, for the entire cost of the work, including not to exceed 10 percent for overhead and administration. In the event such resolution or contract specifies reimbursement from future apportionments to the agency or agencies by the State Controller, the State Controller shall transfer such moneys, in such manner and over such period as may be specified in the resolution or contract, to such fund as the department may designate.
Upon the request of any service authority for freeway emergencies that has imposed additional fees on vehicles pursuant to Section 9250.10 of the Vehicle Code, the department may contract with the authority for the installation, operation, and maintenance of motorist call boxes on portions of the California Freeway and Expressway System within the county. The service authority shall reimburse the department for all costs incurred under this section.
The department and any county having a park commission may enter into and carry out cooperative agreements for the grading, development, planting and maintenance of roadside areas along any State highway and within the right of way thereof and providing that the department be reimbursed for any expenditure incurred by it. Counties entering into such agreement are authorized to indicate such roadside parks and their approaches by suitable signs in the manner and to the extent provided in any such agreement. It is a misdemeanor for any person to park any house trailer in any such roadside park.
For any cooperation rendered under the provisions of subdivisions (a), (b), (c) or (d) of section 131, the department may require the applicant to pay any portion of the expense, and in such event the department shall determine what amount such applicant shall pay. Any expense incurred in carrying out the objects of any provision of section 131 is part of the administrative expense of the department.
In the expenditure of funds allocated under Sections 2107 and 2117 for expenditure on other than state highways, the department may, upon the application of the governing body of the city, acquire in the name of the city real property, or any interest therein, for any of the purposes provided for in those sections.
Whenever by the construction or improvement of a State highway, changes are necessitated in streets or highways not a part of the State highway system, or in other publicly owned facilities, which require the acquisition of real property or interests therein, the department may acquire such real property in the name of the governmental agency in charge of the street, highway or other facility. This section shall not impose any liability upon the State where it would not otherwise exist.
The department may enter into contracts for the removal or relocation of structures or improvements situated upon real property over which a right-of-way for state highway purposes has been or is to be acquired. Nothing in this section limits or restricts the authority of the department to make agreements authorized by Section 1263.610 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
The Legislature intends by this act to provide prompt and equitable relocation assistance to low-income individuals and families displaced because of the construction of state highway projects in areas where the market value of real property is economically depressed. The Legislature by establishing a replacement housing program for such individuals and families intends to accomplish this objective of providing housing which is decent, safe, sanitary, and functionally equivalent to the housing eliminated by highway construction. Such replacement housing program shall be coordinated with the relocation advisory assistance provided by the department in accordance with Section 156.5. The Legislature further intends that to the extent the department deems feasible such housing shall be supplied by existing housing, moved housing, and refurbished housing before new replacement housing is constructed on a volume basis. The Legislature finds that the foregoing objectives can best be achieved by enabling low-income persons in economically depressed areas affected by state highway construction to participate in the development and execution of the replacement housing program. Accordingly, when the initial replacement housing program is undertaken for the assistance of persons displaced by the construction of State Highway Route 105 in Los Angeles County, such program shall be conducted in a manner conducive to maximum community participation, thereby assisting in alleviation of excessive unemployment by utilizing local labor and contributing to the development of training programs for unskilled labor. The Legislature further finds that conventional contracting procedures, including competitive bidding, may not be consistent with the attainment of these objectives. Therefore, in carrying out this initial replacement housing program on State Highway Route 105, the department may enter into the contracts contemplated by Section 135.7 pursuant to such procedures as the director determines to be best suited to the achievement of the maximum community participation consistent with the economical completion of the freeway projects. The Legislature further finds and declares that the exemption from competitive bidding authorized by this section is made by reason of the unique nature of the initial replacement housing program on State Highway Route 105, and is not to be considered as establishing a precedent for exempting any other public works construction from competitive bidding and other conventional contracting procedures, nor as in derogation of the fundamental policy of the Legislature that contractors for public works be selected by competitive bidding in order to secure economy of construction and other benefits which accrue to the public by reason of such contracting procedures.
As used in Sections 135.3, 135.4, 135.5, 135.6, and 135.7:
  (a) "Low-income individuals and families" means those persons who lack the financial ability and income necessary to obtain replacement housing.
  (b) "Economically depressed area" means an area which the commission by resolution determines to meet all of the following criteria:
  (1) The state highway project is located in an area consisting principally of housing occupied by low-income individuals and families.
  (2) An adequate number of replacement housing units for low-income individuals and families is not available in the immediate area of the state highway project.
  (3) Relocation advisory assistance will be insufficient to place a majority of such individuals and families in replacement housing in the immediate area of the state highway project.
  (c) "Replacement housing" means functionally camparable single or multiple dwelling units which are decent, safe, and sanitary for low-income individuals and families.
(a) As used in this section, "relocation assistance" means, and shall be limited to, that assistance reasonably necessary to place low-income individuals and families who lack the financial ability and income to obtain replacement housing without relocation assistance, and who own and reside in housing in an economically depressed area and who are displaced because of the acquisition or clearance of right-of-way for a project on the state highway system, in replacement housing in the same relative economic ownership position as before displacement by transferring or exchanging their right, title, and interest in property required for state highway purposes for the right, title, and interest in replacement housing.
  (b) The department is authorized to provide relocation assistance to low-income individuals and families who own and reside in housing in an economically depressed area and who are displaced because of the acquisition or clearance of rights-of-way for a project on the state highway system, which project is located in an economically depressed area.
  (c) The department is authorized to adopt rules and regulations to implement this section. Such rules and regulations shall include provisions relating to:
  (1) The methods and priorities for placing such low-income individuals and families in replacement housing.
  (2) The standards for determining the relative economic ownership position of such low-income individuals and families before displacement. The department in determining such standards shall consider the equity value and monthly payments of principal and interest, the availability of federal housing programs, and such other similar ownership factors.
  (3) The standards for determining which of such low-income individuals and families lack the financial ability and income necessary to obtain replacement housing without relocation assistance.
  (4) The procedure for transferring or exchanging right, title, and interest in property required for state highway purposes for the right, title, and interest in replacement housing.
The department may acquire, either in fee or in any lesser estate or interest, any unimproved or unoccupied real property, or real property not devoted primarily to residential use, to provide replacement housing for low-income individuals and families who reside in economically depressed areas and are displaced becuase of the acquisition or clearance of rights-of-way for a project on the state highway system, in order to enable them to live in decent, safe, and sanitary dwellings. All other property acquired for such purpose shall be acquired by means other than condemnation. The acquisition of such property is declared to be a public purpose and use.
The department may contract with other public agencies, private individuals, and corporations for the financing, planning, development, construction, management, sale, exchange, or lease of replacement housing. Low-income individuals and families displaced because of the acquisition or clearance of rights-of-way for a project on the state highway system shall be given priority in buying, leasing, transferring, or exchanging property for replacement housing.
The department may enter into contracts for the leasing or renting of tools or equipment for State highway purposes.
The department may enter into major damage mitigation contracts to perform major damage repairs and operations on state highways when caused by sudden, unforeseen events such as storms, landslides, flooding, high surf, earthquakes or other geological action, or civil unrest. These contracts may be entered into prior to the onset of major damage in order to retain the contractor in readiness to respond to incidents as needed. Work performed under each contract shall be limited to physical construction, demolition, debris removal, and traffic control. The work shall be considered, for funding purposes, as a public works construction project.
(a) The contracts referred to in Sections 135, 136, and 136.1 are not subject to the State Contract Act (Part 2 (commencing with Section 10100) of Division 2 of the Public Contract Code). Except for emergency work of the type described in subdivision (b), whenever the estimated amount of a contract exceeds two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500), it shall be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder, after competitive bidding on any reasonable notice that the department may prescribe. Posting of notice for five days in a public place in the district office within which the work is to be done, or the equipment used, is sufficient. Those contracts shall be subject to the applicable payment bond provisions of Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 9550) of Title 3 of Part 6 of Division 4 of the Civil Code. The department may require faithful performance bonds when considered necessary. The advertisement for each contract shall state whether or not a bond shall be required.
  (b) In cases of emergency work necessitated by the imminence or occurrence of a landslide, flood, storm damage, accident, or other casualty, tools or equipment may be rented for a period of not to exceed 60 days without competitive bidding, and the department may waive the requirements of Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 9550) of Title 3 of Part 6 of Division 4 of the Civil Code to the extent that a contractor may commence performance of the work under the contract for the rental of tools or equipment prior to filing a payment bond with the department. In that case, no payment shall be made to the contractor until a payment bond covering all work of the contract is filed with the department.
(a) The department may enter into contracts not exceeding twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) for the leasing and renting of operated heavy highway equipment for state highway maintenance purposes, which contracts are not subject to the State Contract Act pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 136.5, and the department is not required to comply with the procedures described in subdivision (a) of that section relative to those contracts. Contracts exceeding twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) for the leasing and renting of operated heavy highway equipment for state highway maintenance purposes shall be subject to the procedures described in subdivision (a) of Section 136.5.
  (b) For purposes of this section, "operated heavy highway equipment" shall mean bulldozers, grinders, loaders, pavers, oilers, rollers, excavators, truck tractors and trailers, fork lifts, personnel lifts, sweepers, and water tankers that include within the leasing or rental costs the cost of the qualified operator of the equipment.
  (c) This section shall not apply to contracts for the leasing or renting of operated heavy highway equipment for emergency work, which are governed by subdivision (b) of Section 136.5. This section shall not apply to the leasing or renting of operated heavy highway equipment to be utilized for new highway construction.
The department shall determine the kind, quality, and extent of all highway work done under its control, and may prepare and approve all plans, specifications, and estimates for all such work.
The design of, the drafting of specifications for, and the inspection and approval of state highway structures shall be by civil engineers licensed pursuant to the Professional Engineers Act (Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 6700), Division 3, Business and Professions Code). The approval of plans for, and the inspection and approval of, temporary structures erected by contractors in connection with the construction of state highway structures shall also be by such licensed civil engineers.
The department may employ an attorney at law and such assistant attorneys as are necessary, said attorney to act as the attorney and legal adviser of the department in all highway matters. No contract, relating to highways, awarded by the department shall be binding on the State until it is approved in writing by the Attorney General or by the attorney so employed.
The director or the Chief Engineer of the department may require verbal or written reports from any officer, assistant, or employee of the department regarding state highway matters with which such officer, assistant, or employee is engaged. Any officer, assistant, or employee who knowingly renders a false report to the director or the Chief Engineer is guilty of a felony.
The department may establish and maintain shops for the construction, repair, and servicing of any equipment owned or used by the department. The department may purchase and supply such materials and parts, and furnish such labor, as is necessary in the construction, repair, and servicing of equipment for other state departments. The other state departments receiving them shall reimburse the department for the cost of such materials, parts, and labor, including overhead charges.
Effective June 30, 2006, the Equipment Service Fund in the State Treasury is abolished and all moneys in the fund shall be transferred to the State Highway Account in the State Transportation Fund. Any outstanding liabilities and encumbrances of the Equipment Service Fund as of June 30, 2006, shall become liabilities and encumbrances payable from the State Highway Account.
The department may do anything, including the prosecution of any action, necessary to collect any amounts owing to the State as a result of any activity of the department, and may settle any of such claims with or without court action.
