(a) In addition to any other authorized expenditures of toll bridge revenues, the following major projects may be funded from toll revenues of all bridges:
(1) Dumbarton Bridge: Improvement of the western approaches from Route 101 if affected local governments are involved in the planning.
(2) San Mateo-Hayward Bridge and approaches: Widening of the bridge to six lanes, construction of rail transit capital improvements on the bridge structure, and improvements to the Route 92/Route 880 interchange.
(3) Construction of West Grand connector or an alternate project designed to provide comparable benefit by reducing vehicular traffic congestion on the eastern approaches to the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. Affected local governments shall be involved in the planning.
(4) Not less than 90 percent of the revenues determined by the authority as derived from the toll increase approved in 1988 for class I vehicles on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge authorized by Section 30917 shall be used exclusively for rail transit capital improvements designed to reduce vehicular traffic congestion on that bridge. This amount shall be calculated as 21 percent of the revenue generated each year by the collection of the base toll at the level established by the 1988 increase on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.
(b) Notwithstanding any funding request for the transbay bus terminal pursuant to Section 31015, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission shall allocate toll bridge revenues in an annual amount not to exceed three million dollars ($3,000,000), plus a 3.5-percent annual increase, to the department or to the Transbay Joint Powers Authority after the department transfers the title of the Transbay Terminal Building to that entity, for operation and maintenance expenditures. This allocation shall be payable from funds transferred by the Bay Area Toll Authority. This transfer of funds is subordinate to any obligations of the authority, now or hereafter existing, having a statutory or first priority lien against the toll bridge revenues. The first annual 3.5-percent increase shall be made on July 1, 2004. The transfer is further subject to annual certification by the department or the Transbay Joint Powers Authority that the total Transbay Terminal Building operating revenue is insufficient to pay the cost of operation and maintenance without the requested funding.
(c) If the voters approve a toll increase in 2004 pursuant to Section 30921, the authority shall, consistent with the provisions of subdivisions (d) and (f), fund the projects described in this subdivision and in subdivision (d) that shall collectively be known as the Regional Traffic Relief Plan by bonding or transfers to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. These projects have been determined to reduce congestion or to make improvements to travel in the toll bridge corridors, from toll revenues of all bridges:
(1) BART/MUNI Connection at Embarcadero and Civic Center Stations. Provide direct access from the BART platform to the MUNI platform at the above stations and equip new fare gates that are TransLink ready. Three million dollars ($3,000,000). The project sponsor is BART.
(2) MUNI Metro Third Street Light Rail Line. Provide funding for the surface and light rail transit and maintenance facility to support MUNI Metro Third Street Light Rail service connecting to Caltrain stations and the E-Line waterfront line. Thirty million dollars ($30,000,000). The project sponsor is MUNI.
(3) MUNI Waterfront Historic Streetcar Expansion. Provide funding to rehabilitate historic streetcars and construct trackage and terminal facilities to support service from the Caltrain Terminal, the Transbay Terminal, and the Ferry Building, and connecting the Fisherman’s Wharf and northern waterfront. Ten million dollars ($10,000,000). The project sponsor is MUNI.
(4) East to West Bay Commuter Rail Service over the Dumbarton Rail Bridge. Provide funding for the necessary track and station improvements and rolling stock to interconnect the BART and Capitol Corridor at Union City with Caltrain service over the Dumbarton Rail Bridge, and interconnect and provide track improvements for the ACE line with the same Caltrain service at Centerville. Provide a new station at Sun Microsystems in Menlo Park. One hundred thirty-five million dollars ($135,000,000). The project is jointly sponsored by the San Mateo County Transportation Authority, Capitol Corridor, and the Alameda County Transportation Commission.
(5) Vallejo Station. Construct intermodal transportation hub for bus and ferry service, including parking structure, at site of Vallejo’s current ferry terminal. Twenty-eight million dollars ($28,000,000). The project sponsor is the City of Vallejo.
