(a)
The Trade Corridors Improvement Fund, created pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 8879.23 of the Government Code, is hereby continued in existence to receive revenues from sources other than the Highway Safety, Traffic Reduction, Air Quality, and Port Security Bond Act of 2006. This chapter shall govern expenditure of those other revenues.
(b)
The moneys in the fund from those other sources 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. In determining the projects eligible for funding, the commission shall consult the Transportation Agency’s state freight plan as described in Section 13978.8 of the Government Code, the State Air Resources Board’s Sustainable Freight Strategy adopted by Resolution 14-2, and the trade infrastructure and goods movement plan submitted to the commission by the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary for Environmental Protection. The commission shall also consult trade infrastructure and goods movement plans adopted by regional transportation planning agencies, adopted regional transportation plans required by state and federal law, and the statewide port master plan prepared by the California Marine and Intermodal Transportation System Advisory Council (Cal-MITSAC) pursuant to Section 1730 of the Harbors and Navigation Code, when determining eligible projects for funding. Eligible projects for these funds include, but are not limited to, all of the following:
(1)
Highway capacity improvements and operational improvements to more efficiently accommodate the movement of freight, particularly for ingress and egress to and from the state’s land ports of entry 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 through mountainous regions, relocate rail switching yards, and other projects that improve the efficiency and capacity of the rail freight system.
(3)
Projects to enhance the capacity and efficiency of ports.
(4)
Truck corridor improvements, including dedicated truck facilities or truck toll facilities.
(5)
Border access improvements that enhance goods movement between California and Mexico and that maximize the state’s ability to access coordinated border infrastructure funds made available to the state by federal law.
(6)
Surface transportation 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.
(c)
(1)The commission shall allocate funds for trade infrastructure improvements from the fund consistent with Section 8879.52 of the Government Code and the Trade Corridors Improvement Fund (TCIF) Guidelines adopted by the commission on November 27, 2007, or as amended by the commission, and in a manner that (A) addresses the state’s most urgent needs, (B) balances the demands of various land ports of entry, seaports, and airports, (C) provides reasonable geographic balance between the state’s regions, and (D) places emphasis on projects that improve trade corridor mobility while reducing emissions of diesel particulate and other pollutant emissions.
(2)
In addition, the commission shall also consider the following factors when allocating these funds:
(A)
“Velocity,” which means the speed by which large cargo would travel from the land port of entry or seaport through
the distribution system.
(B)
“Throughput,” which means the volume of cargo that would move from the land port of entry or seaport through the distribution system.
(C)
“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.
(D)
“Congestion reduction,” which means the reduction in recurrent daily hours of delay to be achieved.