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2019 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 84
BY SENATOR ERDEY
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
TRANSPORTATION/DEV DEPT. Authorizes designation of a high occupancy vehicle
(HOV) lane on state highways. (8/1/19)
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 48:345, relative to traffic control and regulation; to authorize the designation
3 of a high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane on highways in the state highway system;
4 to provide a definition of a "high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane"; to provide with
5 respect to penalties for violation of unauthorized use of an HOV lane; and to provide
6 for related matters.
7 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
8 Section 1. R.S. 48:345 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
9 ยง345. Designation of a high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane on highways in the
10 state highway system; penalty
11 A. The secretary or his designee may designate high occupancy vehicle
12 (HOV) lanes on any highway in the state highway system and may restrict the
13 use thereof to vehicular traffic classified as a "high occupancy vehicle (HOV)"
14 to the extent he thinks it expedient that, in his judgment, is appropriate to
15 provide travel time savings and to increase the total number of people moved
16 through a highway corridor with high levels of travel demand and traffic
17 congestion.
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 84
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1 B. For the purpose of this Section, the following words and phrases shall
2 have the meaning respectively ascribed to them:
3 (1) "High occupancy vehicle" means a passenger car, pickup truck, van,
4 recreational vehicle, or a bus or other motorized passenger vehicle used for
5 transporting persons such as a carpool or a vanpool vehicle used for ridesharing
6 purposes and occupied by a driver and one or more passengers. A truck,
7 tandem truck, tractor, truck-tractor, combination of vehicles, or commercial
8 motor vehicle carrying or transporting freight, merchandise, or other property
9 shall not be a high occupancy vehicle.
10 (2) "High occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane" means one or more lanes of a
11 highway or an entire highway designated by traffic control devices where high
12 occupancy vehicles are given at all times, or at regularly scheduled times, a
13 priority or preference over some or all other vehicles moving in the general
14 stream of all highway traffic.
15 C. The department shall promulgate rules and regulations related to
16 enforcement and penalties of the high occupancy vehicle lanes. Notwithstanding
17 any other law to the contrary, the rules and regulations shall be in accordance
18 with the selected implementation method of the high occupancy vehicle lanes.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Sharon F. Lyles.
DIGEST
SB 84 Engrossed 2019 Regular Session Erdey
Proposed law authorizes the secretary of DOTD or his designee to designate a high
occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane on any highway in the state highway system and to restrict
the use thereof to vehicular traffic classified as a "high occupancy vehicle (HOV)" to the
extent he thinks it expedient that, in his judgment, is appropriate to provide travel time
savings and to increase the total number of people moved through a highway corridor with
high levels of travel demand and traffic congestion.
Proposed law defines a "high occupancy vehicle" to mean a passenger car, pickup truck, van,
recreational vehicle, or a bus or other motorized passenger vehicle used for transporting
persons such as a carpool or a vanpool vehicle used for ridesharing purposes and occupied
by a driver and one or more passengers and to exclude a truck, tandem truck, tractor, truck-
tractor, combination of vehicles, or commercial motor vehicle carrying or transporting
freight, merchandise, or other property from its meaning; and defines a "high occupancy
vehicle (HOV) lane" to mean one or more lanes of a highway or an entire highway where
designated by traffic control devices high occupancy vehicles are given at all times, or at
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 84
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regularly scheduled times, a priority or preference over some or all other vehicles moving
in the general stream of all highway traffic.
Proposed law requires DOTD to promulgate rules and regulations related to enforcement and
penalties of the HOV lanes. Proposed law provides further that notwithstanding any other
law to the contrary, the rules and regulations shall be in accordance with the selected
implementation method of HOV lanes.
Effective August 1, 2019.
(Adds R.S. 48:345)
Summary of Amendments Adopted by Senate
Committee Amendments Proposed by Senate Committee on Transportation,
Highways, and Public Works to the original bill
1. Changes authority to designate HOV lanes from the assistant secretary of the
office of operations or the chief engineer to the secretary of DOTD or his
designee.
2. Adds to definition of "high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane" that HOV lanes
are designated by traffic control devices.
3. Requires DOTD to promulgate rules and regulations related to enforcement
and penalties of HOV lanes and that notwithstanding any other law to the
contrary, the rules and regulations shall be in accordance with the selected
implementation method of HOV lanes.
Page 3 of 3
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.