Chapter 1. General Provisions And Definitions of California Public Utilities Code >> Division 16.5. >> Chapter 1.
(a) The Legislature finds and declares as follows:
(1) Transportation is vital to the state's economy, and a complete
transportation system is essential in times of disaster.
(2) Transportation corridors should be protected from uses which
are incompatible with transportation requirements.
(3) Important potential transportation corridors are being
developed for other purposes.
(b) It is, therefore, the intent of the Legislature in enacting
this division to vest in the Department of Transportation
responsibility for implementing a program of transportation
right-of-way protection and conservation within essential
transportation corridors by acquiring and holding transportation
corridor lands which would otherwise be lost to public use.
(c) It is the further intent of the Legislature in enacting this
division to preserve land which is needed or will be needed for
transportation corridors consistent with applicable environmental
protection laws and regulations.
As used in this division, "commission" means the California
Transportation Commission.
As used in this division, "department" means the Department
of Transportation.
As used in this division, "secretary" means the Secretary
of Transportation.
As used in this division, "transportation corridor" means
an area or one or more parcels of land that meets any of the
following requirements:
(a) Designated by the commission as necessary under the adopted
state transportation improvement plan.
(b) Designated by a transportation planning agency, county
transportation commission, or the San Diego County Metropolitan
Transit Development Board as necessary under the adopted regional
transportation implementation plan.
(c) Within the adopted route of a state highway.
(d) Within the adopted route of a county or city highway or
exclusive mass transit guideway which is consistent with the county
or city general plan.
(e) Designated by the commission as being within one of two or
more proposed routes or alignments for a state highway.