SECTION 1.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:(a) Part-time transit lane projects allow buses to travel on the shoulder of a highway, designated as transit-only lanes during certain times of the day, to bypass congestion during periods of heavy traffic. Deployment of this strategy reduces congestion on the highways and makes transit more reliable.
(b) Successful utilization of part-time transit lane programs follow strict safety protocol and bus operators using these facilities receive specialized training to ensure they are prepared for the safety requirements and operating parameters, which include all of the following:
(1) Shoulder use is restricted to when traffic is moving less than 35 miles per hour.
(2) Shoulder operations cannot exceed 35 miles per hour and cannot exceed mixed flow traffic speed by more than 15 miles per hour.
(3) Buses must yield to any vehicle entering the shoulder, including at freeway ramps.
(4) Buses must use the mixed flow lanes when the shoulder is blocked by disabled vehicles or debris.
(c) The Federal Highway Administration presently recognizes part-time transit lane shoulder use as a transportation system management and operation strategy for addressing congestion and reliability issues within the transportation system and has developed guidance for planning, design, operations, and safety analysis of these facilities. The guidance is called the “Use of Freeway Shoulders for Travel,” published in February 2016. This guidance provides case studies of part-time transit lane projects throughout the United States and discusses factors to consider when planning a part-time transit lane project, including stakeholder engagement and public input.
(d) There are many forms of part-time shoulder use or “shoulder running;” however, they all involve use of the left or right shoulders of an existing roadway for temporary travel during certain hours of the day. Part-time shoulder use has primarily been used in locations where there is recurring congestion due to lack of peak period capacity through the corridor, particularly where other alternatives to peak period operations are infeasible or cost prohibitive, at least in the near term. In these situations, part-time shoulder use may be appropriate to reduce delays and improve travel-time reliability in a cost-effective manner. When buses can access part-time transit lanes, it results in benefits that include a reduction in transit travel times and improved transit reliability.
(e) These factors, in turn, make transit a more viable travel choice for commuters, reduce congestion and automobile delay by encouraging some drivers to shift to using transit, and eliminate the need for freeway widenings by utilizing the existing highway right-of-way instead.
(f) Although part-time transit lanes are a relatively new transit tool in California, other American cities have implemented this strategy with much success. Part-time transit lanes have been operating in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, since 1991. Minnesota’s Metro Transit pioneered a simple way to get buses out of congestion by traveling on the shoulder instead of sitting in rush-hour traffic. The Twin Cities region now has more than 300 miles of freeway shoulder available to buses, more than three times the number of all metro areas in the country, combined.
(g) Minnesota’s Metro Transit originally developed part-time transit lanes as a means to move buses through traffic more efficiently, and therefore, more cost effectively. At the same time, the Minnesota Department of Transportation was looking for ways to make better use of existing lanes. They initially experimented with bus-only shoulders along Minnesota Highway 252 and found the following positive benefits for the public:
(1) Bus operators could stay on schedule.
(2) Commuters traveled to work or home faster.
(3) Overall, the system found that transit use, as quantified by ridership, increased.
(h) Based on the Minnesota example, other United States cities have successfully implemented part-time transit lane systems, some of which have been in operation for a number of years, including in Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois; Columbus, Ohio; Miami, Florida; and Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
(i) Even now, part-time transit lane projects are being evaluated for deployment in several counties in California, including Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, and San Diego.
(j) One of the major stakeholders whose support is required to implement part-time transit lanes is law enforcement. In California, this responsibility rests with the Department of the California Highway Patrol. The Department of the California Highway Patrol relies on the configuration of our system to provide freeway shoulders for enforcement purposes and for clearing traffic incidents. The Department of the California Highway Patrol’s priority is to maintain safety for the public and officers on the highway and within shoulders and moreover, the Department of the California Highway Patrol’s motto is “safety, service, and security.”
(k) The state’s transportation system requires statewide guidance to identify the necessary infrastructure for the safe operations and enforcement of part-time transit lanes, including the requirement for striping, pavement markings, pullouts, signage, or additional infrastructure prior to part-time transit lane operations. Similarly, well-defined and developed training programs for bus operators will be a critical aspect of a part-time transit lane program to ensure the safe operations of transit within highway shoulders.
(l) The future deployment of part-time transit lanes will require coordination and input from the Department of Transportation and the Department of the California Highway Patrol throughout the planning, design, and implementation process.