(6) Solano County Express Bus Intermodal Facilities. Provide competitive grant fund source, to be administered by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. Eligible projects are Curtola Park and Ride, Benicia Intermodal Facility, Fairfield Transportation Center, and Vacaville Intermodal Station. Priority to be given to projects that are fully funded, ready for construction, and serving transit service that operates primarily on existing or fully funded high-occupancy vehicle lanes. Twenty million dollars ($20,000,000). The project sponsor is the Solano Transportation Authority.
(7) Solano County Corridor Improvements near Interstate 80/Interstate 680 Interchange. Provide funding for improved mobility in corridor based on recommendations of joint study conducted by the Department of Transportation and the Solano Transportation Authority. Cost-effective transit infrastructure investment or service identified in the study shall be considered a high priority. One hundred million dollars ($100,000,000). The project sponsor is the Solano Transportation Authority.
(8) Interstate 80: Eastbound High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lane Extension from Route 4 to Carquinez Bridge. Construct HOV-lane extension. Fifty million dollars ($50,000,000). The project sponsor is the Department of Transportation.
(9) Richmond Parkway Transit Center. Construct parking structure and associated improvements to expand bus capacity. Sixteen million dollars ($16,000,000). The project sponsor is the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District, in coordination with West Contra Costa Transportation Advisory Committee, Western Contra Costa Transit Authority, City of Richmond, and the Department of Transportation.
(10) Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District (SMART) Extension to Larkspur or San Quentin. Extend rail line from San Rafael to a ferry terminal at Larkspur or San Quentin. Thirty-five million dollars ($35,000,000). Up to five million dollars ($5,000,000) may be used to study, in collaboration with the Water Transit Authority, the potential use of San Quentin property as an intermodal water transit terminal. The project sponsor is SMART.
(11) Greenbrae Interchange/Larkspur Ferry Access Improvements. Provide enhanced regional and local access around the Greenbrae Interchange to reduce traffic congestion and provide multimodal access to the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge and Larkspur Ferry Terminal by constructing a new full service diamond interchange at Wornum Drive south of the Greenbrae Interchange, extending a multiuse pathway from the new interchange at Wornum Drive to East Sir Francis Drake Boulevard and the Cal Park Hill rail right-of-way, adding a new lane to East Sir Francis Drake Boulevard and rehabilitating the Cal Park Hill Rail Tunnel and right-of-way approaches for bicycle and pedestrian access to connect the San Rafael Transit Center with the Larkspur Ferry Terminal. Sixty-five million dollars ($65,000,000). The project sponsor is the Marin County Congestion Management Agency.
(12) Direct High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane connector from Interstate 680 to the Pleasant Hill or Walnut Creek BART stations or in close proximity to either station or as an extension of the southbound Interstate 680 High-Occupancy Vehicle Lane through the Interstate 680/State Highway Route 4 interchange from North Main in Walnut Creek to Livorna Road. The County Connection shall utilize up to one million dollars ($1,000,000) of the funds described in this paragraph to develop options and recommendations for providing express bus service on the Interstate 680 High-Occupancy Vehicle Lane south of the Benicia Bridge in order to connect to BART. Upon completion of the plan, the Contra Costa Transportation Authority shall adopt a preferred alternative provided by the County Connection plan for future funding. Following adoption of the preferred alternative, the remaining funds may be expended either to fund the preferred alternative or to extend the high-occupancy vehicle lane as described in this paragraph. Fifteen million dollars ($15,000,000). The project is sponsored by the Contra Costa Transportation Authority.
(13) Rail Extension to East Contra Costa/E-BART. Extend BART from Pittsburg/Bay Point Station to Byron in East Contra Costa County. Ninety-six million dollars ($96,000,000). Project funds may only be used if the project is in compliance with adopted BART policies with respect to appropriate land use zoning in vicinity of proposed stations. The project is jointly sponsored by BART and the Contra Costa Transportation Authority.
(14) Capitol Corridor Improvements in Interstate 80/Interstate 680 Corridor. Fund track and station improvements, including the Suisun Third Main Track and new Fairfield Station. Twenty-five million dollars ($25,000,000). The project sponsor is the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority and the Solano Transportation Authority.
