BILL NUMBER: AB 726 AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 16, 2015 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 29, 2015 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 26, 2015 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Nazarian (Coauthor: Assembly Member Dababneh) FEBRUARY 25, 2015 An act to add Section 35400.75 to the Vehicle Code, relating to vehicles. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 726, as amended, Nazarian. Vehicles: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Existing law imposes a 40-foot limitation on the length of vehicles that may be operated on the highways, with specified exemptions. Existing law exempts from this limitation, among other things, an articulated bus or articulated trolley coach that does not exceed a length of 60 feet. This bill would authorize the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority to operate articulated buses that do not exceed a length of 82 feet on the route designated as the Orange Line in the County of Los Angeles. The bill would require the authority to establish a route review committee prior to operation of those buses, as specified. The bill would require that implementation of those articulated bus operations would be contingent upon a determination by a majority of the route review committee that the Orange Line and routes between the Orange Line, maintenance facilities, and storage yards are suitable for the safe operation of those buses. The bill would also make implementation of those articulated bus operations contingent upon specified collective bargaining requirements. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 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 35400.75 is added to the Vehicle Code, immediately following Section 35400.7, to read: 35400.75. (a) Notwithstanding Section 35400, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority created pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 130050) of Division 12 of the Public Utilities Code may operate articulated buses that do not exceed a length of 82 feet on the route designated as the Orange Line in the County of LosAngeles.Angeles, and between that route, terminals, and maintenance facilities. (b) (1) The authority shall establish a route review committee prior to the operation of any bus, pursuant to subdivision (a), that is greater than 60 feet in length. (2) The committee shall perform a review of the Orange Line route and any necessary routes from the Orange Line to maintenance and storage yards upon which the authority proposes to operate a bus greater than 60 feet in length, pursuant to subdivision (a), prior to the operation of those buses. The reviews shall include field reviews of the Orange Line and proposed routes. The field reviews shall include consultation with traffic engineers from public agencies that have jurisdiction over the routes where the buses are proposed to be operated pursuant to subdivision (a), to ensure coordination with the affected state and local public agencies for purposes of public safety. (3) The route review committee shall be comprised of four members, as follows: (A) A member representing the authority who shall be appointed by the authority's general manager. (B) A member who is a traffic engineer who shall be appointed by the authority's general manager. (C) A member appointed by the labor organization that is the exclusive representative of the bus drivers of the authority. (D) A member representing law enforcement appointed by the law enforcement agency having authority over the proposed routes. (4) The route review committee shall determine, by majority vote, whether the Orange Line is suitable for the safe operation of a bus exceeding 60 feet in length, but not exceeding 82 feet in length, and shall determine, by majority vote, routes that are suitable for the safe operation of those buses between the Orange Line, maintenance facilities, and storage yards.(b)(c) Implementation of this section is subject totheboth of the following: (1) T he collective bargaining requirements under Article 10 (commencing with Section 30750) of Chapter 5 of Part 3 of Division 10 of the Public Utilities Code and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Transit Employer-Employee Relations Act (Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 99560) of Part 11 of Division 10 of the Public Utilities Code). (2) Determination by a majority vote of the route review committee that the Orange Line and the routes between the Orange Line, maintenance facilities, and storage yards are suitable for the safe operation of buses pursuant to subdivision (a). SEC. 2. The Legislature finds and declares that a special law is necessary and that a general law cannot be made applicable within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California Constitution because of the unique circumstances of a large number of riders using buses operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority on the Orange Line and the need to reduce overcrowding on those buses.