127th General Assembly
(As Introduced)
Reps. Setzer, Flowers, Huffman, Webster, Stebelton, J. McGregor, Evans, Fessler
BILL SUMMARY
· Requires the Director of Transportation or local authority having jurisdiction over a location on a street or highway where the posted speed limit decreases by 20 or more miles per hour to establish a speed transition zone consisting of at least the preceding 1,000 feet.
· Requires the speed limit for speed transition zones to be 10 miles per hour more than the speed limit to which the posted speed limit decreases by 20 or more miles per hour.
· Requires speed transition zones to be marked by appropriate signs.
CONTENT AND OPERATION
R.C. 4511.21(B) prescribes the speed limits for all public streets and highways within the state. The Director of Transportation may declare a different reasonable and safe prima-facie speed limit for any portion of a state highway if a geometric and traffic characteristic study shows that the current speed limit on that highway is greater or less than is reasonable or safe under the conditions found to exist at that portion of the highway. The altered speed limit becomes effective when the Department of Transportation erects appropriate signs giving notice of it at the location. (R.C. 4511.21(H).)
If a local authority determines upon the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation that the statutory speed limit on any part of a highway under the authority's jurisdiction is greater than is reasonable and safe under the conditions found to exist at that location, the local authority by resolution may request the Director to determine and declare a reasonable and safe prima-facie speed limit. Upon receipt of such a request, the Director may determine and declare a reasonable and safe prima-facie speed limit at the location, and the new declared speed limit becomes effective only when the local authority erects appropriate signs giving notice of it at the location. The Director may withdraw such a declaration whenever in the Director's opinion the altered prima-facie speed becomes unreasonable. If this occurs, the declared prima-facie speed becomes ineffective and the local authority must remove the related signs immediately. (R.C. 4511.21(I)(1).)
The bill provides that at any location on a street or highway where the posted speed limit decreases by 20 or more miles per hour, the Director of Transportation or the local authority having jurisdiction over the street or highway is required to establish a speed transition zone consisting, at a minimum, of the preceding 1,000 feet. Notwithstanding the speed limits prescribed in current law, the speed limit for the speed transition zone must be 10 miles per hour more than the speed limit to which the posted speed limit decreases by 20 or more miles per hour. Such a reduced speed limit becomes effective when the Department of Transportation or local authority erects appropriate signs giving notice of the reduced speed limit on the street or highway. The Director and local authorities are required to cooperate in establishing a speed transition zone and posting appropriate signs whenever the zone connects two or more jurisdictions. (R.C. 4511.21(O).)
HISTORY
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ACTION |
DATE |
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Introduced |
11-07-07 |
h0389-i-127.doc/kl