(15) Central Contra Costa Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Crossover. Add new track before Pleasant Hill BART Station to permit BART trains to cross to return track towards San Francisco. Twenty-five million dollars ($25,000,000). The project sponsor is BART.
(16) Benicia-Martinez Bridge: New Span. Provide partial funding for completion of new five-lane span between Benicia and Martinez to significantly increase capacity in the I-680 corridor. Fifty million dollars ($50,000,000). The project sponsor is the Bay Area Toll Authority.
(17) Regional Express Bus North. Competitive grant program for bus service in Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, Carquinez, Benicia-Martinez, and Antioch Bridge corridors. Provide funding for park and ride lots, infrastructure improvements, and rolling stock. Eligible recipients include the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District, Vallejo Transit, Napa VINE, Fairfield-Suisun Transit, Western Contra Costa Transit Authority, Eastern Contra Costa Transit Authority, and Central Contra Costa Transit Authority. The Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District shall receive a minimum of one million six hundred thousand dollars ($1,600,000). Napa VINE shall receive a minimum of two million four hundred thousand dollars ($2,400,000). Twenty million dollars ($20,000,000). The project sponsor is the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.
(18) TransLink. Integrate the bay area’s regional smart card technology, TransLink, with operator fare collection equipment and expand system to new transit services. Twenty-two million dollars ($22,000,000). The project sponsor is the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.
(19) Real-Time Transit Information. Provide a competitive grant program for transit operators for assistance with implementation of high-technology systems to provide real-time transit information to riders at transit stops or via telephone, wireless, or Internet communication. Priority shall be given to projects identified in the commission’s connectivity plan adopted pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 30914.5. Twenty million dollars ($20,000,000). The funds shall be administered by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.
(20) Safe Routes to Transit: Plan and construct bicycle and pedestrian access improvements in close proximity to transit facilities. Priority shall be given to those projects that best provide access to regional transit services. Twenty-two million five hundred thousand dollars ($22,500,000). City Car Share shall receive two million five hundred thousand dollars ($2,500,000) to expand its program within approximately one-quarter mile of transbay regional transit terminals or stations. The City Car Share project is sponsored by City Car Share and the Safe Routes to Transit project is jointly sponsored by the East Bay Bicycle Coalition and the Transportation and Land Use Coalition. These sponsors must identify a public agency cosponsor for purposes of specific project fund allocations.
(21) BART Tube Seismic Strengthening. Add seismic capacity to existing BART tube connecting the East Bay with San Francisco. One hundred forty-three million dollars ($143,000,000). The project sponsor is BART.
(22) Transbay Terminal/Downtown Caltrain Extension. A new Transbay Terminal at First and Mission Streets in San Francisco providing added capacity for transbay, regional, local, and intercity bus services, the extension of Caltrain rail services into the terminal, and accommodation of a future high-speed passenger rail line to the terminal and eventual rail connection to the East Bay. Eligible expenses include project planning, design and engineering, construction of a new terminal and its associated ramps and tunnels, demolition of existing structures, design and development of a temporary terminal, property and right-of-way acquisitions required for the project, and associated project-related administrative expenses. A bus- and train-ready terminal facility, including purchase and acquisition of necessary rights-of-way for the terminal, ramps, and rail extension, is the first priority for toll funds for the Transbay Terminal/Downtown Caltrain Extension Project. The temporary terminal operation shall not exceed five years. One hundred fifty million dollars ($150,000,000). The project sponsor is the Transbay Joint Powers Authority.
(23) Oakland Airport Connector. New transit connection to link BART, Capitol Corridor, and AC Transit with Oakland Airport. The Port of Oakland shall provide a full funding plan for the connector. Thirty million dollars ($30,000,000). The project sponsors are the Port of Oakland and BART.
(24) AC Transit Enhanced Bus-Phase 1 on Telegraph Avenue, International Boulevard, and East 14th Street (Berkeley-Oakland-San Leandro). Develop enhanced bus service on these corridors, including bus bulbs, signal prioritization, new buses, and other improvements. Priority of investment shall improve the AC connection to BART on these corridors. Sixty-five million dollars ($65,000,000). The project sponsor is AC Transit.