In addition to the other powers relating to state highways granted to it by law, the department may do all of the following:
  (a) Make investigations to place, at the service of the state, the most approved methods of highway construction, improvement, and maintenance.
  (b) Compile statistics relative to the highways of the various counties and cities and of the districts formed to construct, improve, or maintain the highways.
  (c) Determine the methods of highway construction, improvement, and maintenance best adapted to the various sections of the state, and the best methods of construction, improvement, and maintenance of highways, making experiments with respect thereto from time to time.
  (d) Call upon any state, county, city, or district official to furnish any information the official has relating to, or is in any way necessary to the proper performance of, the highway work of the department. The official shall furnish the information without charge.
  (e) Join associations of highway and transportation officials of other states and others which have been established for not less than 10 years, having as their purpose the interchange of information relating to highway construction, improvement, maintenance, and administration and other transportation matters.
  (f) Direct any of its officers or employees to travel to places outside this state at state expense for the purposes, when approved, as provided in Section 11032 of the Government Code.
All expense incurred in carrying out the objects of section 141 is part of the administrative expense of the department.
(a) (1) "Best value" means a value determined by objective criteria, including, but not limited to, price, features, functions, life-cycle costs, and other criteria deemed appropriate by the department or the regional transportation agency.
  (2) "Contracting entity or lessee" means a public or private entity, or consortia thereof, that has entered into a comprehensive development lease agreement with the department or a regional transportation agency for a transportation project pursuant to this section.
  (3) "Design-build" means a procurement process in which both the design and construction of a project are procured from a single entity.
  (4) "Regional transportation agency" means any of the following:
  (A) A transportation planning agency as defined in Section 29532 or 29532.1 of the Government Code.
  (B) A county transportation commission as defined in Section 130050, 130050.1, or 130050.2 of the Public Utilities Code.
  (C) Any other local or regional transportation entity that is designated by statute as a regional transportation agency.
  (D) A joint exercise of powers authority as defined in Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 6500) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code, with the consent of a transportation planning agency or a county transportation commission for the jurisdiction in which the transportation project will be developed.
  (5) "Public Infrastructure Advisory Commission" means a unit or auxiliary organization established by the Transportation Agency that advises the department and regional transportation agencies in developing transportation projects through performance-based infrastructure partnerships.
  (6) "Transportation project" means one or more of the following: planning, design, development, finance, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, improvement, acquisition, lease, operation, or maintenance of highway, public street, rail, or related facilities supplemental to existing facilities currently owned and operated by the department or regional transportation agencies that is consistent with the requirements of subdivision (c).
  (b) (1) The Public Infrastructure Advisory Commission shall do all of the following:
  (A) Identify transportation project opportunities throughout the state.
  (B) Research and document similar transportation projects throughout the state, nationally, and internationally, and further identify and evaluate lessons learned from these projects.
  (C) Assemble and make available to the department or regional transportation agencies a library of information, precedent, research, and analysis concerning infrastructure partnerships and related types of public-private transactions for public infrastructure.
  (D) Advise the department and regional transportation agencies, upon request, regarding infrastructure partnership suitability and best practices.
  (E) Provide, upon request, procurement-related services to the department and regional transportation agencies for infrastructure partnership.
  (2) The Public Infrastructure Advisory Commission may charge a fee to the department and regional transportation agencies for the services described in subparagraphs (D) and (E) of paragraph (1), the details of which shall be articulated in an agreement entered into between the Public Infrastructure Advisory Commission and the department or the regional transportation agency.
  (c) (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, only the department, in cooperation with regional transportation agencies, and regional transportation agencies, may solicit proposals, accept unsolicited proposals, negotiate, and enter into comprehensive development lease agreements with public or private entities, or consortia thereof, for transportation projects.
  (2) Projects proposed pursuant to this section and associated lease agreements shall be submitted to the California Transportation Commission. The commission, at a regularly scheduled public hearing, shall select the candidate projects from projects nominated by the department or a regional transportation agency after reviewing the nominations for consistency with paragraphs (3) and (4). Approved projects may proceed with the process described in paragraph (5).
  (3) The projects authorized pursuant to this section shall be primarily designed to achieve the following performance objectives:
  (A) Improve mobility by improving travel times or reducing the number of vehicle hours of delay in the affected corridor.
  (B) Improve the operation or safety of the affected corridor.
  (C) Provide quantifiable air quality benefits for the region in which the project is located.
  (4) In addition to meeting the requirements of paragraph (3), the projects authorized pursuant to this section shall address a known forecast demand, as determined by the department or regional transportation agency.
  (5) At least 60 days prior to executing a final lease agreement authorized pursuant to this section, the department or regional transportation agency shall submit the agreement to the Legislature and the Public Infrastructure Advisory Commission for review. Prior to submitting a lease agreement to the Legislature and the Public Infrastructure Advisory Commission, the department or regional transportation agency shall conduct at least one public hearing at a location at or near the proposed facility for purposes of receiving public comment on the lease agreement. Public comments made during this hearing shall be submitted to the Legislature and the Public Infrastructure Advisory Commission with the lease agreement. The Secretary of Transportation or the chairperson of the Senate or Assembly fiscal committees or policy committees with jurisdiction over transportation matters may, by written notification to the department or regional transportation agency, provide any comments about the proposed agreement within the 60-day period prior to the execution of the final agreement. The department or regional transportation agency shall consider those comments prior to executing a final agreement and shall retain the discretion for executing the final lease agreement.
  (d) For the purpose of facilitating those projects, the agreements between the parties may include provisions for the lease of rights-of-way in, and airspace over or under, highways, public streets, rail, or related facilities for the granting of necessary easements, and for the issuance of permits or other authorizations to enable the construction of transportation projects. Facilities subject to an agreement under this section shall, at all times, be owned by the department or the regional transportation agency, as appropriate. For department projects, the commission shall certify the department's determination of the useful life of the project in establishing the lease agreement terms. In consideration therefor, the agreement shall provide for complete reversion of the leased facility, together with the right to collect tolls and user fees, to the department or regional transportation agency, at the expiration of the lease at no charge to the department or regional transportation agency. At the time of the reversion, the facility shall be delivered to the department or regional transportation agency, as applicable, in a condition that meets the performance and maintenance standards established by the department or regional transportation agency and that is free of any encumbrance, lien, or other claims.
  (e) Agreements between the department or regional transportation agency and the contracting entity or lessee shall authorize the contracting entity or lessee to use a design-build method of procurement for transportation projects, subject to the requirements for utilizing such a method contained in Chapter 6.5 (commencing with Section 6800) of Part 1 of Division 2 of the Public Contract Code, other than Sections 6802, 6803, and 6813 of that code, if those provisions are enacted by the Legislature during the 2009-10 Regular Session, or a 2009-10 extraordinary session.
  (f) (1) (A) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, for projects on the state highway system, the department is the responsible agency for the performance of project development services, including performance specifications, preliminary engineering, prebid services, the preparation of project reports and environmental documents, and construction inspection services. The department is also the responsible agency for the preparation of documents that may include, but need not be limited to, the size, type, and desired design character of the project, performance specifications covering the quality of materials, equipment, and workmanship, preliminary plans, and any other information deemed necessary to describe adequately the needs of the department or regional transportation agency.
  (B) The department may use department employees or consultants to perform the services described in subparagraph (A), consistent with Article XXII of the California Constitution. Department resources, including personnel requirements, necessary for the performance of those services shall be included in the department's capital outlay support program for workload purposes in the annual Budget Act.
  (2) The department or a regional transportation agency may exercise any power possessed by it with respect to transportation projects to facilitate the transportation projects pursuant to this section. The department, regional transportation agency, and other state or local agencies may provide services to the contracting entity or lessee for which the public entity is reimbursed, including, but not limited to, planning, environmental planning, environmental certification, environmental review, preliminary design, design, right-of-way acquisition, construction, maintenance, and policing of these transportation projects. The department or regional transportation agency, as applicable, shall regularly inspect the facility and require the contracting entity or lessee to maintain and operate the facility according to adopted standards. Except as may otherwise be set forth in the lease agreement, the contracting entity or lessee shall be responsible for all costs due to development, maintenance, repair, rehabilitation, and reconstruction, and operating costs.
  (g) (1) In selecting private entities with which to enter into these agreements, notwithstanding any other provision of law, the department and regional transportation agencies may utilize, but are not limited to utilizing, one or more of the following procurement approaches:
  (A) Solicitations of proposals for defined projects and calls for project proposals within defined parameters.
  (B) Prequalification and short-listing of proposers prior to final evaluation of proposals.
  (C) Final evaluation of proposals based on qualifications and best value. The California Transportation Commission shall develop and adopt criteria for making that evaluation prior to evaluation of a proposal.
  (D) Negotiations with proposers prior to award.
  (E) Acceptance of unsolicited proposals, with issuance of requests for competing proposals. Neither the department nor a regional transportation agency may award a contract to an unsolicited bidder without receiving at least one other responsible bid.
  (2) When evaluating a proposal submitted by the contracting entity or lessee, the department or the regional transportation agency may award a contract on the basis of the lowest bid or best value.
  (h) The contracting entity or lessee shall have the following qualifications:
  (1) Evidence that the members of the contracting entity or lessee have completed, or have demonstrated the experience, competency, capability, and capacity to complete, a project of similar size, scope, or complexity, and that proposed key personnel have sufficient experience and training to competently manage and complete the design and construction of the project, and a financial statement that ensures that the contracting entity or lessee has the capacity to complete the project.
  (2) The licenses, registration, and credentials required to design and construct the project, including, but not limited to, information on the revocation or suspension of any license, credential, or registration.
  (3) Evidence that establishes that members of the contracting entity or lessee have the capacity to obtain all required payment and performance bonding, liability insurance, and errors and omissions insurance.
  (4) Evidence that the contracting entity or lessee has workers' compensation experience, history, and a worker safety program of members of the contracting entity or lessee that is acceptable to the department or regional transportation agency.
  (5) A full disclosure regarding all of the following with respect to each member of the contracting entity or lessee during the past five years:
  (A) Any serious or willful violation of Part 1 (commencing with Section 6300) of Division 5 of the Labor Code or the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (Public Law 91-596).
  (B) Any instance where members of the contracting entity or lessee were debarred, disqualified, or removed from a federal, state, or local government public works project.
  (C) Any instance where members of the contracting entity or lessee, or its owners, officers, or managing employees submitted a bid on a public works project and were found to be nonresponsive or were found by an awarding body not to be a responsible bidder.
  (D) Any instance where members of the contracting entity or lessee, or its owners, officers, or managing employees defaulted on a construction contract.
  (E) Any violations of the Contractors' State License Law (Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 7000) of Division 3 of the Business and Professions Code), including, but not limited to, alleged violations of federal or state law regarding the payment of wages, benefits, apprenticeship requirements, or personal income tax withholding, or Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) withholding requirements.
  (F) Any bankruptcy or receivership of any member of the contracting entity or lessee, including, but not limited to, information concerning any work completed by a surety.
