Chapter 1. Definitions And General Provisions of California Public Utilities Code >> Division 12.5. >> Chapter 1.

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the Bay Area County Traffic and Transportation Funding Act.

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
  (a) That, in the nine-county San Francisco Bay area, traffic and transportation improvements are an immediate high priority needed to resolve the bay area's serious traffic congestion and transit mobility problems that threaten the economic viability of the area and adversely impact the quality of life therein.
  (b) That, in the nine-county San Francisco Bay area, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission is responsible for regional transportation planning and programming.
  (c) That the commission and the counties and cities within the nine-county San Francisco Bay area wish to collectively develop and implement, on a county-by-county basis, near-term local traffic and transportation projects that responsibly and adequately deal with current and anticipated traffic congestion and transit mobility problems.
  (d) That, in order to proceed in a expeditious manner with the development and implementation of those projects, each of the nine counties in the San Francisco Bay area should be provided the opportunity to review and determine whether there is a need for the development and implementation of a county transportation expenditure plan that goes significantly beyond current federal, state, and local funding.
  (e) Therefore, it is in the public interest to allow the voters in any county in the nine-county San Francisco Bay area to either create a county transportation authority or to authorize the commission to implement a retail transactions and use tax for the purpose of funding a local transportation expenditure plan showing a need for the proceeds from that tax.

This division does not apply to the County of Santa Clara until November 1, 1995.

"City selection committee" means the committee created pursuant to Section 50270 of the Government Code. For purposes of the City and County of San Francisco, the committee means the Mayor of the City and County of San Francisco.

"Commission" means the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.

"County" includes a city and county, and means any of the nine San Francisco Bay area counties listed in Section 66502 of the Government Code.

"Board of supervisors" means the board of supervisors of any of the nine San Francisco Bay area counties listed in Section 66502 of the Government Code.

"County transportation authority" means any authority created pursuant to this division in any of the nine San Francisco Bay area counties listed in Section 66502 of the Government Code.

"Department" means the Department of Transportation.

"Local governments" means the cities within each of the nine San Francisco Bay area counties listed in Section 66502 of the Government Code.

"Sponsoring agency" means a governmental agency, including a county transportation authority, that has transportation responsibilities in the county in which a retail transactions and use tax ordinance has been approved pursuant to this division.