(25) Transbay Commute Ferry Service. Purchase two vessels for transbay ferry services. Second vessel funds to be released upon demonstration of appropriate terminal locations, new transit-oriented development, adequate parking, and sufficient landside feeder connections to support ridership projections. Twelve million dollars ($12,000,000). The project sponsor is the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority. If the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority demonstrates to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission that it has secured alternative funding for the two vessel purchases described in this paragraph, the funds may be used for terminal improvements or for consolidation of existing ferry operations.
(26) Commute Ferry Service for Berkeley/Albany. Purchase two vessels for ferry services between the Berkeley/Albany Terminal and San Francisco. Parking access and landside feeder connections must be sufficient to support ridership projections. Twelve million dollars ($12,000,000). The project sponsor is the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority. If the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority demonstrates to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission that it has secured alternative funding for the two vessel purchases described in this paragraph, the funds may be used for terminal improvements. If the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority does not have an entitled terminal site within the Berkeley/Albany catchment area by 2010 that meets its requirements, the funds described in this paragraph and the operating funds described in paragraph (7) of subdivision (d) shall be transferred to another site in the East Bay. The City of Richmond shall be given first priority to receive this transfer of funds if it has met the planning milestones identified in its special study developed pursuant to paragraph (28).
(27) Commute Ferry Service for South San Francisco. Purchase two vessels for ferry services to the Peninsula. Parking access and landside feeder connections must be sufficient to support ridership projections. Twelve million dollars ($12,000,000). The project sponsor is the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority. If the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority demonstrates to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission that it has secured alternative funding for the two vessel purchases described in this paragraph, the funds may be used for terminal improvements.
(28) Water Transit Facility Improvements, Spare Vessels, and Environmental Review Costs. Provide two backup vessels for water transit services, expand berthing capacity at the Port of San Francisco, and expand environmental studies and design for eligible locations. Forty-eight million dollars ($48,000,000). The project sponsor is the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority. Up to one million dollars ($1,000,000) of the funds described in this paragraph shall be made available for the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority to study accelerating development and other milestones that would potentially increase ridership at the City of Richmond ferry terminal.
(29) Regional Express Bus Service for San Mateo, Dumbarton, and Bay Bridge Corridors. Expand park and ride lots, improve HOV access, construct ramp improvements, and purchase rolling stock. Twenty-two million dollars ($22,000,000). The project sponsors are AC Transit and the Alameda County Transportation Commission.
(30) I-880 North Safety Improvements. Reconfigure various ramps on I-880 and provide appropriate mitigations between 29th Avenue and 16th Avenue. Ten million dollars ($10,000,000). The project sponsors are the Alameda County Transportation Commission, City of Oakland, and Department of Transportation.
(31) BART Warm Springs Extension. Extension of the existing BART system from Fremont to Warm Springs in southern Alameda County. Ninety-five million dollars ($95,000,000). Up to ten million dollars ($10,000,000) shall be used for grade separation work in the City of Fremont necessary to extend BART. The project would facilitate a future rail service extension to the Silicon Valley. The project sponsor is BART.
(32) I-580 (Tri Valley) Rapid Transit Corridor Improvements. Provide rail or High-Occupancy Vehicle lane direct connector to Dublin BART and other improvements on I-580 in Alameda County for use by express buses. Sixty-five million dollars ($65,000,000). The project sponsor is the Alameda County Transportation Commission.
(33) Regional Rail Master Plan. Provide planning funds for integrated regional rail study pursuant to subdivision (f) of Section 30914.5. Six million five hundred thousand dollars ($6,500,000). The project sponsors are Caltrain and BART.
(34) Integrated Fare Structure Program. Provide planning funds for the development of zonal monthly transit passes pursuant to subdivision (e) of Section 30914.5. One million five hundred thousand dollars ($1,500,000). The project sponsor is the Translink Consortium.