  (G) Any settled adverse claims, disputes, or lawsuits between the owner of a public works project and any member of the contracting entity or lessee during the five years preceding submission of a bid under this article, in which the claim, settlement, or judgment exceeds fifty thousand dollars ($50,000). Information shall also be provided concerning any work completed by a surety during this five-year period.
  (H) If the contracting entity or lessee is a partnership, joint venture, or an association that is not a legal entity, a copy of the agreement creating the partnership or association that specifies that all general partners, joint venturers, or association members agree to be fully liable for the performance under the agreement.
  (i) No agreement entered into pursuant to this section shall infringe on the authority of the department or a regional transportation agency to develop, maintain, repair, rehabilitate, operate, or lease any transportation project. Lease agreements may provide for reasonable compensation to the contracting entity or lessee for the adverse effects on toll revenue or user fee revenue due to the development, operation, or lease of supplemental transportation projects with the exception of any of the following:
  (1) Projects identified in regional transportation plans prepared pursuant to Section 65080 of the Government Code.
  (2) Safety projects.
  (3) Improvement projects that will result in incidental capacity increases.
  (4) Additional high-occupancy vehicle lanes or the conversion of existing lanes to high-occupancy vehicle lanes.
  (5) Projects located outside the boundaries of a public-private partnership project, to be defined by the lease agreement. However, compensation to a contracting entity or lessee shall only be made after a demonstrable reduction in use of the facility resulting in reduced toll or user fee revenues, and may not exceed the difference between the reduction in those revenues and the amount necessary to cover the costs of debt service, including principal and interest on any debt incurred for the development, operation, maintenance, or rehabilitation of the facility.
  (j) (1) Agreements entered into pursuant to this section shall authorize the contracting entity or lessee to impose tolls and user fees for use of a facility constructed by it, and shall require that over the term of the lease the toll revenues and user fees be applied to payment of the capital outlay costs for the project, the costs associated with operations, toll and user fee collection, administration of the facility, reimbursement to the department or other governmental entity for the costs of services to develop and maintain the project, police services, and a reasonable return on investment. The agreement shall require that, notwithstanding Sections 164, 188, and 188.1, any excess toll or user fee revenue either be applied to any indebtedness incurred by the contracting entity or lessee with respect to the project, improvements to the project, or be paid into the State Highway Account, or for all three purposes, except that any excess toll revenue under a lease agreement with a regional transportation agency may be paid to the regional transportation agency for use in improving public transportation in and near the project boundaries.
  (2) Lease agreements shall establish specific toll or user fee rates. Any proposed increase in those rates not otherwise established or identified in the lease agreement during the term of the agreement shall first be approved by the department or regional transportation agency, as appropriate, after at least one public hearing conducted at a location near the proposed or existing facility.
  (3) The collection of tolls and user fees for the use of these facilities may be extended by the commission or regional transportation agency at the expiration of the lease agreement. However, those tolls or user fees shall not be used for any purpose other than for the improvement, continued operation, or maintenance of the facility.
  (k) Agreements entered into pursuant to this section shall include indemnity, defense, and hold harmless provisions agreed to by the department or regional transportation agency and the contracting entity or lessee, including provisions for indemnifying the State of California or the regional transportation agency against any claims or losses resulting or accruing from the performance of the contracting entity or lessee.
  (l) The plans and specifications for each transportation project on the state highway system developed, maintained, repaired, rehabilitated, reconstructed, or operated pursuant to this section shall comply with the department's standards for state transportation projects. The lease agreement shall include performance standards, including, but not limited to, levels of service. The agreement shall require facilities on the state highway system to meet all requirements for noise mitigation, landscaping, pollution control, and safety that otherwise would apply if the department were designing, building, and operating the facility. If a facility is on the state highway system, the facility leased pursuant to this section shall, during the term of the lease, be deemed to be a part of the state highway system for purposes of identification, maintenance, enforcement of traffic laws, and for the purposes of Division 3.6 (commencing with Section 810) of Title 1 of the Government Code.
  (m) Failure to comply with the lease agreement in any significant manner shall constitute a default under the agreement and the department or the regional transportation agency, as appropriate, shall have the option to initiate processes to revert the facility to the public agency.
  (n) The assignment authorized by subdivision (c) of Section 130240 of the Public Utilities Code is consistent with this section.
  (o) A lease to a private entity pursuant to this section is deemed to be public property for a public purpose and exempt from leasehold, real property, and ad valorem taxation, except for the use, if any, of that property for ancillary commercial purposes.
  (p) Nothing in this section is intended to infringe on the authority to develop high-occupancy toll lanes pursuant to Section 149.4, 149.5, or 149.6.
  (q) Nothing in this section shall be construed to allow the conversion of any existing nontoll or nonuser-fee lanes into tolled or user fee lanes with the exception of a high-occupancy vehicle lane that may be operated as a high-occupancy toll lane for vehicles not otherwise meeting the requirements for use of that lane.
  (r) The lease agreement shall require the contracting entity or lessee to provide any information or data requested by the California Transportation Commission or the Legislative Analyst. The commission, in cooperation with the Legislative Analyst, shall annually prepare a report on the progress of each project and ultimately on the operation of the resulting facility. The report shall include, but not be limited to, a review of the performance standards, a financial analysis, and any concerns or recommendations for changes in the program authorized by this section.
  (s) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, no lease agreement may be entered into pursuant to the section that affects, alters, or supersedes the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), dated November 26, 2008, entered into by the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, and the San Francisco County Transportation Authority, relating to the financing of the U.S. Highway 101/Doyle Drive reconstruction project located in the City and County of San Francisco.
  (t) No lease agreements may be entered into under this section on or after January 1, 2017.
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the demonstration toll road project known as State Highway Route 125 (SR 125) in the County of San Diego, authorized pursuant to authority granted to the department by Chapter 107 of the Statutes of 1989, as subsequently amended by Chapter 1115 of the Statutes of 1990 and Chapter 688 of the Statutes of 2002, shall be subject to tolls for a period of up to 45 years under the following additional terms and conditions:
  (1) If agreed to by the private entity and the department, and subject to concurrence by the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), the County of San Diego, the City of San Diego, and the City of Chula Vista, by January 2010, all of whom shall exercise their good faith efforts to reach that agreement and concurrence, the SR 125 franchise agreement shall be amended to provide for a lease period of up to 45 years, which shall be reflected in the SR 125 Development Franchise Agreement, dated January 30, 1991, as amended. If an amendment to extend the lease period is agreed to by the parties, the tolls collected during any extension period shall be used for one or more of the following purposes, as specified in the amendment to the agreement:
  (A) By the private entity to reimburse it for project costs incurred on behalf of the department or SANDAG.
  (B) By the private entity to compensate or reimburse it for project costs or other impacts for which it is entitled to compensation pursuant to the development franchise agreement or other agreements in effect as of June 30, 2006, with or between the private entity and SANDAG concerning SR 125.
  (C) By the private entity to reimburse the department or SANDAG for project costs permitted under the development franchise agreement in effect as of June 30, 2006.
  (D) By the private entity for one or more of the following purposes: the private entity's capital outlay costs for the project; the costs associated with operations, toll collection, and administration of the facility; reimbursement of the state for the costs of maintenance and police services; or a reasonable return on investment to the private entity.
  (E) The development franchise agreement or any amendment thereto shall require that any excess toll revenue either be applied to repayment of the indebtedness incurred by the private entity with respect to the project, or payment into the State Highway Account for the benefit of the San Diego region, or both.
  (2) If an amendment to the SR 125 Development Franchise Agreement is not executed by January 31, 2010, or if an amendment to the agreement is executed by January 31, 2010, that extends the lease period for less than 10 additional years, the department and SANDAG may agree, subject to concurrence by the County of San Diego, the City of San Diego, and the City of Chula Vista, to operate and maintain the toll road for any remaining period of time up to a maximum of 10 years following expiration of the agreement. Tolls collected by the department or SANDAG shall be used to reimburse the department or SANDAG, as applicable, for the SR 125 project costs permitted under the development franchise agreement in effect as of June 30, 2006.
  (3) Except as specifically amended consistent with this section, the SR 125 Development Franchise Agreement shall remain in full force and effect as set forth therein, and this section shall not be deemed to modify any rights or obligations of the parties thereto.
  (b) SANDAG may operate the SR 125 facility and continue the collection of tolls upon the expiration of the SR 125 Development Franchise Agreement or the up to 10-year period specified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a), as applicable, subject to a 2/3 vote of the SANDAG board, pursuant to a plan that specifies the expenditure of toll revenues for projects within the SR 125 corridor. The operation and toll collection may be done in cooperation with the department or solely by SANDAG, with toll revenues to be available for the costs associated with operations, toll collection, and administration of the facility, and reimbursement of the state for the costs of maintenance and police services. Projects eligible for funding from excess toll revenues shall be limited to projects that improve the operation of SR 125, including highway and street projects, truck-only lanes, and transit services and facilities. Any changes to the plan shall require a 2/3 vote of the SANDAG board.
The department is authorized to divide or separate any state highway into separate roadways, wherever there is particular danger to the traveling public of collision between vehicles proceeding in opposite directions or from cross traffic, by constructing curbs, central dividing sections, or other physical separations, or by signs, marks, or other devices, in or on the roadway appropriate to designate the dividing line. The rules governing operation of vehicles on divided highways are contained in Section 21651 of the Vehicle Code.
No state highway shall be divided as provided in Section 144 in such manner as to prevent traffic on any city street or county highway which such state highway intersects from crossing such state highway until after thirty (30) days' notice thereof has been given by the department to the city council or board of supervisors having jurisdiction over the street or highway.
The department is authorized to lay out and construct local service roads on and along any state highway where there is particular danger to the traveling public of collision due to vehicles entering the highway from the side thereof and to divide and separate any service road from the main thoroughfare by raised curbs or dividing sections or by other appropriate devices. It is unlawful for any person to drive any vehicle into the main thoroughfare from any service road except through an opening in the dividing curb or dividing section or dividing line. Any person who violates any provision of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor.
Any public agency having responsibility for the planning and development within a region of this state of public transportation systems may, with the approval of the commission, use the airspace over or under any existing state freeway in that region, or any portion other than the travel roadway of the right-of-way of such freeway, as a route for a public transportation system, such as a railway, monorail, tracked air cushion vehicle system or other such system which, in the discretion of the agency and the department, is feasible from an engineering standpoint, in conformity with established safety design standards, and is consistent with good ecological and environmental planning. The development and construction of such facilities shall be financed out of any available federal, state, and local funds.
(a) The department may construct, maintain, and operate fringe and transportation corridor parking facilities along the state highway system when those facilities would reduce motor vehicle traffic congestion or improve highway safety. Those facilities may include child care projects that are part of an overall traffic reduction plan. For purposes of this code, those facilities are part of the state highway, and the department shall acquire the right-of-way necessary for those facilities in accordance with all of the laws and procedures applicable to other state highway projects.
  (b) The department may enter into agreements with other public agencies for the joint financing of fringe and transportation corridor parking facilities. The rights and obligations of the department and other public agencies with respect to those facilities shall be determined by agreement.
