Section 14036.

(a) The department shall prepare a 10-year State Rail Plan biennially for submission to the Legislature, the Governor, the Public Utilities Commission, and the California Transportation Commission. The plan shall be submitted to the California Transportation Commission on or before October 1, 1995, and on or before October 1 of each odd-numbered year thereafter, for its advice and consent, and to the Legislature, the Governor, and the Public Utilities Commission by the following March 1. The plan shall consist of a passenger rail element and a freight rail element.

(b) The passenger rail element shall contain all of the following:

(1) For capital and operating subsidies and costs, all actual encumbrances for the prior two fiscal years; and for state operations, all actual expenditures for the prior two fiscal years. All revenues shall be identified by source.

(2) For capital and operating subsidies, estimated encumbrances and revenues for the current year; and for state operations, estimated expenditures for the current year. The department shall use the same format as is required for prior year expenditures pursuant to paragraph (1).

(3) For the budget year and the nine following fiscal years, proposed encumbrances for capital and operating subsidies and costs shall be reported in the same format as is required for the prior year's expenditures. For state operations, proposed expenditures for the budget year shall be reported.

(4) The identification and cost of capital facilities necessary to enhance competitiveness of rail passenger services, including, for each intercity route, a list of at least the three highest priority capital improvement projects, with cost estimates and a funding plan.

(5) A performance evaluation of all services in operation for the two prior years, including performance trends, potential for efficiency and effectiveness, possible improvements, and strategies to achieve that potential. This shall include an evaluation of all feeder bus services, using, among other things, criteria based on ridership levels, break-even points, and levels of growth in service utilization. The number of daily feeder bus runs, if any, that failed to carry even one passenger shall be identified.

(6) A recommendation of a level of and program for services over a 10-year period, including a list of service enhancements on existing and additional routes, with funding and priority recommendations. This shall include identification of feeder bus service improvements and a management and operating plan for achieving these improvements.

(7) An evaluation of reports by regional planning agencies and county transportation commissions on commuter service alternatives in their regions, including presentation of their recommendations.

(8) A map showing all existing intercity and commuter passenger rail routes and services, all proposed intercity and commuter passenger rail routes and services, and all intercity and commuter passenger rail routes and services that are the subject of feasibility studies.

(9) A report on the expenditure of marketing activities funds for purchases of media advertising of rail passenger services.

This report shall be prepared in consultation with the Public Utilities Commission and the National Rail Passenger Corporation. The department may consult with other agencies, organizations, and persons with expertise. The department shall employ realistic assumptions, using Public Utilities Commission cost data whenever possible, with respect to the level of services it can provide and the cost of these services when developing the program.

(10) A discussion of the department's overall marketing strategy as it relates to the intercity rail passenger service, including feeder bus service, and a report on the expenditure of marketing activities funds for purchases of media advertising of rail passenger services.

(11) A discussion of fare policies and practices, including all of the following:

(A) The relationship of fare policies to ridership and yield, including the impact of (A) a variety of regular fares, including fares such as midweek and other off-peak discounts, (B) discount fare blackouts during certain holiday travel periods on yield and ridership, and (C) discount fares for small groups traveling together.

(B) Lightly traveled route segments where current fares are too high for the demand, and where ridership or yield, or both, would increase with lower fares.

(C) A potential fare policy that would maximize both ridership and yield.

(D) A summary of discussions with Amtrak on the subject of fares.

(c) The freight rail element shall contain all of the following:

(1) Environmental aspects, which shall include air quality, land use, and community impacts.

(2) Financing issues, which shall include a means to obtain federal and state funding.

(3) Rail issues, which shall include regional, intrastate, and interstate issues.

(4) Intermodal connections, which shall include seaports and intermodal terminals.

(5) Current system deficiencies.

(6) Service objectives, such as improving efficiency, accessibility, and safety.

(7) New technology, which shall include logistics and process improvement.

(8) Light density rail line analyses, which shall include traffic density, track characteristics, project selection criteria, and benefit-cost criteria.

(Amended by Stats. 2001, Ch. 597, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2002.)