(35) Transit Commuter Benefits Promotion. Marketing program to promote tax-saving opportunities for employers and employees as specified in Section 132(f)(3) or 162(a) of the Internal Revenue Code. Goal is to increase the participation rate of employers offering employees a tax-free benefit to commute to work by transit. The project sponsor is the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. Five million dollars ($5,000,000).
(36) Caldecott Tunnel Improvements. Provide funds to plan and construct a fourth bore at the Caldecott Tunnel between Contra Costa and Alameda Counties. The fourth bore will be a two-lane bore with a shoulder or shoulders north of the current three bores. The County Connection shall study all feasible alternatives to increase transit capacity in the westbound corridor of State Highway Route 24 between State Highway Route 680 and the Caldecott Tunnel, including the study of the use of an express lane, high-occupancy vehicle lane, and an auxiliary lane. The cost of the study shall not exceed five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) and shall be completed not later than January 15, 2006. Fifty million five hundred thousand dollars ($50,500,000). The project sponsor is the Contra Costa Transportation Authority.
(d) Not more than 38 percent of the revenues generated from the toll increase shall be made available annually for the purpose of providing operating assistance for transit services as set forth in the authority’s annual budget resolution. The funds shall be made available to the provider of the transit services subject to the performance measures described in Section 30914.5. If the funds cannot be obligated for operating assistance consistent with the performance measures, these funds shall be obligated for other operations consistent with this chapter.
Except for operating programs that do not have planned funding increases and subject to the 38-percent limit on total operating cost funding in any single year, following the first year of scheduled operations, an escalation factor, not to exceed 1.5 percent per year, shall be added to the operating cost funding through the 2015–16 fiscal year, to partially offset increased operating costs. The escalation factors shall be contained in the operating agreements described in Section 30914.5. Subject to the limitations of this paragraph, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission may annually fund the following operating programs as another component of the Regional Traffic Relief Plan:
(1) Golden Gate Express Bus Service over the Richmond Bridge (Route 40). Two million one hundred thousand dollars ($2,100,000).
(2) Napa VINE Service terminating at the Vallejo Intermodal Terminal. Three hundred ninety thousand dollars ($390,000).
(3) Regional Express Bus North Pool serving the Carquinez and Benicia Bridge Corridors. Three million four hundred thousand dollars ($3,400,000).
(4) Regional Express Bus South Pool serving the Bay Bridge, San Mateo Bridge, and Dumbarton Bridge Corridors. Six million five hundred thousand dollars ($6,500,000).
(5) Dumbarton Rail. Five million five hundred thousand dollars ($5,500,000).
(6) San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority, Alameda/Oakland/Harbor Bay, Berkeley/Albany, South San Francisco, Vallejo, or other transbay ferry service. A portion of the operating funds may be dedicated to landside transit operations. Fifteen million three hundred thousand dollars ($15,300,000). Funds historically made available to the City of Vallejo or the City of Alameda shall continue to be allocated to those cities until the date specified in the adopted transition plan developed by the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 66540.32 of the Government Code. The authority may use up to six hundred thousand dollars ($600,000) to support development of the transition plan and for transition-related costs, including, but not limited to, reasonable administrative costs incurred by the authority and transferring agencies on or after July 1, 2008, in accordance with subdivision (e) of Section 66540.11 of the Government Code, upon a determination by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission that these costs are reasonable and substantially the result of the transition. After adoption of the transition plan and after formal agreement by the Cities of Alameda and Vallejo to transition their ferry services to the authority in accordance with the transition plan, the authority may use additional funds, above the limits previously referenced in this paragraph, for transition and transition-related activities, incurred before or after the actual transfer of services, as specified in the transition plan and approved by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. The authority may utilize funds from this section for operation of the services transferred from the City of Vallejo or the City of Alameda if approved by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.
(7) Owl Bus Service on BART Corridor. One million eight hundred thousand dollars ($1,800,000).
(8) MUNI Metro Third Street Light Rail Line. Two million five hundred thousand dollars ($2,500,000) without escalation.
