(a) The toll rate for vehicles crossing the bridges described in Section 30916 shall not be increased to the rate described in subdivision (b) of Section 30916 prior to the availability of the results of a special election to be held in the City and County of San Francisco and the Counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Solano to determine whether the residents of those counties and of the City and County of San Francisco approve a toll increase in the amount of one dollar ($1) per vehicle. The revenue derived from this toll increase shall be used to finance capital outlay for construction improvements, the acquisition of transit vehicles, transit operating assistance, and other improvement projects to reduce congestion and to improve travel options on the bridge corridors as is fiscally practicable.
(b) Notwithstanding any provision of the Elections Code, the board of supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco and of each of the counties described in subdivision (a) shall call a special election to be conducted in the City and County of San Francisco and in each of the counties that shall be consolidated with the March 2, 2004, primary election. The following question shall be submitted to the voters as Regional Measure 2 and stated separately in the ballot from state and local measures: “Shall voters authorize a Regional Traffic Relief Plan that does the following:
(1) Directs revenues generated through the collection of bridge tolls to provide the following projects:
(A) Expand and extend BART.
(B) New transbay commuter rail crossing south of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.
(C) Comprehensive Regional Express bus network.
(D) New expanded ferry service.
(E) Better connections between BART, buses, ferries, and rail.
(2) Approves a one dollar ($1) toll increase effective July 1, 2004, on all toll bridges in the bay area, except the Golden Gate Bridge?”
(c) The ballot pamphlet for the special election described in subdivision (b) shall include a detailed description of the Regional Traffic Relief Plan detailing the projects, services, and planning requirements set forth in subdivisions (c) and (d) of Section 30914 and subdivisions (d), (e), and (f) of Section 30914.5. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission shall prepare this description of the Regional Traffic Relief Plan.
(d) The county clerks shall report the results of the special election to the authority. If a majority of all voters voting on the question at the special election vote affirmatively, the authority shall adopt the increased toll schedule to be effective July 1, 2004.
(e) If a majority of all the voters voting on the question at the special election do not approve the toll increase, the authority may by resolution resubmit the measure to the voters at a subsequent general election. If a majority of all of the voters vote affirmatively on the measure, the authority may adopt the toll increase and establish its effective date and establish the completion dates for all reports and studies required by Sections 30914, 30914.5, and 30950.3.
(f) The authority shall reimburse each county and city and county participating in the election for the incremental cost of submitting the measure to the voters. These costs shall be reimbursed from revenues derived from the tolls if the measure is approved by the voters, or, if the measure is not approved, from any bridge toll revenues administered by the authority.
(g) Except as provided in Section 30918, the toll rates contained in a toll schedule adopted by the authority pursuant to this section shall not be changed without statutory authorization by the Legislature.
(Repealed and added by Stats. 2003, Ch. 715, Sec. 74. Effective January 1, 2004.)