25480-25486
PUBLIC RESOURCES CODE
SECTION 25480-25486
25480. As used in this chapter, "department" means the Department of Transportation. 25481. The Legislature hereby finds and declares that: (a) Due to the projected rapid growth in demand for energy, coupled with the mounting difficulties in providing energy supplies, a continuing energy shortage exists, posing a significant danger to public health and welfare. (b) The use of the automobile represents the single largest use of energy in this state and, therefore, the growing use of energy by automobiles is a major factor contributing to such shortage. (c) Heavy automobile traffic in our major cities has resulted in serious problems of air pollution and traffic congestion. (d) Increased ridesharing by commuters would aid in lowering air pollution levels, conserving energy, and reducing urban traffic congestion. It is, therefore, the purpose of this chapter to provide incentives for the wider use of ridesharing by commuters in metropolitan areas. 25482. All state agencies shall provide assistance to their employees living in metropolitan areas in establishing carpools and locating potential carpool participants. The department shall be responsible for coordinating these efforts. 25483. In order to perform its new function of promoting and assisting ridesharing, the department is authorized to establish ridesharing programs in metropolitan areas for public and private employees with funds made available for such purpose from any source. The ridesharing programs may be established and maintained entirely by the department or by the department in cooperation with public or private parties pursuant to contract. 25484. The ridesharing programs established by the department may include, but are not limited to, computer or manual matching systems, promotional efforts to encourage carpooling, vanpooling, buspooling, and flexible work hours, and preferential treatment on highways. 25485. The department shall develop programs and undertake any necessary construction to establish, for the use of carpool vehicles carrying at least three persons, preferential lanes on major freeways in metropolitan areas where the total benefits to the carpool vehicles will bear a reasonable relationship to the total adverse effects on the remaining vehicles, as established on the basis of an engineering study. The department shall also permit such carpool vehicles to have access to preferential bus lanes established on major freeways, unless congestion seriously impeding the travel of buses will result or will present a serious traffic hazard. 25486. The department is encouraged to establish as soon as possible preferential lanes for the use of buses and three-passenger carpool vehicles in both directions on State Highway Route 10, the Santa Monica Freeway, at least from Centinela Avenue to Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles County. Due to the high-density traffic flow on such a highway, it is necessary that the department establish such preferential lanes as a pilot project so that data can be developed for implementation of similar projects in other areas of the state.