  (c) Fringe and transportation corridor parking facilities estimated to cost two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) or more and located in an urbanized area shall be limited to those facilities included by transportation planning agencies in a regional transportation improvement program prepared pursuant to Section 14527 of the Government Code. Not more than two million dollars ($2,000,000) of the state funds appropriated by the Legislature each year for state highway construction may be used for the purpose of constructing those facilities. In addition, for projects estimated to cost thirty thousand dollars ($30,000) or more, the state funds may be used only to match federal or local funds, or both.
  (d) It is the intent of the Legislature to allow the department to make available space in underutilized park and ride lots for child care purposes when linked to an overall traffic reduction plan. It is not the intent of the Legislature for the department to enter into the operation of those child care projects.
The director shall, without supplanting any other program required to be administered by the department or redirecting funds allocated to other programs, restart program efforts in District 7 of the department to develop and implement additional shared use agreements for public use of private parking lots as park and ride facilities. These shared use agreements shall be developed and implemented to complement and facilitate ridership on existing and planned transit routes in District 7, including, but not limited to, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Metro Rapid Bus route along Ventura Boulevard and the proposed East-West Busway in the San Fernando Valley, for the purpose of reducing congestion on state highways. The department shall not enter into any shared use agreement that would result in costs to the department over the life of the agreement.
The department may construct and maintain transit related highway facilities along the state highway system. Those facilities may include, but are not limited to, bus turn-outs, passenger loading areas, passenger benches and shelters, and special traffic control devices. For purposes of this code, those facilities are part of the state highway. Facilities estimated to cost two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) or more and located in an urbanized area shall be limited to those facilities included by transportation planning agencies in a regional transportation improvement program prepared pursuant to Section 14527 of the Government Code. Not more than one million dollars ($1,000,000) of the state funds appropriated by the Legislature each year for state highway construction may be used for the purpose of constructing those facilities. In addition, for projects estimated to cost thirty thousand dollars ($30,000) or more, the state funds may be used only to match federal or local funds, or both.
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Monterey-Salinas Transit District and the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District may conduct a transit bus-only program using the shoulders of certain highways in the state highway system within the areas served by the transit services of the districts, with the approval of the department and the Department of the California Highway Patrol. The department, the Department of the California Highway Patrol, and participating transit districts shall jointly determine the segments of each highway where it is appropriate to designate the shoulders as transit bus-only traffic corridors, based upon factors that shall include, but not be limited to, right-of-way availability and capacity, peak congestion hours, and the most heavily congested areas. Under the program, the participating transit districts shall actively work with the department and the Department of the California Highway Patrol to develop guidelines that ensure driver and vehicle safety and the integrity of the infrastructure.
  (b) The development of the guidelines shall be done with transparency, including the opportunity for public comment.
  (c) The department and the participating transit districts shall monitor the state of repair of highway shoulders used in the program, including repairs attributable to the operation of transit buses on the shoulders.
  (d) The participating transit districts shall be responsible for all costs attributable to this program, including costs related to repairs attributable to the operation of transit buses on shoulders.
  (e) The program may commence operation as soon as guidelines are agreed to by the transit districts, the department, and the Department of the California Highway Patrol.
  (f) As used in this section, "highway" includes "freeway."
The department may construct exclusive or preferential lanes for buses only or for buses and other high-occupancy vehicles, and may authorize or permit such exclusive or preferential use of designated lanes on existing highways that are part of the State Highway System. Prior to constructing such lanes, the department shall conduct competent engineering estimates of the effect of such lanes on safety, congestion, and highway capacity. To the extent they are available, the department may apply for and use federal aid funds appropriated for the design, construction, and use of such exclusive or preferential lanes, but may also use other State Highway Account funds, including other federal aid funds, for those purposes where proper and desirable. This section shall be known and may be cited as the Carrell Act.
(a) Notwithstanding Sections 149 and 30800 of this code, and Section 21655.5 of the Vehicle Code, the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) may conduct, administer, and operate a value pricing and transit development program on the Interstate Highway Route 15 (I-15) high-occupancy vehicle expressway. The program to implement high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes, under the circumstances described in subdivision (b), may direct and authorize the entry and use of the I-15 high-occupancy vehicle lanes by single-occupant vehicles during peak periods, as defined by SANDAG, for a fee. The amount of the fee shall be established from time to time by SANDAG, and collected in a manner determined by SANDAG.
  (b) With the consent of the department, SANDAG shall establish appropriate performance measures, such as speed or travel times, for the purpose of ensuring optimal use of the HOT lanes by high-occupancy vehicles without adversely affecting other traffic on the state highway system. Unrestricted access to the lanes by high-occupancy vehicles shall be available at all times, except that those high-occupancy vehicles may be required to have an electronic transponder or other electronic device for enforcement purposes. At least annually, the department shall audit the performance during peak traffic hours and report the results of that audit at meetings of the program management team.
  (c) Single-occupant vehicles that are certified or authorized by SANDAG for entry into, and use of, the I-15 high-occupancy vehicle lanes are exempt from Section 21655.5 of the Vehicle Code, and the driver shall not be in violation of the Vehicle Code because of that entry and use.
  (d) SANDAG shall carry out the program in cooperation with the department, and shall consult the department in the operation of the project and on matters related to highway design and construction.
  (e) (1) Agreements between SANDAG, the department, and the Department of the California Highway Patrol shall identify the respective obligations and liabilities of those entities and assign them responsibilities relating to the program. The agreements entered into pursuant to this section shall be consistent with agreements between the department and the United States Department of Transportation relating to this program and shall include clear and concise procedures for enforcement by the Department of the California Highway Patrol of laws prohibiting the unauthorized use of the high-occupancy vehicle lanes. The agreements shall provide for reimbursement of state agencies, from revenues generated by the program, federal funds specifically allocated to SANDAG for the program by the federal government, or other funding sources that are not otherwise available to state agencies for transportation-related projects, for costs incurred in connection with the implementation or operation of the program. Reimbursement for SANDAG's program-related planning and administrative costs in the operation of the program shall not exceed 3 percent of the revenues.
  (2) All remaining revenue shall be used in the I-15 corridor exclusively for (A) the improvement of transit service, including, but not limited to, support for transit operations, (B) transportation corridor improvements, and (C) high-occupancy vehicle facilities, and shall not be used for any other purpose.
  (f) SANDAG, the San Diego Metropolitan Transit Development Board, and the department shall cooperatively develop a single transit capital improvement plan for the I-15 corridor.
The department may undertake the construction of exclusive or preferential lane facilities pursuant to a cooperative agreement with any public or private agency that provides mass transit services. Such cooperative agreement shall establish such geometric design standards, scheduling, reservations, restrictions, and conditions as the department deems necessary or desirable. Provisions may also be made for electrification or use of other power sources under such terms and conditions as the department deems necessary to accomplish the objectives of this section. Additionally, any such agreement shall provide for the payment of compensation where required by other provisions of law or where otherwise deemed appropriate.
(a) (1) Notwithstanding Sections 149 and 30800 of this code, and Section 21655.5 of the Vehicle Code, the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) may conduct, administer, and operate a value pricing and transit development demonstration program on a maximum of two transportation corridors in San Diego County.
  (2) The program, under the circumstances described in subdivision (b), may direct and authorize the entry and use of high-occupancy vehicle lanes in corridors identified in paragraph (1) by single-occupant vehicles during peak periods, as defined by SANDAG, for a fee. The amount of the fee shall be established from time to time by SANDAG, and collected in a manner determined by SANDAG. A high-occupancy vehicle lane may only be operated as a high-occupancy toll (HOT) lane during the hours that the lane is otherwise restricted to use by high-occupancy vehicles.
  (b) With the consent of the department, SANDAG shall establish appropriate performance measures, such as speed or travel times, for the purpose of ensuring optimal use of the HOT lanes by high-occupancy vehicles without adversely affecting other traffic on the state highway system. Unrestricted access to the lanes by high-occupancy vehicles shall be available at all times, except that those high-occupancy vehicles may be required to have an electronic transponder or other electronic device for enforcement purposes. At least annually, the department shall audit the performance during peak traffic hours and report the results of that audit at meetings of the program management team.
  (c) Single-occupant vehicles that are certified or authorized by SANDAG for entry into, and use of, the high-occupancy vehicle lanes identified in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) are exempt from Section 21655.5 of the Vehicle Code, and the driver shall not be in violation of the Vehicle Code because of that entry and use.
  (d) SANDAG shall carry out the program in cooperation with the department pursuant to an agreement that addresses all matters related to design, construction, maintenance, and operation of state highway system facilities in connection with the value pricing and transit development demonstration program.
  (e) (1) Agreements between SANDAG, the department, and the Department of the California Highway Patrol shall identify the respective obligations and liabilities of those entities and assign them responsibilities relating to the program. The agreements entered into pursuant to this section shall be consistent with agreements between the department and the United States Department of Transportation relating to this program and shall include clear and concise procedures for enforcement by the Department of the California Highway Patrol of laws prohibiting the unauthorized use of the high-occupancy vehicle lanes. The agreements shall provide for reimbursement of state agencies, from revenues generated by the program, federal funds specifically allocated to SANDAG for the program by the federal government, or other funding sources that are not otherwise available to state agencies for transportation-related projects, for costs incurred in connection with the implementation or operation of the program.
  (2) The revenue generated from the program shall be available to SANDAG for the direct expenses related to the operation (including collection and enforcement), maintenance, and administration of the demonstration program. Administrative expenses shall not exceed 3 percent of the revenues.
  (3) All remaining revenue generated by the demonstration program shall be used in the corridor from which the revenue was generated exclusively for preconstruction, construction, and other related costs of high-occupancy vehicle facilities, transportation corridor improvements, and the improvement of transit service, including, but not limited to, support for transit operations pursuant to an expenditure plan adopted by SANDAG.
  (f) (1) SANDAG may issue bonds at any time to finance any costs necessary to implement the value pricing program established pursuant to subdivision (a) and any expenditures as may be provided for in the expenditure plan adopted pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (e), payable from the revenues generated from the program.
  (2) The maximum bonded indebtedness that may be outstanding at any one time shall not exceed an amount that may be serviced from the estimated revenues generated from the program.
  (3) The bonds shall bear interest at a rate or rates not exceeding the maximum allowable by law, payable at intervals determined by SANDAG.
  (4) Any bond issued pursuant to this subdivision shall contain on its face a statement to the following effect: "Neither the full faith and credit nor the taxing power of the State of California is pledged to the payment of principal of, as the interest of this bond."
  (5) Bonds shall be issued pursuant to a resolution of SANDAG adopted by a two-thirds vote of its governing board. The resolution shall state all of the following:
  (A) The purposes for which the proposed debt is to be incurred.
  (B) The estimated cost of accomplishing those purposes.
  (C) The amount of the principal of the indebtedness.
  (D) The maximum term of the bonds and the interest rate.
  (E) The denomination or denominations of the bonds, which shall not be less than five thousand dollars ($5,000).
  (F) The form of the bonds.
  (g) Not later than three years after SANDAG first collects revenues from any of the projects described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a), SANDAG shall submit a report to the Legislature on its findings, conclusions, and recommendations concerning the demonstration program authorized by this section. The report shall include an analysis of the effect of the HOT lanes on the adjacent mixed-flow lanes and any comments submitted by the department and the Department of the California Highway Patrol regarding operation of the lane.
