BILL ANALYSIS
By: Raymond
Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Currently, transit departments are not permitted to construct separate areas for buses to pull over safely and load and unload passengers on highways under the jurisdiction of the Texas Department of Transportation. This creates an unsafe situation for bus passengers, pedestrians waiting for the bus, and other motorists, as vehicles moving at high speeds may be forced to change lanes or swerve suddenly to avoid a bus stopped in the road.
Local transit departments should be empowered to decide where these stops are needed and to use their own funds to construct them. Giving the departments this authority will not only ensure the safety of everyone on the road, but will also ensure the optimal flow of traffic on the highways.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
The Texas Department of Transportation will permit a transit department to build a bus stop adjacent to a highway under the department’s control. The transit department will be responsible for the costs of buying any additional necessary right of ways, constructing the stop, and maintaining the stop.
EFFECTIVE DATE
Upon passage, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2005.
COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE
CSHB 2348 explicitly states that the cost of buying additional right of way, constructing the bus stop, and maintaining the bus stop are to born by the local transit department. This was the original intent of HB 2348, but the introduced version did not explicitly state this.