SENATE BILL No. 743

 

 

September 30, 2003, Introduced by Senators BIRKHOLZ, BASHAM, BRATER and SWITALSKI and referred to the Committee on Transportation.

 

 

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1951 PA 51, entitled                                              

                                                                                

    "An act to provide for the classification of all public roads,              

    streets, and highways in this state, and for the revision of that           

    classification and for additions to and deletions from each                 

    classification; to set up and establish the Michigan                        

    transportation fund; to provide for the deposits in the Michigan            

    transportation fund of specific taxes on motor vehicles and motor           

    vehicle fuels; to provide for the allocation of funds from the              

    Michigan transportation fund and the use and administration of              

    the fund for transportation purposes; to set up and establish the           

    truck safety fund; to provide for the allocation of funds from              

    the truck safety fund and administration of the fund for truck              

    safety purposes; to set up and establish the Michigan truck                 

    safety commission; to establish certain standards for road                  

    contracts for certain businesses; to provide for the continuing             

    review of transportation needs within the state; to authorize the           

    state transportation commission, counties, cities, and villages             

    to borrow money, issue bonds, and make pledges of funds for                 

    transportation purposes; to authorize counties to advance funds             

    for the payment of deficiencies necessary for the payment of                

    bonds issued under this act; to provide for the limitations,                

    payment, retirement, and security of the bonds and pledges; to              

    provide for appropriations and tax levies by counties and                   

    townships for county roads; to authorize contributions by                   

    townships for county roads; to provide for the establishment and            

    administration of the state trunk line fund, critical bridge                

    fund, comprehensive transportation fund, and certain other funds;           

    to provide for the deposits in the state trunk line fund,                   


    critical bridge fund, comprehensive transportation fund, and                

    certain other funds of money raised by specific taxes and fees;             

    to provide for definitions of public transportation functions and           

    criteria; to define the purposes for which Michigan                         

    transportation funds may be allocated; to provide for Michigan              

    transportation fund grants; to provide for review and approval of           

    transportation programs; to provide for submission of annual                

    legislative requests and reports; to provide for the                        

    establishment and functions of certain advisory entities; to                

    provide for conditions for grants; to provide for the issuance of           

    bonds and notes for transportation purposes; to provide for the             

    powers and duties of certain state and local agencies and                   

    officials; to provide for the making of loans for transportation            

    purposes by the state transportation department and for the                 

    receipt and repayment by local units and agencies of those loans            

    from certain specified sources; and to repeal acts and parts of             

    acts,"                                                                      

                                                                                

    by amending section 1c (MCL 247.651c), as amended by 1982                   

                                                                                

    PA 438.                                                                     

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 1c.  The state transportation department shall bear the                

                                                                                

2   cost of opening, widening, and improving, including construction            

                                                                                

3   and reconstruction, in accordance with standards and                        

                                                                                

4   specifications of the department, all state trunk line highways,            

                                                                                

5   subject to all of the following provisions:                                 

                                                                                

6       (a) Incorporated cities and villages shall participate with                 

                                                                                

7   the department in the cost of opening, widening, and improving,             

                                                                                

8   including construction and reconstruction of state trunk line               

                                                                                

9   highways within cities and villages to which may be added,                  

                                                                                

10  subject to the approval of the state transportation commission,             

                                                                                

11  streets that are connecting links of trunk line highways or                 

                                                                                

12  streets as are made connecting links of trunk line highways,                

                                                                                

13  according to the following schedule subject to the definition of            

                                                                                

14  population as provided in section 13:                                       

                                                                                

15                                                                               (i) In cities and villages having a population of 50,000 or                         

                                                                                


1   more, 12.5% of the cost shall be borne by the city or village,              

                                                                                

2   and 87.5% by the state transportation department.                           

                                                                                

3       (ii) In cities and villages having a population of 40,000 or                 

                                                                                

4   more and less than 50,000, 11.25% of the cost shall be borne by             

                                                                                

5   the city or village, and 88.75% by the state transportation                 

                                                                                

6   department.                                                                 

                                                                                

7       (iii) In cities and villages having a population of 25,000 or                

                                                                                

8   more and less than 40,000, 8.75% of the cost shall be borne by              

                                                                                

9   the city or village, and 91.25% by the state transportation                 

                                                                                

10  department.                                                                 

                                                                                

11      (iv) In cities and villages having a population of less than                 

                                                                                

12  25,000, the state transportation department shall bear the entire           

                                                                                

13  cost.                                                                       

                                                                                

14      (b) As used in this act, "opening, widening, and improving,                 

                                                                                

15  including construction and reconstruction, of state trunk line              

                                                                                

16  highways" includes, but is not limited to, the cost of right of             

                                                                                

17  way; the cost of removal and replacement of sidewalks, street               

                                                                                

18  lighting, curbing, where removal and replacement is made                    

                                                                                

19  necessary by construction or reconstruction of a trunk line                 

                                                                                

20  highway; and the cost of bridges and structures, including that             

                                                                                

21  part of the cost of grade separation structures not paid by the             

                                                                                

22  railroad companies.                                                         

                                                                                

23      (c) In a city or village, the width of a state trunk line                   

                                                                                

24  highway shall be the width required to serve anticipated future             

                                                                                

25  traffic needs for a 20-year period as determined by a department            

                                                                                

26  transportation survey, which width, except as prescribed by this            

                                                                                

27  subdivision, shall not be less than the currently accepted                  

                                                                                


1   standards prescribed for a 4-lane highway; the width as may be              

                                                                                

2   built on the same trunk line route immediately beyond and                   

                                                                                

3   adjacent to either legal boundary of the city or village; or on             

                                                                                

4   trunk lines eligible for federal highway funds, a width as may be           

                                                                                

5   prescribed by the federal government, whichever width is                    

                                                                                

6   greater.  However, the department and the governing body of a               

                                                                                

7   city or village by mutual agreement may determine that the width            

                                                                                

8   of a state trunk line highway shall be less than the width                  

                                                                                

9   otherwise prescribed by this subdivision.                                   

                                                                                

10      (d) If a city or village shall desire to widen a state trunk                

                                                                                

11  line highway for local purposes beyond the width prescribed in              

                                                                                

12  subdivision (c), the entire cost of the extra width, less the               

                                                                                

13  federal highway funds which may be allocated to the portion of              

                                                                                

14  the project by the department, shall be borne by the city or                

                                                                                

15  village.                                                                    

                                                                                

16      (e) The state transportation commission and the boards of                   

                                                                                

17  county road commissioners may enter into agreements with                    

                                                                                

18  townships or private persons for the improvement or widening of             

                                                                                

19  state trunk line highways or county roads.  The state                       

                                                                                

20  transportation commission and the boards of county road                     

                                                                                

21  commissioners may require full or partial participation in the              

                                                                                

22  cost of the improvement or widening by the requesting party as              

                                                                                

23  considered appropriate.                                                     

                                                                                

24      (f) The state transportation department shall consider the                  

                                                                                

25  use of context-sensitive design in undertaking the opening,                 

                                                                                

26  widening, and improving, including construction and                         

                                                                                

27  reconstruction, of all state trunk line highways.  The department           

                                                                                


1   shall consider the input of affected counties regarding the use             

                                                                                

2   of context-sensitive design.  As used in this subdivision,                  

                                                                                

3   "context-sensitive design" means a process designed to develop a            

                                                                                

4   transportation project so that it is in harmony with its                    

                                                                                

5   environment and preserves community, scenic, aesthetic, historic,           

                                                                                

6   and natural resources while maintaining safety and mobility.