(a) (1) Notwithstanding Sections 149 and 30800 of this code, and Section 21655.5 of the Vehicle Code, the Sunol Smart Carpool Lane Joint Powers Authority (SSCLJPA), consisting of the Alameda County Transportation Commission and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, may conduct, administer, and operate a value pricing high-occupancy vehicle program on the Sunol Grade segment of State Highway Route 680 (Interstate 680) in Alameda and Santa Clara Counties and the Alameda County Transportation Commission may conduct, administer, and operate a program on a corridor within Alameda County for a maximum of two transportation corridors in Alameda County pursuant to this section in coordination with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and consistent with Section 21655.6 of the Vehicle Code.
  (2) The program, under the circumstances described in subdivision (b), may direct and authorize the entry and use of the high-occupancy vehicle lanes in the corridors identified in paragraph (1) by single-occupant vehicles for a fee. The fee structure for each corridor shall be established from time to time by the administering agency. A high-occupancy vehicle lane may only be operated as a high-occupancy toll (HOT) lane during the hours that the lane is otherwise restricted to use by high-occupancy vehicles.
  (3) The administering agency for each corridor shall enter into a cooperative agreement with the Bay Area Toll Authority to operate and manage the electronic toll collection system.
  (b) Implementation of the program shall ensure that Level of Service C, as measured by the most recent issue of the Highway Capacity Manual, as adopted by the Transportation Research Board, is maintained at all times in the high-occupancy vehicle lanes, except that, subject to a written agreement between the department and the administering agency that is based on operating conditions of the high-occupancy vehicle lanes, Level of Service D shall be permitted on the high-occupancy vehicle lanes. If Level of Service D is permitted, the department and the administering agency shall evaluate the impacts of these levels of service on the high-occupancy vehicle lanes, and indicate any effects on the mixed-flow lanes. Continuance of Level of Service D operating conditions shall be subject to the written agreement between the department and the administering agency. Unrestricted access to the lanes by high-occupancy vehicles shall be available at all times, except that the program may require a high-occupancy vehicle to have an electronic transponder or other electronic device for law enforcement purposes. At least annually, the department shall audit the level of service during peak traffic hours and report the results of that audit at meetings of the administering agency.
  (c) Single-occupant vehicles that are certified or authorized by the administering agency for entry into, and use of, the high-occupancy vehicle lanes identified in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) are exempt from Section 21655.5 of the Vehicle Code, and the driver shall not be in violation of the Vehicle Code because of that entry and use.
  (d) The administering agency shall carry out the program in cooperation with the department pursuant to a cooperative agreement that addresses all matters related to design, construction, maintenance, and operation of state highway system facilities in connection with the value pricing high-occupancy vehicle program. With the assistance of the department, the administering agency shall establish appropriate traffic flow guidelines for the purpose of ensuring optimal use of the high-occupancy toll lanes by high-occupancy vehicles without adversely affecting other traffic on the state highway system.
  (e) (1) Agreements between the administering agency, the department, and the Department of the California Highway Patrol shall identify the respective obligations and liabilities of those entities and assign them responsibilities relating to the program. The agreements entered into pursuant to this section shall be consistent with agreements between the department and the United States Department of Transportation relating to programs of this nature. The agreements shall include clear and concise procedures for enforcement by the Department of the California Highway Patrol of laws prohibiting the unauthorized use of the high-occupancy vehicle lanes, which may include the use of video enforcement. The agreements shall provide for reimbursement of state agencies, from revenues generated by the program, or other funding sources that are not otherwise available to state agencies for transportation-related projects, for costs incurred in connection with the implementation or operation of the program.
  (2) The revenue generated from the program shall be available to the administering agency for the direct expenses related to the operation (including collection and enforcement), maintenance, construction, and administration of the program. Administrative expenses shall not exceed 3 percent of the revenues.
  (3) All net revenue generated by the program that remains after payment of direct expenses pursuant to paragraph (2) shall be allocated pursuant to an expenditure plan adopted biennially by the administering agency for transportation purposes within the program area. The expenditure plan may include funding for the following:
  (A) The construction of high-occupancy vehicle facilities, including the design, preconstruction, construction, and other related costs of the northbound Interstate 680 Sunol Smart Carpool Lane project.
  (B) Transit capital and operations that directly serve the authorized corridors.
  (f) (1) The administering agency may issue bonds, refunding bonds, or bond anticipation notes, at any time to finance construction and construction-related expenditures of programs adopted pursuant to subdivision (a) and construction and construction-related expenditures that are included in the expenditure plan adopted pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (e), payable solely from the revenues generated from the respective programs.
  (2) The maximum bonded indebtedness that may be outstanding at any one time shall be an amount equal to the sum of the principal of, and interest on, the bonds, but not to exceed the estimated revenues generated from the respective programs.
  (3) Bonds shall be issued pursuant to a resolution adopted by a two-thirds vote of the governing board of the administering agency. The resolution shall state all of the following:
  (A) The purposes for which the proposed debt is to be incurred.
  (B) The estimated cost of accomplishing those purposes.
  (C) The amount of the principal of the indebtedness.
  (D) The maximum term the bonds proposed to be issued shall run before maturity.
  (E) The maximum rate of interest to be paid, which shall not exceed the maximum allowable by law.
  (F) The denomination or denominations of the bonds, which shall not be less than five thousand dollars ($5,000).
  (G) The form of the bonds, including, without limitation, registered bonds and coupon bonds, to the extent permitted by federal law, the registration, conversion, and exchange privileges, if any pertaining thereto, and the time when all of, or any part of, the principal becomes due and payable.
  (H) Any other matters authorized by law.
  (4) The bonds shall bear interest at a rate or rates not exceeding the maximum allowable by law, payable at intervals determined by the administering agency.
  (5) The full amount of bonds may be divided into two or more series and different dates of payment fixed for the bonds of each series. A bond shall not be required to mature on its anniversary date.
  (6) Any bond issued pursuant to this subdivision shall contain on its face a statement to the following effect:
"Neither the full faith and credit nor the taxing power of the State of California is pledged to the payment of principal of, or the interest on, this bond."
(g) Not later than three years after the administering agency first collects revenues from the program authorized by this section, the administering agency shall submit a report to the Legislature on its findings, conclusions, and recommendations concerning the demonstration program authorized by this section. The report shall include an analysis of the effect of the HOT lanes on the adjacent mixed-flow lanes and any comments submitted by the department and the Department of the California Highway Patrol regarding operation of the lane.
(a) Notwithstanding Sections 149 and 30800, and Section 21655.5 of the Vehicle Code, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) created by Part 12 (commencing with Section 100000) of Division 10 of the Public Utilities Code may conduct, administer, and operate a value pricing program on any two of the transportation corridors included in the high-occupancy vehicle lane system in Santa Clara County in coordination with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and consistent with Section 21655.6 of the Vehicle Code. A high-occupancy toll (HOT) lane established on State Highway Route 101 pursuant to this section may extend into San Mateo County as far as the high-occupancy vehicle lane in that county existed as of January 1, 2011, subject to agreement of the City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County.
  (1) VTA, under the circumstances described in subdivision (b), may direct and authorize the entry and use of those high-occupancy vehicle lanes by single-occupant vehicles for a fee. The fee structure shall be established from time to time by the authority. A high-occupancy vehicle lane may only be operated as a HOT lane during the hours that the lane is otherwise restricted to use by high-occupancy vehicles.
  (2) VTA shall enter into a cooperative agreement with the Bay Area Toll Authority to operate and manage the electronic toll collection system.
  (b) With the consent of the department, VTA shall establish appropriate performance measures, such as speed or travel times, for the purpose of ensuring optimal use of the HOT lanes by high-occupancy vehicles without adversely affecting other traffic on the state highway system. Unrestricted access to the lanes by high-occupancy vehicles shall be available at all times, except that those high-occupancy vehicles may be required to have an electronic transponder or other electronic device for enforcement purposes. At least annually, the department shall audit the performance during peak traffic hours and report the results of that audit at meetings of the program management team.
  (c) Single-occupant vehicles that are certified or authorized by the authority for entry into, and use of, the high-occupancy vehicle lanes in Santa Clara County, and, if applicable, San Mateo County as provided in subdivision (a), are exempt from Section 21655.5 of the Vehicle Code, and the driver shall not be in violation of the Vehicle Code because of that entry and use.
  (d) VTA shall carry out the program in cooperation with the department pursuant to an agreement that addresses all matters related to design, construction, maintenance, and operation of state highway system facilities in connection with the value pricing program.
  (e) (1) Agreements between VTA, the department, and the Department of the California Highway Patrol shall identify the respective obligations and liabilities of those entities and assign them responsibilities relating to the program. The agreements entered into pursuant to this section shall be consistent with agreements between the department and the United States Department of Transportation relating to this program. The agreements shall include clear and concise procedures for enforcement by the Department of the California Highway Patrol of laws prohibiting the unauthorized use of the high-occupancy vehicle lanes, which may include the use of video enforcement. The agreements shall provide for reimbursement of state agencies, from revenues generated by the program, federal funds specifically allocated to the authority for the program by the federal government, or other funding sources that are not otherwise available to state agencies for transportation-related projects, for costs incurred in connection with the implementation or operation of the program.
  (2) The revenues generated by the program shall be available to VTA for the direct expenses related to the operation (including collection and enforcement), maintenance, construction, and administration of the program. The VTA's administrative costs in the operation of the program shall not exceed 3 percent of the revenues.
  (3) All remaining revenue generated by the program shall be used in the corridor from which the revenues were generated exclusively for the preconstruction, construction, and other related costs of high-occupancy vehicle facilities, transportation corridor improvements, and the improvement of transit service, including, but not limited to, support for transit operations pursuant to an expenditure plan adopted by the VTA. To the extent a corridor extends into San Mateo County pursuant to subdivision (a), VTA and the City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County shall, by agreement, determine how remaining revenue shall be shared for expenditure in Santa Clara County and San Mateo County consistent with this paragraph.
  (f) (1) The VTA may issue bonds, refunding bonds, or bond anticipation notes, at any time to finance construction and construction-related expenditures necessary to implement the value pricing program established pursuant to subdivision (a) and construction and construction-related expenditures that are provided for in the expenditure plan adopted pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (e), payable from the revenues generated from the program.
  (2) The maximum bonded indebtedness that may be outstanding at any one time shall not exceed an amount that may be serviced from the estimated revenues generated from the program.
  (3) The bonds shall bear interest at a rate or rates not exceeding the maximum allowable by law, payable at intervals determined by the authority.
  (4) Any bond issued pursuant to this subdivision shall contain on its face a statement to the following effect:
"Neither the full faith and credit nor the taxing power of the State of California is pledged to the payment of principal of, or the interest on, this bond."
(5) Bonds shall be issued pursuant to a resolution of VTA adopted by a two-thirds vote of its governing board. The resolution shall state all of the following:
  (A) The purposes for which the proposed debt is to be incurred.
  (B) The estimated cost of accomplishing those purposes.
  (C) The amount of the principal of the indebtedness.
  (D) The maximum term of the bonds and the interest rate.
  (E) The denomination or denominations of the bonds, which shall not be less than five thousand dollars ($5,000).
