(a) The following revenues shall be allocated for infrastructure projects pursuant to this section:
(1) The revenues deposited in the Trade Corridors Enhancement Account pursuant to Section 2192.4, except for those revenues in the account that were appropriated by Senate Bill 132 of the 2017–18 Regular Session (Chapter 7 of the Statutes of 2017).
(2) An amount of federal funds equal to the amount of revenue apportioned to the state under Section 167 of Title 23 of the United States Code from the national highway freight programs, pursuant to the federal Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (“FAST Act,” Public Law 114-94).
(b) The funding described in subdivision (a) shall be available upon appropriation for allocation by the California Transportation Commission for infrastructure improvements in this state on federally designated Trade Corridors of National and Regional Significance, on the Primary Freight Network, and along other corridors that have a high volume of freight movement, as determined by the commission and as identified in the state freight plan developed pursuant to Section 13978.8 of the Government Code. Projects eligible for funding shall be included in an adopted regional transportation plan. Projects within the boundaries of a metropolitan planning organization shall be included in an adopted regional transportation plan that includes a sustainable communities strategy determined by the State Air Resources Board to achieve the region’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets. In developing guidelines for implementing this section, the commission shall (1) apply the guiding principles, to the maximum extent practicable, in the California Sustainable Freight Action Plan released in July 2016 pursuant to Executive Order B-32-15, and (2) consult the state freight plan and the applicable port master plan.
(c) Eligible projects for these funds include, but are not limited to, all of the following:
(1) Highway improvements to more efficiently accommodate the movement of freight, particularly for ingress and egress to and from the state’s land ports of entry, rail terminals, and seaports, including navigable inland waterways used to transport freight between seaports, land ports of entry, and airports, and to relieve traffic congestion along major trade or goods movement corridors.
(2) Freight rail system improvements to enhance the ability to move goods from seaports, land ports of entry, and airports to warehousing and distribution centers throughout California, including projects that separate rail lines from highway or local road traffic, improve freight rail mobility, and other projects that improve the safety, efficiency, and capacity of the rail freight system.
(3) Projects to enhance the capacity and efficiency of ports, except that funds available under this section shall not be allocated to a project that includes the purchase of fully automated cargo handling equipment. For the purposes of this paragraph, “fully automated” means equipment that is remotely operated or remotely monitored, with or without the exercise of human intervention or control. Nothing in this paragraph shall prohibit the use of funds available pursuant to this section for a project that includes the purchase of human-operated zero-emission equipment, human-operated near-zero-emission equipment, and infrastructure supporting that human-operated equipment. Furthermore, nothing in this section shall prohibit the purchase of devices that support that human-operated equipment, including equipment to evaluate the utilization and environmental benefits of that human-operated equipment.
(4) Truck corridor improvements, including dedicated truck facilities or truck toll facilities, including the mitigation of the emissions from trucks or these facilities.
(5) Border access improvements that enhance goods movement between California and Mexico and that maximize the state’s ability to access funds made available to the state by federal law.
(6) Surface transportation, local road, and connector road improvements to effectively facilitate the movement of goods, particularly for ingress and egress to and from the state’s land ports of entry, airports, and seaports, to relieve traffic congestion along major trade or goods movement corridors.
(d) Projects funded with revenues identified in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) shall be consistent with Article XIX of the California Constitution.
(e) (1) In adopting the program of projects to be funded with funds described in subdivision (a), the commission shall evaluate the total potential economic and noneconomic benefits of the program of projects to California’s economy, environment, and public health. The evaluation shall specifically assess localized impacts in disadvantaged communities. The commission shall consult with the agencies identified in Executive Order B-32-15 and metropolitan planning organizations in order to utilize the appropriate models, techniques, and methods to develop the parameters for evaluating the program of projects. The commission shall allocate the funding from subdivision (a) for trade infrastructure improvements as follows:
(A) Sixty percent of the funds shall be available for projects nominated by regional transportation agencies and other public agencies, including counties, cities, and port authorities, in consultation with the department. The commission shall provide reasonable geographic targets for funding allocations without constraining what an agency may propose or what the commission may approve.
(B) Forty percent of the funds shall be available for projects nominated by the department, in consultation with regional transportation agencies.
(2) In adopting a program of projects pursuant to paragraph (1), the commission shall prioritize projects jointly nominated and jointly funded by the state and local agencies. In considering geographic balance for the overall program, the commission may adjust the corridor-based targets in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) to account for projects programmed pursuant to subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1).
(f) (1) The commission shall adopt guidelines, including a transparent process to evaluate projects and to allocate the funding described in subdivision (a) for trade infrastructure improvements in a manner that (1) addresses the state’s most urgent needs, (2) balances the demands of various land ports of entry, seaports, and airports, (3) places emphasis on projects that improve trade corridor mobility and safety while reducing emissions of diesel particulates, greenhouse gases, and other pollutants and reducing other negative community impacts, especially in disadvantaged communities, (4) makes a significant contribution to the state’s economy, (5) recognizes the key role of the state in project identification, (6) supports integrating statewide goods movement priorities in a corridor approach, and (7) includes disadvantaged communities measures, as established by the California Environmental Protection Agency pursuant to Section 39711 of the Health and Safety Code, and other tools the commission determines, for evaluating benefits or costs for disadvantaged communities and low-income communities. Project nominations shall include either a quantitative or qualitative assessment of the benefits the project is expected to achieve relative to the evaluation criteria.
(2) The guidelines adopted pursuant to paragraph (1) may include streamlining of project delivery by authorizing regional transportation agencies and other public agencies to seek commission approval of a letter of no prejudice that allows the agency to expend its own funds for a project programmed in a future year of the adopted program of projects, in advance of allocation of funds to the project by the commission, and to be reimbursed at a later time for eligible expenditures. A letter of no prejudice shall only be available to local or regional transportation agencies for moneys that have been identified for future allocation to the applicant agency. Moneys designated for the program shall only be reimbursed when there is funding available in an amount sufficient to make the reimbursement.
(g) In addition, the commission shall also consider the following factors when allocating these funds:
(1) “Velocity,” which means the speed by which large cargo would travel from the land port of entry or seaport through the distribution system.
(2) “Throughput,” which means the volume of cargo that would move from the land port of entry or seaport through the distribution system.
(3) “Reliability,” which means a reasonably consistent and predictable amount of time for cargo to travel from one point to another on any given day or at any given time in California.
(4) “Congestion reduction,” which means the reduction in recurrent daily hours of delay to be achieved.
(h) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
(1) “Disadvantaged communities” are those communities identified by the California Environmental Protection Agency pursuant to Section 39711 of the Health and Safety Code.
(2) “Low-income communities” are census tracts with median household incomes at or below 80 percent of the statewide median income or with median household incomes at or below the threshold designated as low income by the Department of Housing and Community Development’s list of state income limits adopted pursuant to Section 50093 of the Health and Safety Code.
(i) It is the intent of the Legislature for the commission to adopt an initial program of projects utilizing the state and federal funds described in subdivision (a) for eligible projects as soon as practicable and no later than May 17, 2018.
(Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 255, Sec. 7. (AB 135) Effective September 16, 2017.)