(a) Pursuant to Section 149.7, the Legislature hereby authorizes a value pricing and transit program involving high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes to be developed and operated on State Highway Route 15 in Riverside County by the Riverside County Transportation Commission, as one of two toll lane projects in southern California authorized by subdivision (c) of Section 149.7. (b) The Riverside County Transportation Commission 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 program facilities in connection with the value pricing and transit program. With the assistance of the department, the Riverside County Transportation Commission shall establish appropriate traffic flow guidelines for the purpose of ensuring optimal use of the express lanes by high-occupancy vehicles without adversely affecting other traffic on the state highway system. The commission shall operate the HOT lane facilities in a manner consistent with the minimum level of service standards established in subdivision (b) of Sections 149.4, 149.5, and 149.6. (c) (1) Pursuant to Section 149.7, the Riverside County Transportation Commission shall have the authority to set, levy, and collect tolls, user fees, or other similar charges payable for the use of the State Highway Route 15 HOT lanes, and any other incidental or related fees or charges, in amounts as required for the following expenditures relative to State Highway Route 15 and for purposes of paragraph (2): (A) Capital outlay, including the costs of design, construction, right-of-way acquisition, and utility adjustment. (B) Operations and maintenance, including, but not limited to, toll collection and enforcement. (C) Repair and rehabilitation. (D) Indebtedness incurred, including related financing costs. (E) Reserves. (F) Administration, which shall not exceed 3 percent of toll and associated facility revenues. (2) Excess toll revenues beyond the expenditure needs of paragraph (1) may be expended for the following purposes: (A) To enhance transit service designed to reduce traffic congestion on State Highway Route 15 or to expand travel options along the State Highway Route 15 corridor. Eligible expenditures include, but are not limited to, transit operating assistance, the acquisition of transit vehicles, and the transit capital improvements otherwise eligible to be funded under the state transportation improvement program pursuant to Section 164. (B) To make operational or capacity improvements designed to reduce congestion or improve the flow of traffic on State Highway Route 15. Eligible expenditures may include any phase of project delivery to make capital improvements to onramps, connector roads, roadways, bridges, or other structures that are related to the tolled or nontolled facilities on State Highway Route 15. (3) The Riverside County Transportation Commission is authorized to issue bonds to finance the costs of the HOT lane facilities on State Highway Route 15, including the costs of issuing the bonds and paying credit enhancement and other fees related to the bonds, which bonds are payable from the tolls authorized in paragraph (1), and any other sources of revenue available to the Riverside County Transportation Commission that may be used for these purposes, including, but not limited to, sales tax revenue, development impact fees, or state and federal grant funds. The bonds may be sold pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth in a resolution adopted by the governing board of the Riverside County Transportation Commission. Bonds shall be issued pursuant to a resolution adopted by a two-thirds vote of the governing board. Any bond issued pursuant to this paragraph shall not constitute a debt or liability of the state and shall contain on its face a statement to the following effect: âNeither the full faith and credit nor the taxing pow
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