Bill Text: CA AB1560 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Chaptered


Bill Title: California Environmental Quality Act: transportation: major transit stop.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Passed) 2019-10-08 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 631, Statutes of 2019. [AB1560 Detail]

Download: California-2019-AB1560-Chaptered.html

Assembly Bill No. 1560
CHAPTER 631

An act to amend Section 21064.3 of, and to add Section 21060.2 to, the Public Resources Code, relating to environmental quality.

[ Approved by Governor  October 08, 2019. Filed with Secretary of State  October 08, 2019. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 1560, Friedman. California Environmental Quality Act: transportation: major transit stop.
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of an environmental impact report on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment. CEQA exempts from its requirements residential projects on infill sites that meet certain requirements, including a requirement that the projects are located within 1/2 mile of a major transit stop. CEQA defines “major transit stop” to include, among other things, the intersection of 2 or more major bus routes with a frequency of service interval of 15 minutes or less during the morning and afternoon peak commute periods.
CEQA requires the Office of Planning and Research to prepare and propose guidelines for the implementation of CEQA by public agencies and the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency to certify and adopt the guidelines. CEQA requires the office to propose revisions to the guidelines establishing criteria for determining the significance of transportation impacts of projects within transit priority areas to meet certain objectives. CEQA defines “transit priority area” as an area within 1/2 mile of a major transit stop.
This bill would revise the definition of “major transit stop” to include a bus rapid transit station, as defined.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 21060.2 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read:

21060.2.
 (a) “Bus rapid transit” means a public mass transit service provided by a public agency or by a public-private partnership that includes all of the following features:
(1) Full-time dedicated bus lanes or operation in a separate right-of-way dedicated for public transportation with a frequency of service interval of 15 minutes or less during the morning and afternoon peak commute periods.
(2) Transit signal priority.
(3) All-door boarding.
(4) Fare collection system that promotes efficiency.
(5) Defined stations.
(b) “Bus rapid transit station” means a clearly defined bus station served by a bus rapid transit.

SEC. 2.

 Section 21064.3 of the Public Resources Code is amended to read:

21064.3.
 “Major transit stop” means a site containing any of the following:
(a) An existing rail or bus rapid transit station.
(b) A ferry terminal served by either a bus or rail transit service.
(c) The intersection of two or more major bus routes with a frequency of service interval of 15 minutes or less during the morning and afternoon peak commute periods.

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