  (F) The form of the bonds, including, without limitation, registered bonds and coupon bonds, to the extent permitted by federal law, the registration, conversion, and exchange privileges, if applicable, and the time when all of, or any part of, the principal becomes due and payable.
  (G) Any other matters authorized by law.
  (6) The full amount of bonds may be divided into two or more series and different dates of payment fixed for the bonds of each series. A bond shall not be required to mature on its anniversary date.
  (g) Not later than three years after VTA first collects revenues from any of the projects described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a), VTA shall submit a report to the Legislature on its findings, conclusions, and recommendations concerning the demonstration program authorized by this section. The report shall include an analysis of the effect of the HOT lanes on adjacent mixed-flow lanes and any comments submitted by the department and the Department of the California Highway Patrol regarding operation of the lanes.
(a) Notwithstanding Sections 149 and 30800, a regional transportation agency, as defined in subdivision (k), or the department may apply to the commission to develop and operate high-occupancy toll lanes or other toll facilities, including the administration and operation of a value pricing program and exclusive or preferential lane facilities for public transit or freight.
  (b) Each application for the development and operation of the toll facilities described in subdivision (a) shall be subject to review and approval by the commission pursuant to eligibility criteria set forth in guidelines established by the commission. Prior to approving an application, the commission shall conduct at least one public hearing at or near the proposed toll facility for the purpose of receiving public comment. Upon approval of an application, the regional transportation agency or the department may develop and operate the toll facility proposed in the application.
  (c) The eligibility criteria set forth in the guidelines established by the commission pursuant to subdivision (b) shall include, at a minimum, all of the following:
  (1) A demonstration that the proposed toll facility will improve the corridor's performance by, for example, increasing passenger throughput or reducing delays for freight shipments and travelers, especially those traveling by carpool, vanpool, and transit.
  (2) A requirement that the proposed toll facility is contained in the constrained portion of a conforming regional transportation plan prepared pursuant to Section 65080 of the Government Code.
  (3) Evidence of cooperation between the applicable regional transportation agency and the department.
  (4) A discussion of how the proposed toll facility meets the requirements of this section.
  (5) A requirement that a project initiation document has been completed for the proposed toll facility.
  (6) A demonstration that a complete funding plan has been prepared.
  (d) A regional transportation agency that applies to the commission to develop and operate toll facilities pursuant to this section shall reimburse the commission for all of the commission's costs and expenses incurred in processing the application.
  (e) Toll facilities approved by the commission on or after January 1, 2016, pursuant to this section, shall be subject to the following minimum requirements:
  (1) A regional transportation agency sponsoring a toll facility shall enter into an agreement with the Department of the California Highway Patrol that addresses all law enforcement matters related to the toll facility and an agreement with the department that addresses all matters related to design, construction, maintenance, and operation of the toll facility, including, but not limited to, liability, financing, repair, rehabilitation, and reconstruction.
  (2) A regional transportation agency sponsoring a toll facility shall be responsible for reimbursing the department and the Department of the California Highway Patrol for their costs related to the toll facility pursuant to an agreement between the agency and the department and an agreement between the agency and the Department of the California Highway Patrol.
  (3) The sponsoring agency shall be responsible for establishing, collecting, and administering tolls, and may include discounts and premiums for the use of the toll facility.
  (4) The revenue generated from the operation of the toll facility shall be available to the sponsoring agency for the direct expenses related to the following:
  (A) Debt issued to construct, repair, rehabilitate, or reconstruct any portion of the toll facility, payment of debt service, and satisfaction of other covenants and obligations related to indebtedness of the toll facility.
  (B) The development, maintenance, repair, rehabilitation, improvement, reconstruction, administration, and operation of the toll facility, including toll collection and enforcement.
  (C) Reserves for the purposes specified in subparagraphs (A) and (B).
  (5) All remaining revenue generated by the toll facility shall be used in the corridor from which the revenue was generated pursuant to an expenditure plan developed by the sponsoring agency, as follows:
  (A) (i) For a toll facility sponsored by a regional transportation agency, the regional transportation agency shall develop the expenditure plan in consultation with the department.
  (ii) For a toll facility sponsored by the department, the department shall develop the expenditure plan in consultation with the applicable regional transportation agency.
  (B) (i) For a toll facility sponsored by a regional transportation agency, the governing board of the regional transportation agency shall review and approve the expenditure plan and any updates.
  (ii) For a toll facility sponsored by the department, the commission shall review and approve the expenditure plan and any updates.
  (6) The sponsoring agency's administrative expenses related to operation of a toll facility shall not exceed 3 percent of the toll revenues.
  (f) For any project under this section involving the conversion of an existing high-occupancy vehicle lane to a high-occupancy toll lane, the sponsoring agency shall demonstrate that the project will, at a minimum, result in expanded efficiency of the corridor in terms of travel time reliability, passenger throughput, or other efficiency benefit.
  (g) This section shall not prevent the construction of facilities that compete with a toll facility approved by the commission pursuant to this section, and the sponsoring agency shall not be entitled to compensation for the adverse effects on toll revenue due to those competing facilities.
  (h) A sponsoring agency that develops or operates a toll facility pursuant to this section shall provide any information or data requested by the commission or the Legislative Analyst. The commission, in cooperation with the Legislative Analyst, shall annually prepare a summary report on the progress of the development and operation of any toll facilities authorized pursuant to this section. The commission may submit this report as a section in its annual report to the Legislature required pursuant to Section 14535 of the Government Code.
  (i) (1) A regional transportation agency may issue bonds, refunding bonds, or bond anticipation notes, at any time, to finance construction of, and construction-related expenditures for, a toll facility approved pursuant to this section, and construction and construction-related expenditures that are included in the expenditure plan adopted pursuant to paragraph (5) of subdivision (e), payable from the revenues generated from the toll facility. The bonds, refunding bonds, and bond anticipation notes shall bear such interest rates and other features and terms as the regional transportation agency shall approve and may be sold by the regional transportation agency at public or private sale.
  (2) A bond, refunding bond, or bond anticipation note issued pursuant to this subdivision shall contain on its face a statement to the following effect:
"Neither the full faith and credit nor the taxing power of the State of California is pledged to the payment of principal of, or the interest on, this instrument."
(3) Bonds, refunding bonds, and bond anticipation notes issued pursuant to this subdivision are legal investments for all trust funds, the funds of all insurance companies, banks, trust companies, executors, administrators, trustees, and other fiduciaries.
  (4) Interest earned on any bonds, refunding bonds, and bond anticipation notes issued pursuant to this subdivision shall at all times be free from state personal income tax and corporate income tax.
  (5) (A) For a toll facility operated by the department, the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank or the Treasurer may issue bonds, refunding bonds, or bond anticipation notes, at any time, to finance development, construction, or reconstruction of, and construction-related expenditures for, a toll facility approved pursuant to this section and construction and construction-related expenditures that are included in the expenditure plan adopted pursuant to paragraph (5) of subdivision (e), payable solely from the toll revenue and ancillary revenues generated from the toll facility.
  (B) This subdivision shall be deemed to provide all necessary state law authority for purposes of Section 63024.5 of the Government Code.
  (j) (1) Before submitting an application pursuant to subdivision (a), a regional transportation agency shall consult with every local transportation authority designated pursuant to Division 12.5 (commencing with Section 131000) or Division 19 (commencing with Section 180000) of the Public Utilities Code and every congestion management agency whose jurisdiction includes the toll facility that the regional transportation agency proposes to develop and operate.
  (2) A regional transportation agency shall give a local transportation authority or congestion management agency described in paragraph (1) the option to enter into agreements, as needed, for project development, engineering, financial studies, and environmental documentation for each construction project or segment that is part of the toll facility. The local transportation authority or congestion management agency may be the lead agency for these construction projects or segments.
  (k) Notwithstanding Section 143, for purposes of this section, "regional transportation agency" means any of the following:
  (1) A transportation planning agency described in Section 29532 or 29532.1 of the Government Code.
  (2) A county transportation commission established under Section 130050, 130050.1, or 130050.2 of the Public Utilities Code.
  (3) Any other local or regional transportation entity that is designated by statute as a regional transportation agency.
  (4) A joint exercise of powers authority established pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 6500) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code, with the consent of a transportation planning agency or a county transportation commission for the jurisdiction in which the transportation project will be developed.
  (5) The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority established pursuant to Part 12 (commencing with Section 100000) of Division 10 of the Public Utilities Code.
  (l) A regional transportation agency or the department may require any vehicle accessing a toll facility authorized under this section to have an electronic toll collection transponder or other electronic device for enforcement or tolling purposes.
  (m) Nothing in this section shall authorize or prohibit the conversion of any existing nontoll or nonuser-fee lanes into tolled or user-fee lanes, except that a high-occupancy vehicle lane may be converted into a high-occupancy toll lane.
  (n) Nothing in this section shall apply to, modify, limit, or otherwise restrict the authority of any joint powers authority described in Section 66484.3 of the Government Code to establish or collect tolls or otherwise operate any toll facility or modify or expand a toll facility.
(a) Pursuant to Section 149.7, the Legislature hereby authorizes a value pricing and transit program involving high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes to be developed and operated on State Highway Route 15 in Riverside County by the Riverside County Transportation Commission, as one of two toll lane projects in southern California authorized by subdivision (c) of Section 149.7.
  (b) The Riverside County Transportation Commission shall carry out the program in cooperation with the department pursuant to a cooperative agreement that addresses all matters related to design, construction, maintenance, and operation of state highway program facilities in connection with the value pricing and transit program. With the assistance of the department, the Riverside County Transportation Commission shall establish appropriate traffic flow guidelines for the purpose of ensuring optimal use of the express lanes by high-occupancy vehicles without adversely affecting other traffic on the state highway system. The commission shall operate the HOT lane facilities in a manner consistent with the minimum level of service standards established in subdivision (b) of Sections 149.4, 149.5, and 149.6.
  (c) (1) Pursuant to Section 149.7, the Riverside County Transportation Commission shall have the authority to set, levy, and collect tolls, user fees, or other similar charges payable for the use of the State Highway Route 15 HOT lanes, and any other incidental or related fees or charges, in amounts as required for the following expenditures relative to State Highway Route 15 and for purposes of paragraph (2):
  (A) Capital outlay, including the costs of design, construction, right-of-way acquisition, and utility adjustment.
  (B) Operations and maintenance, including, but not limited to, toll collection and enforcement.
  (C) Repair and rehabilitation.
  (D) Indebtedness incurred, including related financing costs.
  (E) Reserves.
  (F) Administration, which shall not exceed 3 percent of toll and associated facility revenues.
  (2) Excess toll revenues beyond the expenditure needs of paragraph (1) may be expended for the following purposes:
  (A) To enhance transit service designed to reduce traffic congestion on State Highway Route 15 or to expand travel options along the State Highway Route 15 corridor. Eligible expenditures include, but are not limited to, transit operating assistance, the acquisition of transit vehicles, and the transit capital improvements otherwise eligible to be funded under the state transportation improvement program pursuant to Section 164.
  (B) To make operational or capacity improvements designed to reduce congestion or improve the flow of traffic on State Highway Route 15. Eligible expenditures may include any phase of project delivery to make capital improvements to onramps, connector roads, roadways, bridges, or other structures that are related to the tolled or nontolled facilities on State Highway Route 15.
