Transportation: Tri-Valley-San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority.

Existing law provides for the creation of statewide and local transportation agencies, which may be established as joint powers authorities or established expressly by statute. Existing law establishes the Bay Area Rapid Transit District, which is authorized to acquire, construct, own, operate, control, or use rights-of-way, rail lines, bus lines, stations, platforms, switches, yards, terminals, parking lots, and any and all other facilities necessary or convenient for rapid transit service. This bill would establish the Tri-Valley-San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority for purposes of planning, developing, and delivering cost-effective and responsive transit connectivity between the Bay Area Rapid Transit District's rapid transit system and the Altamont Corridor Express commuter rail service in the Tri-Valley, that meets the goals and objectives of the community, as specified. The bill would require the authority's governing board to be composed of 15 representatives. The bill would specify the powers and duties of the authority and would require the unencumbered balance of all local funds programmed for completion of the Bay Area Rapid Transit District's Livermore extension or that have otherwise been identified for the connectivity to be transferred to the authority, except as specified. The bill would authorize the authority to pursue any and all sources of funding, but would prohibit the authority from applying for funds available under the Transportation Development Act for which any member entity of the authority may also be an applicant or for which any member entity of the authority is charged with approving applications for funding under that act, without the express written consent of that affected member entity. The bill would require the authority by July 1, 2019, to provide a project feasibility report to the public, to be posted on the authority's Internet Web site, on the plans for the development and implementation of transit connectivity and to submit that report upon completion to specified entities. By imposing new duties on local governmental entities, this bill would create a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.