Low-emission Vehicle Managed Lane Access

Section 1 of the bill requires the executive director of the department of transportation to adopt rules, no later than December 31, 2021, to establish a program that allows preferential access to managed lanes for low-emission vehicles (LEVs) regardless of the number of vehicle occupants. The rules may:

• Require a LEV owner to pay an annual fee to enroll the owner's LEV in the program;
• Limit the number of LEVs eligible for the program;
• Limit the number of years that a LEV is eligible for a program;
• Treat different classes of LEVs differently;
• Allow preferential access to all or only a subset of managed lanes; and
• Allow either free or reduced toll access to any given toll lane or high occupancy toll lane.

Section 1 also defines the terms "low-emission vehicle" and "managed lane" as well as other terms used in the definition of low-emission vehicle.

Section 2 repeals the statutory authority for an existing program, which is expiring on May 31, 2020, due to a change in federal law, under which a limited number of low-emission vehicles are allowed free access to managed lanes regardless of the number of vehicle occupants.
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)