Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB434 Compare Versions

The same version is selected twice. Please select two different versions to compare.

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	S.B. No. 434
2	2
3	3
4	4	AN ACT
5	5	relating to the establishment and operation of a public transit
6	6	motor-bus-only lane pilot program in certain counties.
7	7	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
8	8	SECTION 1. Chapter 455, Transportation Code, is amended by
9	9	adding Section 455.006 to read as follows:
10	10	Sec. 455.006. PUBLIC TRANSIT MOTOR-BUS-ONLY LANE PILOT
11	11	PROGRAM. (a) The department, in consultation with the Department
12	12	of Public Safety and in conjunction with the appropriate mass
13	13	transit authorities and the municipalities served by those
14	14	authorities and with any municipality that has a mass transit
15	15	department, shall establish and operate a public transit
16	16	motor-bus-only lane pilot program for highways in Bexar, Denton, El
17	17	Paso, and Travis Counties that are part of the state highway system
18	18	and have shoulders of sufficient width and structural integrity.
19	19	(b) The public transit motor-bus-only lane pilot program
20	20	shall:
21	21	(1) provide for the use by public transit motor buses
22	22	of highway shoulders as a low-speed bypass of congested highway
23	23	lanes when the speed of vehicles being operated on the main traveled
24	24	part of the adjacent highways is 35 miles per hour or less;
25	25	(2) limit the maximum speed of a public transit motor
26	26	bus being operated on a public transit motor-bus-only lane to not
27	27	more than 15 miles per hour greater than the speed of vehicles being
28	28	operated on the main traveled part of the adjacent highway;
29	29	(3) gain local operational experience with the
30	30	conversion of existing highway shoulders to public transit
31	31	motor-bus-only lanes during peak traffic periods;
32	32	(4) take into consideration the following:
33	33	(A) safety;
34	34	(B) travel time and reliability;
35	35	(C) driver and passenger perceptions;
36	36	(D) level of service and maintenance; and
37	37	(E) capital improvements; and
38	38	(5) be limited only to public transit motor buses
39	39	operated by the mass transit authorities or municipal mass transit
40	40	departments in the counties specified by Subsection (a).
41	41	(c) The department shall initiate the public transit
42	42	motor-bus-only lane pilot program as soon as practicable but not
43	43	later than December 31, 2009.
44	44	(d) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the department may not
45	45	establish or operate a public transit motor-bus-only lane on a
46	46	highway or toll facility maintained by a regional tollway authority
47	47	established under Chapter 366 without the authority's consent.
48	48	SECTION 2. Section 542.002, Transportation Code, is amended
49	49	to read as follows:
50	50	Sec. 542.002. GOVERNMENT VEHICLES. A provision of this
51	51	subtitle applicable to an operator of a vehicle applies to the
52	52	operator of a vehicle owned or operated by the United States, this
53	53	state, or a political subdivision of this state, except as
54	54	specifically provided otherwise by this subtitle [for an authorized
55	55	emergency vehicle].
56	56	SECTION 3. Subsection (c), Section 545.058, Transportation
57	57	Code, is amended to read as follows:
58	58	(c) A limitation in this section on driving on an improved
59	59	shoulder does not apply to:
60	60	(1) an authorized emergency vehicle responding to a
61	61	call;
62	62	(2) a police patrol; [or]
63	63	(3) a bicycle; or
64	64	(4) a public transit motor bus of a transportation
65	65	entity described by Section 455.006 operating on a shoulder
66	66	designated by the Texas Department of Transportation under that
67	67	section.
68	68	SECTION 4. Section 545.352, Transportation Code, is amended
69	69	by adding Subsection (c-1) to read as follows:
70	70	(c-1) The maximum speed limit for a public transit motor bus
71	71	of a transportation entity described by Section 455.006 that is
72	72	operating on the shoulder of a highway designated as a public
73	73	transit motor-bus-only lane by the Texas Department of
74	74	Transportation under that section is 35 miles per hour.
75	75	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
76	76	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
77	77	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
78	78	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
79	79	Act takes effect September 1, 2009.
80	80	______________________________ ______________________________
81	81	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
82	82	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 434 passed the Senate on
83	83	March 19, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 29, Nays 0;
84	84	May 18, 2009, Senate refused to concur in House amendment and
85	85	requested appointment of Conference Committee; May 20, 2009, House
86	86	granted request of the Senate; May 31, 2009, Senate adopted
87	87	Conference Committee Report by the following vote: Yeas 31,
88	88	Nays 0.
89	89	______________________________
90	90	Secretary of the Senate
91	91	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 434 passed the House, with
92	92	amendment, on May 12, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 149,
93	93	Nays 0, one present not voting; May 20, 2009, House granted request
94	94	of the Senate for appointment of Conference Committee;
95	95	May 23, 2009, House adopted Conference Committee Report by the
96	96	following vote: Yeas 141, Nays 0, three present not voting.
97	97	______________________________
98	98	Chief Clerk of the House
99	99	Approved:
100	100	______________________________
101	101	Date
102	102	______________________________
103	103	Governor