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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the relationship between Texas Department of |
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Transportation toll projects and adjoining free roads. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 228, Transportation Code, |
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is amended by adding Sections 228.014 and 228.015 to read as |
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follows: |
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Sec. 228.014. PROHIBITION ON DISINCENTIVES FOR ADJOINING |
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FREE ROAD USE. The commission may not take any action in designing, |
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constructing, or operating a toll project under this chapter that, |
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without a clear engineering justification, incentivizes the use of |
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the project by discouraging the use of free adjoining roads, |
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including by: |
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(1) constructing and maintaining adjacent free roads |
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in a manner that requires a speed limit lower than that of the toll |
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project; |
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(2) establishing speed limits on adjacent free roads |
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that are slower than that of the toll project; |
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(3) establishing speed limits and installing traffic |
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signals based on anticipated growth; and |
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(4) timing traffic signals to disrupt traffic flow. |
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Sec. 228.015. TOLL PROJECT EXITS AS DECELERATION LANES. |
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The department shall construct exit lanes from toll projects in a |
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manner that allows motor vehicles exiting the toll project to |
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easily decelerate to the speed allowed on the adjoining road. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |