Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law a bill inspired by a fatal traffic collision on Highway 74 above Palm Desert, California intending to make Caltrans decision-making more transparent.
Known as "Tristin's Bill," AB 1145 requires Caltrans to examine the costs and alternatives to proposed local ordinances that impact a state highway and offer written explanations for any rejections.
Arecent study from the County of Riverside Transportation Department found a stretch of Highway 74 starting in Palm Desert had a collision rate that was more than twice as high as similar rural two-lane roads elsewhere in the county.
Named after Tristin Bourgeois, a 27-year-old La Quinta man who died after a big rig overturned descending Highway 74 and struck his car,
the law aims to make the reasoning behind Caltrans decisions clearer.
Local municipalities have the ability to alter certain traffic regulations within their jurisdictions, like banning big rig trucks, but such decisions are subject to a Caltrans review.
Still, the bill was changed significantly during the legislative process, completely transforming from the version that was originally submitted. Initially, the legislation from Assemblymembers Jeff Gonzalez and Greg Wallis proposed doubling fines on commercial truck drivers who violated vehicle weight rules while using Highway 74 from Palm Desert to Anza. It was later changed to require a comprehensive safety study of the road before being changed again.
Bourgeois' family has expressed disappointment at the changes while pointing to the positive aspects the bill brings to highway safety.
“You feel like, this is not what I wanted, but then you have to realize and look at the positive of what is being done,” Tina Bourgeois, Tristin's stepmom, told The Desert Sun in early September.
The county's study found the road's crash rate was 125% higher than comparable highways. It recommended a prohibition on trucks of more than three axles on the highway's curviest stretch, a roughly 20 miles segment from Palm Desert to State Route 371.
While the study includes recommended actions the state could take to improve safety, the Supervisor Manny Perez told The Desert Sun Caltrans had requested additional areas of study before they could be implemented. Perez said these requirements delayed progress.
On Tuesday, Perez continued to push for improvements to Highway 74 safety.
“This is a very important issue. We are talking about life and death,” Perez said in a press release. “For me, this is also personal. My brother was in an accident as well, but fortunately for our family, he survived. Nonetheless, the trauma from that accident had a major impact on our entire family. That is why my heart goes out to the Bourgeois family, and it’s time we address Highway 74.”
Gonzalez celebrated the passage of AB 1145, along with another bill he proposed that creates a statewide framework for establishing critical mineral and clean energy zones in a press release on Sept. 28.
"I am proud to see both of these bills signed into law and bring real results back home," he said in a statement. "AB 2163 helps position Imperial County for investment, jobs and economic development, while AB 1145 (Tristin's Bill) gives our local communities greater transparency when decisions are made about our roads."
Local advocates have long urged Caltrans to improve safety conditions on the road by increasing enforcement and fixing potholes.
Sam Morgen covers local government for The Desert Sun. Reach him at smorgen@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Newsom signs Caltrans transparency bill inspired by fatal Hwy 74 crash
