California Assembly Bill AB1298 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 1298AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 7, 2011 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Blumenfield FEBRUARY 18, 2011  An act to amend Section 149 of the Streets and Highways Code, relating to high-occupancy vehicle lanes.   An act to add Section 22651.01 to the Vehicle Code, relating to vehicles.  LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1298, as amended, Blumenfield.  High-occupancy vehicle lanes.   Vehicles: parking: 72-   hour   restriction.   Existing law authorizes the removal of a parked vehicle when that vehicle is parked or left standing upon a highway for 72 or more consecutive hours in violation of a local ordinance authorizing its removal.   This bill would authorize a local jurisdiction, by ordinance, to establish a minimum distance that a vehicle is to be moved for the purpose of the above 72-hour parking restriction.   Existing law authorizes the Department of Transportation to construct exclusive or preferential lanes for buses only or for buses and other high-occupancy vehicles and requires that, prior to constructing those lanes, the department conduct competent engineering estimates of the effect of those lanes on safety, congestion, and highway capacity.   This bill would require the department to conduct those engineering estimates with respect to the effect on congestion mitigation and would make grammatical, nonsubstantive changes to those provisions.  Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  yes   no  . State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:  SECTION 1.   Section 22651.01 is added to the   Vehicle Code   , to read:   22651.01. A local jurisdiction may, by ordinance, establish a minimum distance that a vehicle is to be moved for the purposes of subdivision (k) of Section 22651. A parked vehicle may be impounded pursuant to subdivision (k) of Section 22651 if it is not moved more than the established minimum distance for 72 or more consecutive hours.   SECTION 1.   Section 149 of the Streets and Highways Code is amended to read: 149. The department may construct exclusive or preferential lanes for buses only or for buses and other high-occupancy vehicles, and may authorize or permit that exclusive or preferential use of designated lanes on existing highways that are part of the State Highway System. Prior to constructing those lanes, the department shall conduct competent engineering estimates of the effect of those lanes on safety, congestion mitigation, 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 those 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.