HUNTINGTON BEACH : New Businesses Must Work on Car Pools

The City Council this week imposed regulations on new businesses with 100 or more employees to encourage car-pooling and use of other means of transportation.

The provisions will qualify the city for its share of Proposition 111 state transportation funding. That proposition, which voters approved in June, 1990, added what will eventually be a 9-cent-per-gallon increase in the gasoline tax to help pay for transportation improvements.

The law requires affected businesses to provide preferred parking spaces for car-pool vehicles, bicycle racks and shower facilities, and ride-share loading areas. It also requires employers to offer information on transportation alternatives.

The new regulations will be enforced through the council’s permit-approval process. Existing large businesses applying for a new permit will also be subject to the conditions.

The city has already begun receiving portions of its Proposition 111 funding, City Engineer Robert Eichblatt said. The measure is expected to bring the city about $24 million to improve streets and transportation services, he said.