(a)
Notwithstanding Sections 25400 and 25950, and except as provided in subdivision (c), a bus operated by the University of California, Irvine’s public transport system on regularly scheduled service, in addition to the illuminated signs described in Section 25353, may also be equipped with illuminated signs that display advertising and that emit any light color, if all of the following conditions are met:
(1)
Each illuminated sign displaying advertising emits diffused nonglaring light.
(2)
Each illuminated sign
displaying advertising is limited in size to a display area of not greater than 4,464 square inches.
(3)
Each illuminated sign displaying advertising does not resemble, and is not installed in a position that interferes with the visibility or effectiveness of, a required lamp, reflector, or other device upon the vehicle.
(4)
Each illuminated sign displaying advertising is only placed on one or both sides of the vehicle, and is not placed in a forward-facing or rear-facing position, and no more than one such sign is placed on either side of any single vehicle.
(5)
The mixing of individually colored light emitting diode elements, including red, is allowed in each illuminated sign displaying advertising as long as the emitted
color formed by the combination of light emitting diode elements is not red.
(b)
(1)An illuminated sign displaying advertising may be operated as a dynamic message sign in a paging or streaming mode. However, the electronic message sign display shall remain static while a bus is operating on a freeway, as that term is defined in Section 257 of the Streets and Highways Code.
(2)
The following definitions shall govern the construction of paragraph (1):
(A)
“Paging,” meaning character elements or other information that is presented for a period of time and then disappears all at once before the same or new elements are presented, is permitted if the display time of each message is between 2.7 and
10 seconds. Blanking times between each message shall be between 0.5 and 25 seconds.
(B)
“Streaming,” meaning character elements or other information moving smoothly and continuously across the display, is permitted if the character movement time, from one end of the display to the other, is at least 2.7 seconds, and the movement time of the entire message does not exceed 10 seconds.
(c)
On or before March 1, 2014, the University of California, Irvine, if it elects to implement a pilot program pursuant to this section, shall determine whether the City of Santa Monica has at least 12 transit buses equipped with illuminated signs that are operational pursuant to Section 25353.1. The University of California, Irvine, may implement the pilot program
authorized by this section only if it determines that the City of Santa Monica has less than 12 transit buses equipped with illuminated signs that are operational pursuant to Section 25353.1.
(d)
If the University of California, Irvine
implements the pilot program pursuant to this section, it shall submit a report to the Legislature and the department on the incidence of adverse impacts on roadway and pedestrian safety due to the utilization of illuminated signs on transit buses displaying advertising pursuant to this section, if any, by July 1, 2018. The report shall be the product of a collaborative effort between university law enforcement and
transit officials, other law enforcement officials in whose jurisdictions the university’s transit vehicles operate, and the department. The report shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
(e)
The University of California, Irvine’s public transport system may, pursuant to subdivision (a), operate up to 25 buses with illuminated signs displaying advertising for two years, after
which time the city may increase the number of buses with the signs to up to 30.
(f)
This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2019, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2019, deletes or extends that date.