| 1 | 1 | | 89R2106 RDR-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Morales of Harris H.B. No. 341 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to a study by the Texas Department of Transportation on |
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| 10 | 10 | | traffic collisions involving persons operating bicycles, electric |
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| 11 | 11 | | bicycles, or motor-assisted scooters. |
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| 12 | 12 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 13 | 13 | | SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. In this Act: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (1) "Bicycle" has the meaning assigned by Section |
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| 15 | 15 | | 541.201, Transportation Code. |
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| 16 | 16 | | (2) "Bicycle lane" means a designated lane or other |
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| 17 | 17 | | part of a roadway set aside for the exclusive operation of bicycles. |
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| 18 | 18 | | (3) "Department" means the Texas Department of |
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| 19 | 19 | | Transportation. |
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| 20 | 20 | | (4) "Electric bicycle" has the meaning assigned by |
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| 21 | 21 | | Section 664.001, Transportation Code. |
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| 22 | 22 | | (5) "Motor-assisted scooter" has the meaning assigned |
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| 23 | 23 | | by Section 551.351, Transportation Code. |
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| 24 | 24 | | SECTION 2. STUDY ON BICYCLE LANES. (a) The department, in |
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| 25 | 25 | | consultation with the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, shall |
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| 26 | 26 | | study the extent to which the availability of bicycle lanes reduces |
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| 27 | 27 | | the rate of traffic collisions involving persons operating |
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| 28 | 28 | | bicycles, electric bicycles, or motor-assisted scooters. |
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| 29 | 29 | | (b) In conducting the study, the department shall: |
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| 30 | 30 | | (1) examine collision reports received by the |
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| 31 | 31 | | department and any other relevant information available to the |
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| 32 | 32 | | department and compile the following information about traffic |
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| 33 | 33 | | collisions involving persons operating bicycles, electric |
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| 34 | 34 | | bicycles, or motor-assisted scooters in this state: |
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| 35 | 35 | | (A) demographic data of persons suffering injury |
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| 36 | 36 | | or death; |
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| 37 | 37 | | (B) geographic areas in which collisions |
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| 38 | 38 | | occurred and the population density of those areas; |
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| 39 | 39 | | (C) times of day of collisions; |
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| 40 | 40 | | (D) causes of collisions; and |
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| 41 | 41 | | (E) whether collisions occurred in bicycle |
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| 42 | 42 | | lanes; and |
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| 43 | 43 | | (2) analyze whether the information demonstrates that |
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| 44 | 44 | | the availability of bicycle lanes reduces the rate of traffic |
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| 45 | 45 | | collisions involving persons operating bicycles, electric |
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| 46 | 46 | | bicycles, or motor-assisted scooters. |
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| 47 | 47 | | (c) Not later than January 1, 2027, the department shall |
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| 48 | 48 | | submit to the legislature a report on the findings of the study |
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| 49 | 49 | | conducted under this section. The report must also include: |
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| 50 | 50 | | (1) information on the availability of bicycle lanes |
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| 51 | 51 | | throughout this state; |
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| 52 | 52 | | (2) recommendations on roadway lane designations and |
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| 53 | 53 | | layouts that reduce traffic collisions involving persons operating |
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| 54 | 54 | | bicycles, electric bicycles, or motor-assisted scooters; and |
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| 55 | 55 | | (3) a discussion of whether the inclusion of any |
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| 56 | 56 | | additional information in collision reports described by Chapter |
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| 57 | 57 | | 550, Transportation Code, would facilitate future analysis of |
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| 58 | 58 | | traffic collisions inside and outside bike lanes involving persons |
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| 59 | 59 | | operating bicycles, electric bicycles, or motor-assisted scooters. |
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| 60 | 60 | | SECTION 3. EXPIRATION. This Act expires February 1, 2027. |
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| 61 | 61 | | SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September |
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| 62 | 62 | | 1, 2025. |
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