  (3) The Riverside County Transportation Commission is authorized to issue bonds to finance the costs of the HOT lane facilities on State Highway Route 15, including the costs of issuing the bonds and paying credit enhancement and other fees related to the bonds, which bonds are payable from the tolls authorized in paragraph (1), and any other sources of revenue available to the Riverside County Transportation Commission that may be used for these purposes, including, but not limited to, sales tax revenue, development impact fees, or state and federal grant funds. The bonds may be sold pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth in a resolution adopted by the governing board of the Riverside County Transportation Commission. Bonds shall be issued pursuant to a resolution adopted by a two-thirds vote of the governing board. Any bond issued pursuant to this paragraph shall not constitute a debt or liability of the state and shall contain on its face a statement to the following effect:
"Neither the full faith and credit nor the taxing power of the State of California is pledged to the payment of principal or interest of this bond."
(4) The Riverside County Transportation Commission shall make available for public review and comment the proposed toll schedule, or any changes to the schedule, a minimum of 30 days prior to its adoption by the Riverside County Transportation Commission.
  (d) The Riverside County Transportation Commission, in consultation with the department, shall issue a plan of transportation improvements for the State Highway Route 15 corridor, which shall include projected costs, the use of toll revenues, and a proposed completion schedule. This plan shall be updated annually. The plan and each annual update shall be made available for public review and comment no less than 30 days prior to its adoption by the Riverside County Transportation Commission.
  (e) This section shall not prevent the department or any local agency from constructing facilities within the State Highway Route 15 corridor that compete with the HOT lane transportation project, and in no event shall the Riverside County Transportation Commission be entitled to compensation for the adverse effects on toll revenue due to those facilities.
  (f) If any provision of this section or the application thereof is held invalid, that invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of this section that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this extent the provisions of this section are severable.
(a) Notwithstanding Sections 149 and 30800 of this code, and Section 21655.5 of the Vehicle Code, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) may conduct, administer, and operate a value-pricing and transit development program involving high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes on State Highway Routes 10 and 110 in the County of Los Angeles. LACMTA, with the consent of the department, may direct and authorize the entry and use of the State Highway Routes 10 and 110 high-occupancy vehicle lanes by single-occupant vehicles and those vehicles that do not meet minimum occupancy requirements, as defined by LACMTA, for a fee. The amount of the fee shall be established by, and collected in a manner to be determined by, LACMTA. LACMTA may continue to require high-occupancy vehicles to have an electronic transponder or other electronic device for enforcement purposes.
  (b) LACMTA shall implement the program in cooperation with the department, and with the active participation of the Department of the California Highway Patrol, pursuant to an agreement that addresses all matters related to design, construction, maintenance, and operation of state highway system facilities in connection with the program. With the consent of the department, LACMTA shall establish appropriate performance measures, such as speed or travel times, for the purpose of ensuring optimal use of the HOT lanes by high-occupancy vehicles without adversely affecting other traffic on the state highway system.
  (1) Agreements between LACMTA, the department, and the Department of the California Highway Patrol shall identify the respective obligations and liabilities of each party to the agreement and assign them responsibilities relating to the program. The agreements entered into pursuant to this section shall be consistent with agreements between the department and the United States Department of Transportation relating to programs of this nature. The agreements entered into pursuant to this section shall include clear and concise procedures for enforcement by the Department of the California Highway Patrol of laws prohibiting the unauthorized use of the HOT lanes. The agreements shall provide for reimbursement of state agencies, from revenues generated by the program or other funding sources that are not otherwise available to state agencies for transportation-related projects, for costs incurred in connection with the implementation or operation of the program, as well as maintenance of state highway system facilities in connection with the program.
  (2) All remaining revenue generated by the program shall be used in the corridor from which the revenue was generated exclusively for preconstruction, construction, and other related costs of high-occupancy vehicle facilities, transportation corridor improvements, and the improvement of transit service in the corridor, including, but not limited to, support for transit operations pursuant to an expenditure plan adopted by LACMTA. LACMTA's administrative expenses related to the operation of the program shall not exceed 3 percent of the revenues.
  (c) Single-occupant vehicles and those vehicles that do not meet minimum occupancy requirements that are certified or authorized by LACMTA for entry into, and use of, the State Highway Routes 10 and 110 high-occupancy vehicle lanes are exempt from Section 21655.5 of the Vehicle Code, and the driver shall not be in violation of the Vehicle Code because of that entry and use.
  (d) In implementing the program, LACMTA shall continue to work with the affected communities in the respective corridors and provide mitigation measures for commuters of low income, including reduced toll charges and toll credits for transit users. Eligible commuters for reduced toll charges or toll credits for transit users shall meet the eligibility requirements for assistance programs under Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200) or Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 12000) of Part 3 of, Part 5 (commencing with Section 17000) of, or Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 18900), Chapter 10.1 (commencing with Section 18930), or Chapter 10.3 (commencing with Section 18937) of Part 6 of, Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
  (e) LACMTA and the department shall report to the Legislature by January 31, 2015. The report shall include, but not be limited to, a summary of the program, a survey of its users, the impact on carpoolers, revenues generated, how transit service or alternative modes of transportation were impacted, any potential effect on traffic congestion in the high-occupancy vehicle lanes and in the neighboring lanes, the number of toll-paying vehicles that utilized the HOT lanes, any potential reductions in the greenhouse gas emissions that are attributable to congestion reduction resulting from the HOT lane program, any comments submitted by the Department of the California Highway Patrol regarding operation of the lanes, and a description of the mitigation measures on the affected communities and commuters in the program. The report shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code. This subdivision shall become inoperative on January 31, 2019, pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code.
  (f) Toll paying commuters shall have the option to purchase any necessary toll paying equipment, prepay tolls, and renew toll payments by cash or by using a credit card.
  (g) This section shall not prevent the department or any local agency from constructing facilities that compete with a HOT lane program, and LACMTA shall not be entitled to compensation for adverse effects on toll revenue due to those facilities.
  (h) LACMTA may issue bonds, as set forth in Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 130500) of Division 12 of the Public Utilities Code, at any time to finance any costs necessary to implement a value-pricing and transit development program established in accordance with this section and to finance any expenditures payable from the revenues generated from the program.
(a) Notwithstanding Sections 149 and 30800 of this code, and Section 21655.5 of the Vehicle Code, the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) may conduct, administer, and operate a value pricing and transit development program on the State Highway Route 5 in managed lanes serving as a high-occupancy vehicle expressway. The program, under the circumstances described in subdivision (b), may direct and authorize the entry and use of the State Highway Route 5 high-occupancy vehicle lanes by single-occupant vehicles during peak periods, as defined by SANDAG, for a fee. The amount of the fee shall be established from time to time by SANDAG, and collected in a manner determined by SANDAG.
  (b) Implementation of the program shall ensure that Level of Service C, as measured by the most recent issue of the Highway Capacity Manual, as adopted by the Transportation Research Board, is maintained at all times in the high-occupancy vehicle lanes, except that subject to a written agreement between the department and SANDAG that is based on operating conditions of the high-occupancy vehicle lanes, Level of Service D shall be permitted on the high-occupancy vehicle lanes. If Level of Service D is permitted, the department and SANDAG shall evaluate the impacts of these levels of service of the high-occupancy vehicle lanes, and indicate any effects on the mixed-flow lanes. Continuance of Level of Service D operating conditions shall be subject to the written agreement between the department and SANDAG. Unrestricted access to the lanes by high-occupancy vehicles shall be available at all times. At least annually, the department shall audit the level of service during peak traffic hours and report the results of that audit at meetings of the program management team.
  (c) Single-occupant vehicles that are certified or authorized by SANDAG for entry into, and use of, the State Highway Route 5 high-occupancy vehicle lanes are exempt from Section 21655.5 of the Vehicle Code, and the driver shall not be in violation of the Vehicle Code because of that entry and use.
  (d) SANDAG shall carry out the program in cooperation with the department and shall consult the department in the operation of the project and on matters related to highway design and construction. With the assistance of the department, SANDAG shall establish appropriate traffic flow guidelines for the purpose of ensuring optimal use of the express lanes by high-occupancy vehicles.
  (e) (1) Agreements between SANDAG, the department, and the Department of the California Highway Patrol shall identify the respective obligations and liabilities of those entities and assign them responsibilities relating to the program. The agreements entered into pursuant to this section shall be consistent with agreements between the department and the United States Department of Transportation relating to this program and shall include clear and concise procedures for enforcement by the Department of the California Highway Patrol of laws prohibiting the unauthorized use of the high-occupancy vehicle lanes. The agreements shall provide for reimbursement of state agencies, from revenues generated by the program, federal funds specifically allocated to SANDAG for the program by the federal government, or other funding sources that are not otherwise available to state agencies for transportation-related projects, for costs incurred in connection with the implementation or operation of the program. Reimbursement for SANDAG's program-related planning and administrative costs in the operation of the program shall not exceed 3 percent of the revenues.
  (2) All remaining revenue shall be used in the State Highway Route 5 corridor exclusively for (A) the improvement of transit service, including, but not limited to, construction of transit facilities and support for transit operations, and (B) high-occupancy vehicle facilities.
(a) (1) Notwithstanding Sections 149 and 30800 of this code, and Section 21655.5 of the Vehicle Code, the San Bernardino County Transportation Commission, created pursuant to Section 130054 of the Public Utilities Code, may conduct, administer, and operate a value-pricing program in the Interstate 10 and Interstate 15 corridors in the County of San Bernardino. The value-pricing program may include high-occupancy toll lanes or other toll facilities. The San Bernardino County Transportation Commission may also extend the program to include the approaching and departing connectors on Interstate 10 extending into the County of Los Angeles, as designated by an agreement with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and the connection to the Interstate 15 express lanes project in the County of Riverside, as designated by an agreement with the Riverside County Transportation Commission. The San Bernardino County Transportation Commission may exercise its existing powers of eminent domain pursuant to Section 130220.5 of the Public Utilities Code to acquire property necessary to carry out the purposes of the value-pricing program.
  (2) The value-pricing program authorized pursuant to paragraph (1) may only be implemented upon a determination that the program and the resulting facilities will improve the performance of the affected corridors. Improved performance may be demonstrated by factors that include, but are not limited to, increased passenger throughput or improved travel times. The San Bernardino County Transportation Commission shall make the determination required by this paragraph in a public meeting prior to operation of the value-pricing program.
  (3) The San Bernardino County Transportation Commission shall have the authority to set, levy, and collect tolls, user fees, or other similar charges payable for the use of the toll facilities in the County of San Bernardino, and any other incidental or related fees or charges, and to collect those revenues, in a manner determined by the San Bernardino County Transportation Commission, in amounts as required for the following expenditures relative to the program and for the purposes of paragraph (4):
  (A) Development, including the costs of design, construction, right-of-way acquisition, and utilities adjustment.
  (B) Operations and maintenance, including, but not limited to, insurance, collection, and enforcement of tolls, fees, and charges.
  (C) Repair, rehabilitation, and reconstruction.
  (D) Indebtedness incurred and internal loans and advances, including related financial costs.
  (E) Administration, which shall not exceed 3 percent of the revenues of toll facilities and associated transportation facilities.
