(a) (1) (A) Notwithstanding Sections 149 and 30800 of this code, and Section 21655.5 of the Vehicle Code, the Sunol Smart Carpool Lane Joint Powers Authority (SSCLJPA) or the Alameda County Transportation Commission may conduct, administer, and operate a value pricing high-occupancy vehicle program on the Sunol Grade segment of State Highway Route 680 (Interstate 680) in the County of Alameda and the Alameda County Transportation Commission may conduct, administer, and operate a program on a corridor within the County of Alameda for a maximum of two transportation corridors in the County of Alameda pursuant to this section in coordination with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and consistent with Section 21655.6 of the Vehicle Code. (B) Notwithstanding Sections 149 and 30800 of this code, and Section 21655.5 of the Vehicle Code, the SSCLJPA or the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority may conduct, administer, and operate a value pricing high-occupancy vehicle program on the Sunol Grade segment of State Highway Route 680 (Interstate 680) in the County of Santa Clara pursuant to this section. (2) The program, under the circumstances described in subdivision (b), may direct and authorize the entry and use of the high-occupancy vehicle lanes in the corridors identified in paragraph (1) by single-occupant vehicles for a fee. The fee structure for each corridor shall be established from time to time by the administering agency. A high-occupancy vehicle lane may only be operated as a high-occupancy toll (HOT) lane during the hours that the lane is otherwise restricted to use by high-occupancy vehicles. (3) The administering agency for each corridor shall enter into a cooperative agreement with the Bay Area Toll Authority to operate and manage the electronic toll collection system. (b) Implementation of the program shall ensure that Level of Service C, as measured by the most recent issue of the Highway Capacity Manual, as adopted by the Transportation Research Board, is maintained at all times in the high-occupancy vehicle lanes, except that, subject to a written agreement between the department and the administering agency that is based on operating conditions of the high-occupancy vehicle lanes, Level of Service D shall be permitted on the high-occupancy vehicle lanes. If Level of Service D is permitted, the department and the administering agency shall evaluate the impacts of these levels of service on the high-occupancy vehicle lanes, and indicate any effects on the mixed-flow lanes. Continuance of Level of Service D operating conditions shall be subject to the written agreement between the department and the administering agency. Unrestricted access to the lanes by high-occupancy vehicles shall be available at all times, except that the program may require a high-occupancy vehicle to have an electronic transponder or other electronic device for law enforcement purposes. At least annually, the department shall audit the level of service during peak traffic hours and report the results of that audit at meetings of the administering agency. (c) Single-occupant vehicles that are certified or authorized by the administering agency for entry into, and use of, the high-occupancy vehicle lanes identified in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) are exempt from Section 21655.5 of the Vehicle Code, and the driver shall not be in violation of the Vehicle Code because of that entry and use. (d) The administering agency shall carry out the program in cooperation with the department pursuant to a cooperative agreement that addresses all matters related to design, construction, maintenance, and operation of state highway system facilities in connection with the value pricing high-occupancy vehicle program. With the assistance of the department, the administering agency shall establish appropriate traffic flow guidelines for the purpose of ensuring optimal use of the high-occupancy toll lanes by high-occupancy vehicles without adverse
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