Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1770 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R5276 GP-F
2	2	By: Cook S.B. No. 1770
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the accommodation of pedestrians, bicyclists, persons
10	10	with disabilities, children, senior citizens, users of public
11	11	transportation, movers of commercial goods, and motorists on
12	12	streets and highways.
13	13	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
14	14	SECTION 1. (a) The Texas Department of Transportation
15	15	shall consider the needs of motorists, public transportation
16	16	vehicles, users of public transportation, bicyclists, and
17	17	pedestrians of all ages and abilities in all transportation
18	18	planning, design, construction, reconstruction, retrofitting,
19	19	operations, and maintenance.
20	20	(b) The Texas Department of Transportation shall:
21	21	(1) view all transportation improvements as
22	22	opportunities to improve safety, access, air quality, and mobility
23	23	for all travelers in Texas; and
24	24	(2) recognize that bicycle, pedestrian, and transit
25	25	modes are integral elements of the transportation system.
26	26	SECTION 2. Subchapter H, Chapter 201, Transportation Code,
27	27	is amended by adding Section 201.626 to read as follows:
28	28	Sec. 201.626. COMPLETE STREETS POLICY. (a) In this
29	29	section:
30	30	(1) "Complete streets policy" means a written policy
31	31	that:
32	32	(A) provides guidelines for addressing the
33	33	safety, accessibility, and mobility of users of streets and
34	34	highways, including pedestrians, bicyclists, persons with
35	35	disabilities, children, senior citizens, users of public
36	36	transportation, movers of commercial goods, and motorists, in the
37	37	planning, design, construction, and maintenance of streets and
38	38	highways; and
39	39	(B) recognizes that the needs of users of streets
40	40	and highways vary according to the urban, rural, or suburban
41	41	context.
42	42	(2) "Local authority" means a county, municipality, or
43	43	other local entity authorized to plan, design, construct, and
44	44	maintain streets and highways.
45	45	(b) The commission shall adopt a complete streets policy.
46	46	(c) The commission, in adopting a complete streets policy
47	47	under Subsection (b), shall consider best practices and guidance
48	48	from:
49	49	(1) the United States Department of Transportation
50	50	Federal Highway Administration;
51	51	(2) the American Association of State Highway and
52	52	Transportation Officials;
53	53	(3) the National Association of City Transportation
54	54	Officials;
55	55	(4) the Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control
56	56	Devices;
57	57	(5) the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility
58	58	Guidelines;
59	59	(6) the Public Rights-of-Way Accessibility
60	60	Guidelines; and
61	61	(7) the recommended practice titled "Designing
62	62	Walkable Urban Thoroughfares: A Context Sensitive Approach,"
63	63	issued by the Institute of Transportation Engineers.
64	64	(d) The commission shall ensure that the following comply
65	65	with the complete streets policy:
66	66	(1) transportation planning, design, construction,
67	67	and reconstruction; and
68	68	(2) improvements to streets, highways, and other
69	69	projects that fall under the commission's jurisdiction.
70	70	(e) A local authority shall ensure that all transportation
71	71	planning, design, construction, and reconstruction, street or
72	72	highway improvements, and access roads, bicycle paths, and
73	73	sidewalks to public transportation comply with the complete streets
74	74	policy if federal or state funds are used.
75	75	(f) To the extent consistent with federal law, a
76	76	metropolitan planning organization shall ensure that any
77	77	transportation improvement plan complies with the complete streets
78	78	policy.
79	79	(g) This section does not apply to a transportation project
80	80	if:
81	81	(1) use of a particular street or highway by
82	82	bicyclists or pedestrians is prohibited by law, including within
83	83	interstate highway corridors;
84	84	(2) the cost to comply with the complete streets
85	85	policy would be excessively disproportionate to the present or
86	86	future need or probable use of the particular street or highway; or
87	87	(3) a sparseness of population indicates an absence of
88	88	future need.
89	89	(h) An exemption under Subsection (g) must be:
90	90	(1) approved by the department or local authority, as
91	91	appropriate; and
92	92	(2) supported by publicly available documentation.
93	93	(i) The department or local authority, as appropriate,
94	94	shall certify that each transportation project complies with the
95	95	complete streets policy in all aspects of project development. No
96	96	additional certification is required unless the scope of the
97	97	transportation project changes.
98	98	SECTION 3. The Texas Transportation Commission shall
99	99	publish a best practices report not later than July 1, 2028. The
100	100	report must describe how the Texas Department of Transportation,
101	101	local authorities, and metropolitan planning organizations have
102	102	changed their procedures to implement the complete streets policy
103	103	required under Section 201.626, Transportation Code, as added by
104	104	this Act. The commission shall include a list of transportation
105	105	projects exempted under Section 201.626(g), Transportation Code,
106	106	as added by this Act, in the best practices report. The commission,
107	107	in publishing a best practices report under this section, shall
108	108	consider:
109	109	(1) procedures for identifying the needs of users of
110	110	all ages and abilities;
111	111	(2) the types and designs of facilities needed to
112	112	serve the needs of users described by Subdivision (1) of this
113	113	section;
114	114	(3) measures of effectiveness that document the
115	115	results of implementing Section 201.626, Transportation Code, as
116	116	added by this Act, on transportation projects under the
117	117	commission's jurisdiction; and
118	118	(4) procedures for identifying and overcoming
119	119	barriers to implementing the complete streets policy required under
120	120	Section 201.626, Transportation Code, as added by this Act.
121	121	SECTION 4. Section 201.626, Transportation Code, as added
122	122	by this Act, does not apply to a roadway project if a draft
123	123	Environmental Impact Statement, Environmental Assessment, or
124	124	Environmental Reevaluation for the roadway project is submitted to
125	125	the regulatory agency in accordance with the National Environmental
126	126	Policy Act before September 1, 2025.
127	127	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.