CHAPTER 4.5. Seismic Retrofit Surcharge [31000. - 31021.]

Cal. Streets and Highways Code - SHC 4.5.

in effect

Cal. Streets and Highways Code - SHC § 31000. Section 31000.

The following definitions apply for purposes of this chapter: (a) “Account” means the Toll Bridge Seismic Retrofit Account created pursuant to Section 188.10. (b) “Amenities” means any of the following: (1) A cable suspension bridge. (2) A bicycle facility. (3) A transbay terminal. (c) “Authority” means the Bay Area Toll Authority. (d) “Bay area bridges” means the state-owned toll bridges within the area of the geographic jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. (e) “Department” means the Department of Transportation. (f) “Seismic retrofit” means all work completed by the department on the bay area bridges relating to the planning, design, and construction of improvements to, or replacement of, those bridges for the purpose of withstanding seismic forces, including, but not limited to, any environmental or traffic mitigation necessary for that work. (g) “Surcharge” means the seismic retrofit surcharge imposed pursuant to Section 31010.

Cal. Streets and Highways Code - SHC § 31010. Section 31010.

(a) There is hereby imposed a seismic retrofit surcharge equal to one dollar ($1) per vehicle for passage on the Bay Area state-owned toll bridges, except for vehicles that are authorized toll-free passage on these bridges. (b) Funds generated pursuant to subdivision (a) that are in excess of those needed to meet the toll commitment as specified by paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) of Section 188.5 shall be available to the authority for funding, consistent with Sections 30913 and 30914, the purposes and projects described in those sections. (c) Except as provided in subdivision (d), funds generated pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be paid to the authority directly and deposited in the Bay Area Toll Account pursuant to Section 30950.2 and shall constitute revenues of the tolls imposed on the bridges described in Section 30910 for all purposes of Chapter 4.3 (commencing with Section 30950). (d) Funds generated pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be used exclusively to repay obligations issued by the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank and secured by the surcharge imposed by subdivision (a) until they are no longer outstanding, as that term is defined in the constituent instruments defining the rights of the holders of those obligations. This subdivision shall become inoperative when the obligations are no longer outstanding, as that term is defined in the constituent instruments defining the rights of the holders of those obligations. (e) The department may increase the amount of the seismic retrofit surcharge identified in subdivision (a) for debt service purposes only on the obligations issued by the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank under Chapter 4.6 (commencing with Section 31070) and only for as long as those obligations are outstanding, as that term is defined in the constituent instruments defining the rights of the holders of those obligations, if circumstances exist that have resulted in a reduction in the funds generated by subdivision (a) so as to jeopardize the payment of debt service on those obligations. This subdivision shall become inoperative when those obligations are no longer outstanding due to their retirement or defeasance.

Cal. Streets and Highways Code - SHC § 31011. Section 31011.

(a) The authority may increase the amount of the surcharge described in Section 31010 for the purpose of completing the state toll bridge seismic program described in Section 188.5 and to meet its obligations under the act adding this section in the 2005–06 Regular Session. No increase shall be made effective prior to January 1, 2007. (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, revenues generated by an increase imposed pursuant to this section shall be deposited in the Bay Area Toll Account. (c) The authority shall hold at least two public meetings at least 45 days before taking any action pursuant to subdivision (a) to increase the amount of the surcharge.

Cal. Streets and Highways Code - SHC § 31015. Section 31015.

(a) Revenues generated from the surcharge shall not exceed nine hundred seven million dollars ($907,000,000), unless any of the following occurs: (1) After completing 30 percent of the design, and after completion of a cost estimate by the department, the authority selects a design that costs more than the cost of a single tower cable suspension bridge selected by the department. (2) The authority requests funding for the replacement or relocation of the transbay bus terminal in the City and County of San Francisco. (3) The authority requests funding for a bicycle or pedestrian access that is to be added to either the new east span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge or the retrofitted west span of that bridge, or both. (b) If the authority does any of the things listed in paragraphs (1) to (3), inclusive, of subdivision (a), the local share of the project costs shall be increased by an amount equal to any additional costs that are incurred as a result of the authority’s decision. (c) The department shall include the amenities requested by the authority only if sufficient funds generated by the seismic retrofit surcharge are made available to fully pay for those amenities.

Cal. Streets and Highways Code - SHC § 31020. Section 31020.

Notwithstanding Section 30953, as amended by the act adding this section in the 2005–06 Regular Session, revenue generated from the seismic retrofit surcharge imposed pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 31010 shall be deposited in the account until obligations secured by that seismic retrofit surcharge and issued by the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank under Chapter 4.6 (commencing with Section 31070) are no longer outstanding as that term is defined in the constituent instruments defining the rights of the holders of those obligations. After obligations of the bank secured by toll funds are no longer outstanding, all toll revenues generated from bridges in the geographic jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission shall be deposited in the Bay Area Toll Account.

Cal. Streets and Highways Code - SHC § 31021. Section 31021.

Projects in the state toll bridge seismic retrofit and replacement program described in Section 188.5 are not subject to administrative overhead cost assessments by the department because they are within the duties described in Section 30952.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026