(a) The Legislature finds and declares the following:

(1) It is in the interest of the well-being of the traveling public in the state to bring the ramps connecting Yerba Buena Island to the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge under the ownership and control of the State of California, and to ensure the reconstruction of those ramps according to contemporary design standards.

(2) It is in the best interest of the traveling public to begin work on the ramps as soon as possible in order to coordinate this work with the design and construction of the new east span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.

(b) (1) The department shall work in cooperation with the authority on the design and engineering of replacement ramps connecting Yerba Buena Island to the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.

(2) The department shall work in cooperation with the authority and the San Francisco County Transportation Authority to ensure that the design of the new ramps and the new eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge are compatible.

(c) Upon the transfer of any portion of former Naval Station Treasure Island to the authority that includes the ramp connections on the eastern side of Yerba Buena Island connecting the island to the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, the department is authorized to accept from the authority title, easements, and other interests in land that may be necessary for the state to own and operate one or more of the ramps.

(d) The transfer of a ramp from the authority to the state is contingent on all of the following:

(1) A finding by the California Transportation Commission that the transfer is in the best interests of the state.

(2) Approval by the California Transportation Commission of the terms and conditions of the transfer agreement entered into between the authority and the department.

(3) Completion of work on the ramp, in accordance with current seismic, engineering, and safety design standards as approved by the department, prior to the transfer.

(e) In accordance with state requirements, a project study report on the reconstruction of the ramps shall be finalized on or before December 31, 2008. The San Francisco County Transportation Authority shall be the lead agency for the development of the project study report and it shall work in coordination with the authority, the Mayor of the City of San Francisco, and the Bay Area Toll Authority.

(f) Nothing in this section shall require a commitment of state funding from (1) the State Highway Account or (2) toll revenues or other sources of funding under the jurisdiction of the Toll Bridge Program Oversight Committee established pursuant to Section 30952.1. This does not preclude a local entity from seeking any available funds for the reconstruction of the ramps, including state funds available to the local entity.

(g) For purposes of this section, “authority” means the Treasure Island Development Authority, a nonprofit public benefit corporation established by the legislative body of the City and County of San Francisco and the Treasure Island Conversion Act of 1997 (Chapter 898 of the Statutes of 1997).

(Added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 637, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2008.)