California Environmental Quality Act: exemption: urban intermodal rail station project.

Plain English Breakdown

The exact conditions required for other urban intermodal rail stations to qualify for exemption are not detailed in the official source material.

California Environmental Quality Act: Exemption for Diridon Station Modernization

The bill creates an exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requirements for the modernization of Diridon Station in San Jose and similar urban intermodal rail station projects that meet certain conditions.

What This Bill Does

• Exempts the modernization of Diridon Station in San Jose from CEQA requirements, including track, platform, station, public plaza or realm, roadway crossing and access improvements, and intermodal facilities and connections.
• Allows other urban intermodal rail stations within long-urbanized areas that meet specified conditions to be exempt from CEQA.
• Requires compliance with various environmental laws for these exemptions.
• Requires the adoption of a plan addressing any displacement caused by the project.

Who It Names or Affects

• The City of San Jose and its residents.
• Local transportation authorities involved in rail station projects.
• Environmental review agencies responsible for CEQA compliance.

Terms To Know

California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)

A law that requires government agencies to analyze the environmental effects of their actions and consider alternatives that might reduce those impacts.

Intermodal rail station

A train station where passengers can easily transfer between different types of trains, such as light rail, commuter rail, and intercity rail services.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify the exact conditions for other urban intermodal rail stations to qualify for exemption.
• It is unclear how many projects will be affected by this exemption beyond Diridon Station in San Jose.

Official Summary Text

SB 1375, as amended, Cortese.
California Environmental Quality Act:
exemptions: City of San Jose: Diridon Station.
exemption: urban intermodal rail station project.
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of, an environmental impact report on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment.
Existing law exempts from CEQA a public project for the improvement, institution, or increase of passenger rail service,
including the maintenance, construction, or rehabilitation of stations, terminals, or existing operations facilities that will be exclusively used by zero-emission trains or specified rolling stock or locomotives, as provided.
This bill would exempt from CEQA a
public program for the modernization of Diridon Station in the City of San Jose, including, but not limited to, the track, platform, station, public plaza or realm, roadway crossing and access improvements, and intermodal facilities and connections.
public urban, intermodal rail station project within a long-urbanized area within the statewide passenger rail network, at which high-capacity light, commuter, and intercity rail services converge that meets specified conditions, including, among other requirements, a
requirement for compliance with various environmental laws and for the adoption of a plan for how any displacement from the project will be fully addressed, as provided.
Because a lead agency would be required to determine the applicability of this exemption, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Diridon Station Program in the County of Santa Clara.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF