California Assembly Bill AB457 Introduced / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 457INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Melendez FEBRUARY 23, 2015 An act to amend Section 149 of the Streets and Highways Code, relating to transportation. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 457, as introduced, Melendez. High-occupancy vehicle lanes. Existing law provides that the Department of Transportation has full control of the state highway system. Existing law authorizes the department to construct exclusive or preferential lanes for buses only or for buses and other high-occupancy vehicles. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to these provisions. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: 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  such  exclusive or preferential use of designated lanes on existing highways that are part of the State Highway System. Prior to constructing  such   those  lanes, the department shall conduct competent engineering estimates of the effect of  such   the  lanes on safety, congestion, 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  such   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.