By: Zaffirini  S.B. No. 1253
         (In the Senate - Filed March 6, 2013; March 13, 2013, read
  first time and referred to Committee on Transportation;
  April 8, 2013, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
  Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 9, Nays 0; April 8, 2013,
  sent to printer.)
 
  COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1253 By:  Paxton
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the relationship between Texas Department of
  Transportation toll projects and adjoining nontolled roads.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 228, Transportation Code,
  is amended by adding Section 228.014 to read as follows:
         Sec. 228.014.  PROHIBITION ON DISINCENTIVES FOR ADJOINING
  NONTOLLED ROAD USE. (a)  The department may not take any action in
  designing, constructing, or operating a toll project under this
  chapter that incentivizes the use of the project and discourages
  the use of adjoining nontolled roads by violating sound engineering
  judgment in applying traffic controls on any adjoining nontolled
  roads, including by timing traffic signals to unnecessarily disrupt
  traffic flow on the adjoining nontolled roads.
         (b)  If existing nontolled lanes are reconstructed and
  operated as an adjacent road to a toll facility under Section
  228.201(a)(5), the reconstructed nontolled lanes must have access,
  function, and traffic control devices similar to those the lanes
  had before being reconstructed.
         SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.
 
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