BILL ANALYSIS
SB 60
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PROPOSED CONFERENCE REPORT NO. 1 - (August 8, 1997)
SB 60 (Kopp)
As Amended June 10, 1997
Majority vote
SENATE: (June 3, 1997) ASSEMBLY: (June 12, 1997)
(vote not relevant) (vote not relevant)
SENATE CONFERENCE: 3-0 ASSEMBLY CONFERENCE: 3-0
Ayes: Kopp, Rainey, Alpert Ayes: Baugh, Migden, Villaraigosa
SUMMARY: Strikes the current provisions in the bill and, instead, adds
provisions which establish a long-term financing plan for the seismic retrofit
and/or replacement of seven state-owned bridges. Identifies sources of
funding and specifies amounts to be allocated through the 2004-5 fiscal year
for the seismic retrofit or replacement of state-owned toll bridges.
Specifically, the conference committee amendments :
1) Declare that the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has
determined that the six state-owned toll bridges are in need of a seismic
safety retrofit, and that one state-owned toll bridge is in need of both a
partial retrofit and a partial replacement.
2) Establish an estimate of two billion six hundred twenty million dollars
($2,620,000,000) as the cost of retrofitting the six state-owned toll bridges
and replacing the eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.
Identifies the six state-owned toll bridges in need of seismic safety retrofit
and establishes the following cost estimates (per bridge) for the retrofit
work:
a) One hundred one million dollars ($101,000,000) for the
Benicia-Martinez Bridge;
b) Eighty-three million dollars ($83,000,000) for the northern span of
the Carquinez Bridge;
c) Three hundred twenty-nine million dollars ($329,000,000) for the
Richmond-San Rafael Bridge;
d) One hundred twenty-seven million dollars ($127,000,000) for the San
Mateo-Hayward Bridge;
e) Forty-five million dollars ($45,000,000) for the San Pedro-Terminal
Island Bridge (also known as the Vincent Thomas Bridge);
f) Ninety-five million dollars ($95,000,000) for the San Diego Coronado
Bridge; and
g) Five hundred fifty-three million dollars ($553,000,000) for the
western span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.
3) Identify the eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as being
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in need of replacement and declares that replacement of the span will be
safer, stronger, and more cost-effective to maintain than completing a seismic
retrofit on the current east span. The cost of replacing the span is
estimated to be one billion two hundred eighty-five million dollars
($1,285,000,000), which includes eighty million dollars for the purpose of
upgrading the bridge design to a more expensive cable suspension bridge.
Specify that the estimated cost of replacing the bridge is based on the
assumption that: a) the new bridge will be located north adjacent to the
existing bridge; b) the main span of the bridge will be in the form of a
single tower cable suspension bridge; and c) the roadway in each direction
will be 10-foot shoulders as an emergency lane for public safety purposes on
either side of the main roadway.
4) Specify that the southern span of the Carquinez Bridge is to be replaced
with revenues generated pursuant to Regional Measure 1 as described in Section
30917 of the Streets and Highways Code.
5) Provide that the following amounts shall be allocated through the 2004-5
fiscal year for the seismic retrofit or replacement of state-owned toll
bridges:
a) Six hundred fifty million dollars ($650,000,000) from the 1996 Seismic
Retrofit Account in the Seismic Retrofit Bond Fund of 1996.
b) One hundred forty million dollars ($140,000,000) in surplus bond
revenues that were previously designated for phase two of the state's seismic
retrofit program.
c) Fifteen million dollars from the Vincent Thomas Toll Bridge Revenue
Account.
d) Nine hundred seven million dollars ($907,000,000), which includes
eighty million dollars ($80,000,000) for cable suspension, for the seismic
retrofit surcharge imposed as a result of this measure.
e) Thirty-three million dollars ($33,000,000) from the San Diego-Coronado
Toll Bridge Revenue Fund.
f) Not less than seven hundred forty-five million dollars ($745,000,000)
from the State Highway Account to be achieved in the following manner:
i. Two hundred million dollars ($200,000,000) to be appropriated
from prescribed state-local transportation partnership program for
the 1998-99 fiscal year.
ii. The remaining funds intended for that program and any program
savings to be made available for toll bridge seismic retrofit.
g) Not more than $130,000,000 from the transit capital improvement
program funded by the Transportation Planning and Development Account in the
State Transportation Fund. If the contribution from the state-local
partnership specified in (f) i and ii above, exceeds three hundred seventy
million dollars ($370,000,000), it is the intent that
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the amount from the transit capital improvement program is to be reduced by an
amount that is equal to that excess.
6) Require that half of any future cost savings be returned to the state and
that the remaining half be distributed (in proportionate shares according
to their contribution) back to the contributing bridge funds.
7) Require Caltrans to report to the Legislature within 60 days of
determining that the actual cost of retrofit or replacement shall exceed
two billion six hundred twenty million dollars. Caltrans would be
required to report to the Legislature as to the reason for the cost
overrun and propose a financial plan to pay for that increase. The
Legislature would be required to adopt the financial plan. Additionally,
Caltrans would be required to submit an annual cost estimate and (and
final) report to the Legislature and the Governor detailing the amount of
funds expended from each specified source.
8) Extend current law which provides alternative procedures for specified
highway seismic retrofit work [SB 131 (Roberti), Chapter 15, Statutes of 1994]
until the date the Director of Transportation certifies to the Secretary of
Business, Transportation and Housing Agency that all construction activities
for the seismic retrofit of all state-owned toll bridges is complete, or on
June 30, 2005, whichever occurs first.
9) Prohibit local state permitting authorities from imposing any requirement
that a bicycle, pedestrian, or mass transit facility be constructed on the San
Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a condition from issuing any permit, granting
any easement, or granting any other form of approval needed, for the
construction of a new bridge.
10) Require the San Diego Association of Governments to deposit $33 million in
the Toll Bridge Seismic Retrofit (TBSR) Account which is created by the bill
and to submit to the Legislature and Caltrans, a prescribed financial plan on
or before January 1, 1998. Requires the maintenance of the Vincent Thomas
Bridge to be funded by the state.
11) Impose a seismic retrofit surcharge equal to one dollar ($1) per vehicle
for passage on the state-owned toll bridges in the region within the area of
the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, which includes
the City and County of San Francisco, and the counties of Alameda, Contra
Costa, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano and Sonoma.
12) Require that revenue generated from the surcharge be deposited in the TBSR
Account created by the bill and which would be continuously appropriated
without regard to fiscal years to Caltrans for the purpose of funding seismic
retrofit of currently listed bridges.
13) Authorize Caltrans to transfer or loan, or both, funds between the newly
established TBSR Account and the State Highway Account for cash flow purposes
to accomplish individual toll bridge seismic retrofit requirements.
14) Require Caltrans to determine the data when: a) sufficient funds have
been generated for the completion of seismic retrofit and the replacement
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of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as specified; and b) sufficient funds
have been generated to pay for any costs added under Section 31015 contained
in the bill relating to the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. Require
Caltrans to notify the Secretary of State of that date, immediately upon
making that determination.
15) Appropriate $200 million from the State Highway Account in the State
Transportation Fund to Caltrans for the purposes of a state-local partnership
program for expenditure in the 1998-99 fiscal year, of which amount $250,000
would be required to be allocated to any county as of January 1, 1997, with no
less than 350 state highway miles and no more than 360 state highway miles to
be used for the construction of transportation projects in that county.
Analysis prepared by : Andrew Antwih / atrans / (916) 445-7278
FN 034493