(9) AC Transit Enhanced Bus Service on Telegraph Avenue, International Boulevard, and East 14th Street in Berkeley-Oakland-San Leandro. Three million dollars ($3,000,000) without escalation.
(10) TransLink, three-year operating program. Twenty million dollars ($20,000,000) without escalation.
(11) San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority, regional planning and operations. Three million dollars ($3,000,000) without escalation.
(e) For all projects authorized under subdivision (c), the project sponsor shall submit an initial project report to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission before July 1, 2004. This report shall include all information required to describe the project in detail, including the status of any environmental documents relevant to the project, additional funds required to fully fund the project, the amount, if any, of funds expended to date, and a summary of any impediments to the completion of the project. This report, or an updated report, shall include a detailed financial plan and shall notify the commission if the project sponsor will request toll revenue within the subsequent 12 months. The project sponsor shall update this report as needed or requested by the commission. No funds shall be allocated by the commission for any project authorized by subdivision (c) until the project sponsor submits the initial project report, and the report is reviewed and approved by the commission.
If multiple project sponsors are listed for projects listed in subdivision (c), the commission shall identify a lead sponsor in coordination with all identified sponsors, for purposes of allocating funds. For any projects authorized under subdivision (c), the commission shall have the option of requiring a memorandum of understanding between itself and the project sponsor or sponsors that shall include any specific requirements that must be met prior to the allocation of funds provided under subdivision (c).
(f) The Metropolitan Transportation Commission shall annually assess the status of programs and projects and shall allocate a portion of funding made available under Section 30921 or 30958 for public information and advertising to support the services and projects identified in subdivisions (c) and (d). If a program or project identified in subdivision (c) has cost savings after completion, taking into account construction costs and an estimate of future settlement claims, or cannot be completed or cannot continue due to delivery or financing obstacles making the completion or continuation of the program or project unrealistic, the commission shall consult with the program or project sponsor. After consulting with the sponsor, the commission shall hold a public hearing concerning the program or project. After the hearing, the commission may vote to modify the program or the project’s scope, decrease its level of funding, or reassign some or all of the funds to another project within the same bridge corridor. If a program or project identified in subdivision (c) is to be implemented with other funds not derived from tolls, the commission shall follow the same consultation and hearing process described above and may vote thereafter to reassign the funds to another project consistent with the intent of this chapter. If an operating program or project as identified in subdivision (d) cannot achieve its performance objectives described in subdivision (a) of Section 30914.5 or cannot continue due to delivery or financing obstacles making the completion or continuation of the program or project unrealistic, the commission shall consult with the program or the project sponsor. After consulting with the sponsor, the commission shall hold a public hearing concerning the program or project. After the hearing, the commission may vote to modify the program or the project’s scope, decrease its level of funding, or to reassign some or all of the funds to another or an additional regional transit program or project within the same corridor. If a program or project does not meet the required performance measures, the commission shall give the sponsor a time certain to achieve the performance measures before reassigning its funding.
(g) If the voters approve a toll increase pursuant to Section 30921, the authority shall within 24 months of the election date include the projects in a long-range plan that are consistent with the commission’s findings required by this section and Section 30914.5. The authority shall update its long-range plan as required to maintain its viability as a strategic plan for funding projects authorized by this section. The authority shall, by January 1, 2007, submit its updated long-range plan to the transportation policy committee of each house of the Legislature for review.
(h) If the voters approve a toll increase pursuant to Section 30921, and if additional funds from this toll increase are available following the funding obligations of subdivisions (c) and (d), the authority may set aside a reserve to fund future rolling stock replacement to enhance the sustainability of the services enumerated in subdivision (d). The authority shall, by January 1, 2020, submit a 20-year toll bridge expenditure plan to the Legislature for adoption. This expenditure plan shall have, as its highest priority, replacement of transit vehicles purchased pursuant to subdivision (c).
(Amended by Stats. 2010, Ch. 491, Sec. 33. (SB 1318) Effective January 1, 2011.)