View Bill Status
View Bill Text
View Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact
S1133.....................................................by TRANSPORTATION MAXIMUM SPEED LIMITS - Amends existing law to increase the maximum speed limit which the Idaho Transportation Board may set for state highways to seventy-five miles per hour; and to remove the maximum speed limit of sixty-five miles per hour on interstate highways for vehicles with five or more axles operating at a gross weight of more than twenty-six thousand pounds. 02/14 Senate intro - 1st rdg - to printing 02/15 Rpt prt - to Transp
]]]] LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO ]]]] Fifty-eighth Legislature First Regular Session - 2005IN THE SENATE SENATE BILL NO. 1133 BY TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE 1 AN ACT 2 RELATING TO RULES OF THE ROAD AND MAXIMUM SPEED LIMITS; AMENDING SECTION 3 49-201, IDAHO CODE, TO INCREASE THE MAXIMUM SPEED LIMIT WHICH THE IDAHO 4 TRANSPORTATION BOARD MAY SET FOR STATE HIGHWAYS TO SEVENTY-FIVE MILES PER 5 HOUR; AND AMENDING SECTION 49-654, IDAHO CODE, TO INCREASE THE MAXIMUM 6 SPEED LIMIT WHICH MAY BE SET ON STATE HIGHWAYS TO SEVENTY-FIVE MILES PER 7 HOUR, AND TO REMOVE THE MAXIMUM SPEED LIMIT OF SIXTY-FIVE MILES PER HOUR 8 ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS FOR VEHICLES WITH FIVE OR MORE AXLES OPERATING AT A 9 GROSS WEIGHT OF MORE THAN TWENTY-SIX THOUSAND POUNDS. 10 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho: 11 SECTION 1. That Section 49-201, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby 12 amended to read as follows: 13 49-201. DUTIES OF BOARD. (1) With the exception of requirements for sec- 14 tions 49-217 and 49-218 and chapters 6 and 9, title 49, Idaho Code, which 15 shall be the responsibility of the director of the Idaho state police, and 16 section 49-447, Idaho Code, which shall be the responsibility of the director 17 of the department of parks and recreation, the board shall adopt and enforce 18 administrative rules and may designate agencies or enter into agreements with 19 private companies or public entities as may be necessary to carry out the pro- 20 visions of this title. It shall also provide suitable forms for applications, 21 registration cards, vehicle licenses, and all other forms requisite for the 22 purpose of the provisions of this title, and shall prepay all transportation 23 charges. 24 (2) The board may enter into agreements, compacts or arrangements with 25 other jurisdictions on behalf of Idaho for the purpose of conforming proce- 26 dures for proportional registration of commercial vehicles and other types of 27 reciprocal agreements. Copies of agreements, compacts or arrangements shall be 28 placed on file in the department and the board shall, as to all filings and 29 adoption, conform with the provisions of chapter 52, title 67, Idaho Code. The 30 board may approve, on a case by case basis, exemption from operating fees for 31 private nonprofit entities who are bringing public interest programs into the 32 state. These entities may not be in competition with companies who transport 33 goods and services for hire. 34 (3) The board shall adopt a manual and specifications for a uniform sys- 35 tem of traffic-control devices consistent with the provisions of this title 36 for use upon highways within the state. The uniform system shall correlate 37 with, and so far as possible, conform to the system set forth in the most 38 recent edition of the manual on uniform traffic control devices for streets 39 and highways and other standards issued or endorsed by the federal highway 40 administrator. 41 (4) Whenever the board shall determine upon the basis of an engineering 42 and traffic investigation that any maximum speed is greater or less than is 43 reasonable or safe under the conditions found to exist at any intersection or 2 1 other place or upon any part of the state highway or interstate highway sys- 2 tem, the board may determine and declare a reasonable and safe maximum limit, 3 thereat, not exceeding a maximum limit of seventy-five (75) miles per hour on 4 interstate highways andsixty-five (65) miles per houron state highways, 5 which shall be effective when appropriate signs giving notice are erected. The 6 speed limit may be declared to be effective at all times or at the times as 7 indicated upon the signs. Differing limits may be established for different 8 times of day, different types of vehicles, varying weather conditions, and 9 other factors bearing on safe speeds, which shall be effective when posted 10 upon appropriate fixed or variable signs. The authority of the board to estab- 11 lish speed limits on state highways pursuant to this section does not restrict 12 the authority of the duly elected officials of an incorporated city acting in 13 the capacity of a local authority to establish lower speed limits for portions 14 of state highways, excluding controlled access and interstate highways, that 15 pass through residential, urban or business districts within the jurisdiction 16 of the incorporated city, for the purpose of enhancing motorist and pedestrian 17 safety. 18 (5) The board shall adopt and enforce rules as may be consistent with and 19 necessary to determine the classification of and the basis on which fees shall 20 be computed. 21 SECTION 2. That Section 49-654, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby 22 amended to read as follows: 23 49-654. BASIC RULE AND MAXIMUM SPEED LIMITS. (1) No person shall drive a 24 vehicle at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions 25 and having regard to the actual and potential hazards then existing. Consis- 26 tent with the foregoing, every person shall drive at a safe and appropriate 27 speed when approaching and crossing an intersection or railroad grade cross- 28 ing, when approaching and going around a curve, when approaching a hillcrest, 29 when traveling upon any narrow or winding highway, and when special hazards 30 exist with respect to pedestrians or other traffic or by reason of weather or 31 highway conditions. 32 (2) Where no special hazard or condition exists that requires lower speed 33 for compliance with subsection (1) of this section the limits as hereinafter 34 authorized shall be maximum lawful speeds, and no person shall drive a vehicle 35 at a speed in excess of the maximum limits: 36 (a) Thirty-five (35) miles per hour or a lesser maximum speed adopted 37 pursuant to section 49-207(2)(a), Idaho Code, in any residential, business 38 or urban district; 39 (b) Thirty-five (35) miles per hour in any urban district; 40 (c) Seventy-five (75) miles per hour on interstate highways; 41 (d)SixtySeventy-five (675) miles per hour on state highways; 42 (e) Fifty-five (55) miles per hour in other locations unless otherwise 43 posted up to a maximum of sixty-five (65) miles per hour. 44(3) The maximum lawful speed limit on interstate highways shall not45exceed sixty-five (65) miles per hour for vehicles with five (5) or more axles46operating at a gross weight of more than twenty-six thousand (26,000) pounds.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE RS 14990 This legislation would amend Sections 49-201 and 49-654, Idaho Code, to raise the maximum speed limit on the Interstate and State highway system from 65 miles per hour to a maximum of 75 miles per hour on those sections of the system which qualify for a higher limit according to engineering studies and established speed limit procedures. There are many sections of the Interstate and State highway system that are posted at the statutory limit of 65 MPH despite the fact that standard speed limit establishment procedures would select a higher speed to post. Changing the maximum speed limit for Interstate and State highways from 65 mph to 75 mph would allow more roads to be posted according to established procedures while still keeping sections that do not qualify for higher speeds posted at 65 MPH or lower. FISCAL IMPACT There will be no impact to the general fund or ITD dedicated funds. There will be a short term change in workload priorities for Traffic Engineers to do speed studies and for the sign shop and sign crews to produce and install new Speed Limit signs. For the estimated 400 miles of roadway, one sign every 5 miles and $150 per sign, the estimated cost is $12,000 which will be covered by our normal budget. Contact: Senator Skip Brandt Phone: (208) 332-1326 Carl Main Asst Traffic & Highway Safety Engineer Idaho Transportation Department (208) 334-8558 Statement of Purpose/Fiscal Impact S 1133