By: Cain S.B. No. 537
99S0367/1
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
1-1 relating to agreements between the Texas Transportation Commission
1-2 and the Texas Department of Transportation and regional tollway
1-3 authorities and to the authority of regional tollway authorities to
1-4 set prima facie speed limits on the authorities' turnpike projects.
1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-6 SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 201, Transportation Code,
1-7 is amended by adding Section 201.113 to read as follows:
1-8 Sec. 201.113. AGREEMENTS WITH REGIONAL TOLLWAY AUTHORITIES.
1-9 (a) Notwithstanding Sections 221.003 and 224.031, the commission
1-10 and a regional tollway authority governed by Chapter 366 may enter
1-11 into an agreement for the improvement by a regional tollway
1-12 authority of portions of the state highway system.
1-13 (b) In this section, "improvement" means construction,
1-14 reconstruction, maintenance, and the making of a necessary plan or
1-15 survey before beginning construction, reconstruction, or
1-16 maintenance and includes a project or activity appurtenant to a
1-17 state highway, including drainage facilities, surveying, traffic
1-18 counts, driveways, landscaping, lights, or guardrails.
1-19 SECTION 2. Subchapter I, Chapter 201, Transportation Code,
1-20 is amended by adding Section 201.707 to read as follows:
1-21 Sec. 201.707. AGREEMENTS FOR SERVICES ON REGIONAL TOLLWAY
1-22 AUTHORITY PROJECTS. Notwithstanding Section 201.703(c), the
1-23 department and a regional tollway authority governed by Chapter
1-24 366, may enter into an agreement under which the department will
2-1 provide, for fair and reasonable compensation, services on the
2-2 regional tollway authority's turnpike projects, including but not
2-3 limited to courtesy patrols.
2-4 SECTION 3. The section heading and Subsection (a), Section
2-5 545.354, Transportation Code, is amended to read as follows:
2-6 Sec. 545.354. AUTHORITY OF TEXAS TURNPIKE AUTHORITY AND
2-7 REGIONAL TOLLWAY AUTHORITIES TO ALTER SPEED LIMITS ON TURNPIKE
2-8 PROJECTS. (a)(1) In this section, "authority" means the Texas
2-9 Turnpike Authority or a regional tollway authority governed by
2-10 Chapter 366.
2-11 (2) If an authority [the Texas Turnpike Authority]
2-12 determines from the results of an engineering and traffic
2-13 investigation that a prima facie speed limit described in this
2-14 subchapter is unreasonable or unsafe on a part of a turnpike
2-15 constructed and maintained by the authority, the authority by order
2-16 recorded in its minutes shall determine and declare a reasonable
2-17 and safe prima facie speed limit for vehicles or classes of
2-18 vehicles on the turnpike.
2-19 SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-20 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the
2-21 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-22 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-23 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-24 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.