California gov. signs laws to boost clean-air vehicles, bike use

Gov. Jerry Brown has signed into law several bills designed to boost use of clean-air vehicles and bicycles in California.

One bill signed Sunday allows 15,000 additional electric and partial zero-emissions vehicles, or 70,000 total vehicles, to get green stickers that allow driving in carpool lanes even when solo.

Another requires freeway high-occupancy toll lane operators to allow clean air vehicles to drive for free or reduced rates. Such roads exist in Orange and Riverside counties, and the San Francisco area.

Another bill requires a property owner, rather than the person leasing it, to install an electric vehicle charging station and its infrastructure in most cases.

He also signed a bill that would allow local governments to ask voters to approve an annual $5 fee on their vehicle registration for bicycle projects, according to the Sacramento Bee. Two-thirds of voters would have to approve the fee, which could raise millions for local bicycle facilities.

California makes up 40 percent of the nation's electric vehicle sales and the governor's press office says it surpassed more than 100,000 sold earlier this month.

Al Jazeera with The Associated Press