| TO: | Honorable Mike Krusee, Chair, House Committee on Transportation |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB1279 by Deshotel (Relating to the requirement that a detector for certain traffic-actuated electric traffic-control devices register the presence of a motorcycle.), As Introduced |
The bill would amend the Transporation Code to require traffic-actuated electric traffic-control signals to sense and trigger the signal for a motorcycle waiting for a left-turn indication.
According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), all traffic-actuated electric traffic-control signals are designed to sense the presence of motorcycles and are therefore in compliance with the requirements of the bill. The agency reports, however, that due to an increase in motorcycles being built with lighter materials, the sensitivity of the signals periodically needs to be retuned. TxDOT already makes these adjustments as needed and therefore estimates implementation would not have a fiscal impact.
If the traffic-actuated electric traffic-control signals installed by local governments are already in compliance with the provisions of the bill, there would be little or no fiscal impact for ensuring the proper sensitivity level is maintained. According to TxDOT, the cost to adjust older equipment is between $800 and $1500 per device. If a local government has outdated signals that cannot be adjusted and must be replaced to come into compliance, there would be a capital outlay of approximately $25,000 per affected approach ($100,000 per intersection for all four approaches).
| Source Agencies: | 601 Department of Transportation
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, KJG, MW, DB
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