SB 917

Bill Subjects

Abstract

Existing law creates the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, as a local area planning agency and not as a part of the executive branch of the state government, to provide comprehensive regional transportation planning for the region comprised of the City and County of San Francisco and the Counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma. This bill would require the commission to develop and adopt a Connected Network Plan, develop a comprehensive, standardized regional transit mapping and wayfinding system, develop an implementation and maintenance strategy and funding plan, and establish open data standards, as specified. The bill would require the region's transit agencies, as defined, to comply with those established regional transit mapping and wayfinding system, implementation and maintenance strategy and funding plan, and open data standards, as provided. This bill would require the transit agencies in the region to establish a regional transit coordinating council and would require the council to, among other things, develop and adopt an integrated transit fare structure. The bill would require the council to submit the integrated transit fare structure to the commission for approval and, after approval, would require each transit agency in the region to present the structure to its board for consideration. Under existing law, moneys in the Public Transportation Account are continuously appropriated to the Controller for allocation to transportation planning agencies, county transportation commissions, and the San Diego Metropolitan Transit Development Board for purposes of the State Transit Assistance Program. Existing law requires the Controller to allocate those moneys to those entities based on population and qualifying revenue, as specified. This bill would require the Metropolitan Transportation Commission to notify a transit agency if the commission determines that the transit agency is out of compliance with the integrated transit fare structure, regional transit mapping and wayfinding system, implementation and maintenance strategy and funding plan, or open data standards described above, and would require the commission to indicate what steps are needed to comply. If a transit agency does not comply with the compliance parameters set by the commission or if the commission rejects the transit agency's request for additional funding or for an exemption, the bill would make that transit agency ineligible to receive a portion of those moneys in an amount to be determined by the commission. The bill would require a transit agency to regain access to any withheld funds upon demonstration of compliance. To the extent that this bill would mandate that a transit agency establish a new program or provide a higher level of service as part of an existing program, and by imposing additional duties on the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.