  (F) Reserves for the purposes described in subparagraphs (A) to (E), inclusive.
  (4) All revenue generated pursuant to paragraph (3) in excess of the expenditure needs of that paragraph shall be used exclusively for the benefit of the transportation corridors included in the value-pricing program created pursuant to this section. These excess revenue expenditures shall be described in an excess revenue expenditure plan developed in consultation with the department and adopted and periodically updated by the board of directors of the San Bernardino County Transportation Commission and may include, but need not be limited to, the following eligible expenditures:
  (A) Expenditures to enhance transit service designed to reduce traffic congestion within the transportation corridors included in the value-pricing program created pursuant to this section. Eligible expenditures include, but are not limited to, transit operating assistance, the acquisition of transit vehicles, and transit capital improvements otherwise eligible to be funded under the state transportation improvement program pursuant to Section 164.
  (B) Expenditures to make operational or capacity improvements designed to reduce traffic congestion or improve the flow of traffic in the transportation corridors included in the value-pricing program created pursuant to this section. Eligible expenditures include, but are not limited to, any phase of project delivery to make capital improvements to on ramps, off ramps, connector roads, roadways, bridges, or other structures that are necessary for or related to the tolled or nontolled transportation facilities in the transportation corridors included in the value-pricing program created pursuant to this section.
  (5) To the extent the San Bernardino County Transportation Commission plans to extend the value-pricing program into the Counties of Los Angeles or Riverside, it shall enter into an agreement with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority or the Riverside County Transportation Commission, as applicable, subject to approval of the board of directors of the San Bernardino County Transportation Commission and the board of directors of the affected entity. If the value-pricing program developed and operated by the San Bernardino County Transportation Commission connects to, or is near, similar toll facilities constructed and operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority or the Riverside County Transportation Commission, the respective entities shall enter into an agreement providing for the coordination of the toll facilities operated by each entity.
  (b) (1) The San Bernardino County Transportation Commission shall carry out the program in cooperation with the Department of the California Highway Patrol pursuant to an agreement that addresses all matters related to enforcement on state highway system facilities in connection with the value-pricing program, and with the department pursuant to an agreement that addresses all matters related to the design, construction, maintenance, and operation of state highway system facilities in connection with the value-pricing program, including, but not limited to, financing, repair, rehabilitation, and reconstruction.
  (2) The San Bernardino County Transportation Commission shall be responsible for reimbursing the department and the Department of the California Highway Patrol for costs related to the toll facility pursuant to an agreement between the San Bernardino County Transportation Commission and the department and between the San Bernardino County Transportation Commission and the Department of the California Highway Patrol.
  (c) Single-occupant vehicles that are certified or authorized by the San Bernardino County Transportation Commission for entry into, and use of, the high-occupancy toll lanes implemented pursuant to this section are exempt from Section 21655.5 of the Vehicle Code, and the driver shall not be in violation of the Vehicle Code because of that entry and use.
  (d) (1) The San Bernardino County Transportation Commission may issue bonds at any time to finance any costs necessary to implement the program established pursuant to this section and any expenditures provided for in paragraphs (3) and (4) of subdivision (a), payable from the revenues generated from the program and any other sources of revenues available to the San Bernardino County Transportation Commission that may be used for these purposes, including, but not limited to, sales tax revenue, development impact fees, or state and federal grants.
  (2) The maximum bonded indebtedness that may be outstanding at any one time shall not exceed an amount that may be serviced from the projected revenues available as described in paragraph (1).
  (3) The bonds shall bear interest at a rate or rates not exceeding the maximum allowable by law, payable at intervals determined by the San Bernardino County Transportation Commission.
  (4) Any bond issued pursuant to this subdivision shall contain on its face a statement to the following effect: "Neither the full faith and credit nor the taxing power of the State of California is pledged to the payment of principal of, or interest on, this bond."
  (5) Bonds shall be issued pursuant to a resolution of the governing board of the San Bernardino County Transportation Commission adopted by a majority vote of its governing board. The resolution or bond authorizing instrument shall state all of the following:
  (A) The purposes for which the proposed debt is to be incurred.
  (B) The estimated cost of accomplishing those purposes.
  (C) The amount of the principal of the indebtedness.
  (D) The maximum term of the bonds and the maximum interest rate.
  (E) The denomination or denominations of the bonds, which shall not be less than five thousand dollars ($5,000).
  (F) The form of the bonds.
  (e) Not later than three years after the San Bernardino County Transportation Commission first collects revenues from the program authorized by this section, the San Bernardino County Transportation Commission shall submit a report to the Legislative Analyst on its findings, conclusions, and recommendations concerning the program. The report shall include an analysis of the effect of the transportation facilities on the adjacent mixed-flow lanes and any comments submitted by the department and the Department of the California Highway Patrol regarding operation of the transportation facilities.
  (f) This section shall not prevent the department or any local agency from constructing improvements in the transportation corridors that compete with the program, and the San Bernardino County Transportation Commission shall not be entitled to compensation for the adverse effects on toll revenue due to those competing improvements.
  (g) If any provision of this section or the application thereof is held invalid, that invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of this section that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this extent the provisions are severable.
  (h) Nothing in this section shall authorize the conversion of any existing nontoll or nonuser-fee lanes into tolled or user-fee lanes, except that a high-occupancy vehicle lane may be converted into a high-occupancy toll lane.
The Highway Toll Account is hereby created in the State Transportation Fund for the management of funds received by the department for toll facilities authorized pursuant to Section 149.7 and operated by the department. Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, moneys in the Highway Toll Account designated and necessary for the payment of any debt service associated with a toll facility project shall be continuously appropriated, without regard to fiscal year, to the department for the purposes described in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (4) of subdivision (e) of Section 149.7. All other moneys deposited in the Highway Toll Account that are derived from premium and accrued interest on bonds sold pursuant to Section 149.7 shall be reserved in the account and shall be available for expenditure, upon appropriation by the Legislature, as specified in subdivision (e) of Section 149.7. Pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 16720) of Part 3 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code, the cost of bond issuance shall be paid out of the bond proceeds, including premium, if any.
When the department, in cooperation with rapid transit districts, recommends that mass public transportation facilities should be located along a proposed freeway corridor in order to establish a planned balanced transportation system, the commission shall consider this recommendation in making its decision as to the location of the freeway. If the commission determines that the location of mass public transportation facilities should be located along the proposed freeway corridor, it may also direct the department to plan, design, and construct the freeway so as to provide locations for those facilities, and the cost thereof shall be considered as part of the cost of constructing the state highway. In making this determination, the commission shall consider the extent to which the mass public transportation facilities will reduce the volume of traffic on the proposed freeway and the impact the joint development will have on community values. The commission shall also consider whether the rapid transit district has adopted a general plan for the development of its mass public transportation facilities and the likelihood as to whether sufficient funds will be available for the development of mass public transportation service in those locations. The commission shall authorize the department to provide those locations along federal-aid highways only in instances in which it has received assurances of full federal financial participation in the cost of providing those locations. If mass public transportation facilities other than roadways and other facilities for use of buses are to be constructed and placed in use in those locations, the department may enter into agreements for the sale of the locations to transit districts for that use at a price equal to the market value of the property at the time of sale. If mass public transportation facilities are not placed in use in the locations provided within five years of completion of the freeway, the department may develop those locations for freeway purposes, or it may lease or otherwise dispose of the locations in accordance with the provisions of this code. The department may, in cooperation with rapid transit districts, develop exclusive or preferential bus lanes in those locations in accordance with Section 149.
The department may make such regulations as may be required in the interests of public safety governing the use of any express highway or additional facilities constructed as provided in this article for the purpose of loading or unloading of passengers. Nothing in this article or in this section shall be construed to authorize the operation of any vehicle in violation of any provision of the Vehicle Code or to deprive the Public Utilities Commission of any authority now or hereafter vested in it to regulate public motor carriers of passengers.
The department may permit the placing of, and cooperate in the planning for, emergency water hydrants on or adjacent to state freeway rights-of-way wherever a public water system is available. The placing and maintenance of the hydrants shall be the responsibility of local agencies.
The department may place and maintain or cooperate with local agencies or others in the placing and maintenance of emergency telephones or other communication facilities on or adjacent to state freeway rights-of-way.
The department shall encourage the construction and development by counties of portions of the county highways as official county scenic highways and may furnish to the counties any information or other assistance which will aid the counties in the construction or development of such scenic highways. Whenever the department determines that any county highway meets the minimum standards prescribed by the department for official scenic highways, including the concept of the "complete highway," as described in Section 261, it may authorize the county in which the highway is located to designate the highway as an official county scenic highway and the department shall so indicate the highway in publications of the department and in any maps which are prepared by the department for distribution to the public which show the highway. If the department determines that any county highway which has been designated as an official county scenic highway no longer meets the minimum standards prescribed by the department for official scenic highways, it may, after notice to the county and a hearing on the matter, if requested by the county, revoke the authority of the county to designate the highway as an official county scenic highway.
(a) Notwithstanding Section 154 or any other provision of law and subject to subdivision (b), if the department determines that the County of Los Angeles is in compliance with the standards developed and established pursuant to Section 261 as to the Malibu Canyon-Las Virgenes Highway (N1), from Route 1 to Lost Hills Road in Los Angeles County, the department shall designate that portion of that county highway a county scenic highway.
  (b) A designation pursuant to subdivision (a) may only be made by the department if the County of Los Angeles applies for the designation, and includes in its application a formally adopted resolution acknowledging its desire to designate that portion of the county highway a county scenic highway.
The department may accept any gift of money or property from any person or group for the purpose of acquiring property for, and establishing and maintaining as a memorial to any person or group, a place adjacent to any state highway in the state scenic highway system established by Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 260) of Chapter 2, Division 1, at a point of special scenic, historical, or cultural interest, where motorists may stop to appreciate and enjoy the point of interest. Any money which is received by the department pursuant to this section shall be deposited in the Special Interest Stopping Place Fund, which fund is hereby created in the State Treasury. Any money in the fund is continuously appropriated to the department without regard to fiscal years to carry out the purposes for which the money was received by the department. The department shall, unless otherwise requested by the person or group from whom money or property is received for a stopping place, establish and maintain appropriate signs at the stopping places which indicate the name of the person or group in whose honor the place was established. The right of eminent domain shall not be exercised by the department to acquire property, or any interest in property, pursuant to this section and the department may not acquire any real property for the purposes of this section unless the board of supervisors of the county in which such real property is located consents to such acquisition.
The commission, to the extent constitutionally permitted and if it determines that such actions constitute a highway purpose, may allocate funds from the State Highway Account to match on an equal basis the value of any gifts offered and accepted by the department for deposit in the Special Interest Stopping Place Fund and may in such cases, if appropriate, further allocate funds from the State Highway Account for the maintenance of property acquired pursuant to such gifts. The amount matched for each gift shall be used in conjunction with the gift for the purpose for which the gift was accepted.
Unless prohibited by federal laws or rules and regulations, the department may authorize the installation of coin-operated binocular or telescopic viewing machines at the vista point on the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge. Any money received by the state for authorizing the placement of these viewing machines shall be transferred by the department to the State Highway Account.