1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to speed limits; establishing 25-mile per 
  1.3             hour speed limit in school zones; amending Minnesota 
  1.4             Statutes 1998, sections 169.01, by adding a 
  1.5             subdivision; and 169.14, subdivisions 2, 5, and 5a. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 169.01, is 
  1.8   amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  1.9      Subd. 90.  [SCHOOL ZONE.] "School zone" means that section 
  1.10  of a street or highway that abuts the grounds of a school where 
  1.11  children have access to the street or highway from the school 
  1.12  property or where an established school crossing is located; 
  1.13  provided, there is in place the school advance sign prescribed 
  1.14  by the manual on uniform traffic control devices adopted by the 
  1.15  commissioner of transportation under section 169.06. 
  1.16     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 169.14, 
  1.17  subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  1.18     Subd. 2.  [SPEED LIMITS.] (a) Where no special hazard 
  1.19  exists the following speeds shall be lawful, but any speeds in 
  1.20  excess of such limits shall be prima facie evidence that the 
  1.21  speed is not reasonable or prudent and that it is unlawful; 
  1.22  except that the speed limit within any municipality shall be a 
  1.23  maximum limit and any speed in excess thereof shall be unlawful: 
  1.24     (1) 30 miles per hour in an urban district; 
  1.25     (2) 65 miles per hour on non-Interstate freeways and 
  2.1   expressways, as defined in section 160.02, subdivision 16; 
  2.2      (3) 55 miles per hour in locations other than those 
  2.3   specified in this section; 
  2.4      (4) 70 miles per hour on Interstate highways outside the 
  2.5   limits of any urbanized area with a population of greater than 
  2.6   50,000 as defined by order of the commissioner of 
  2.7   transportation; 
  2.8      (5) 65 miles per hour on Interstate highways inside the 
  2.9   limits of any urbanized area with a population of greater than 
  2.10  50,000 as defined by order of the commissioner of 
  2.11  transportation; 
  2.12     (6) ten miles per hour in alleys; and 
  2.13     (7) 25 miles per hour in school zones when children are 
  2.14  present, going to or leaving school during opening or closing 
  2.15  hours, or during school recess periods; and 
  2.16     (8) 25 miles per hour in residential roadways if adopted by 
  2.17  the road authority having jurisdiction over the residential 
  2.18  roadway.  
  2.19     (b) A speed limit adopted under paragraph (a), 
  2.20  clause (7) (8), is not effective unless the road authority has 
  2.21  erected signs designating the speed limit and indicating the 
  2.22  beginning and end of the residential roadway on which the speed 
  2.23  limit applies. 
  2.24     Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 169.14, 
  2.25  subdivision 5, is amended to read: 
  2.26     Subd. 5.  [ZONING WITHIN LOCAL AREA.] When local 
  2.27  authorities believe that the existing speed limit upon any 
  2.28  street or highway, or part thereof, within their respective 
  2.29  jurisdictions and not a part of the trunk highway system is 
  2.30  greater or less than is reasonable or safe under existing 
  2.31  conditions, they may request the commissioner to authorize, upon 
  2.32  the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation, the 
  2.33  erection of appropriate signs designating what speed is 
  2.34  reasonable and safe, and the commissioner may authorize the 
  2.35  erection of appropriate signs designating a reasonable and safe 
  2.36  speed limit thereat, which speed limit shall be effective when 
  3.1   such signs are erected.  Any speeds in excess of these speed 
  3.2   limits shall be prima facie evidence that the speed is not 
  3.3   reasonable or prudent and that it is unlawful; except that any 
  3.4   speed limit within any municipality shall be a maximum limit and 
  3.5   any speed in excess thereof shall be unlawful.  Alteration of 
  3.6   speed limits on streets and highways shall be made only upon 
  3.7   authority of the commissioner except as provided in subdivision 
  3.8   5a.  
  3.9      Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 169.14, 
  3.10  subdivision 5a, is amended to read: 
  3.11     Subd. 5a.  [SPEED ZONING IN SCHOOL ZONE; SURCHARGE.] Local 
  3.12  authorities may establish a school speed limit within a school 
  3.13  zone of a public or nonpublic school upon the basis of an 
  3.14  engineering and traffic investigation as prescribed by the 
  3.15  commissioner of transportation.  The establishment of a school 
  3.16  speed limit on any trunk highway shall be with the consent of 
  3.17  the commissioner of transportation.  Such school speed limits 
  3.18  shall be in effect when children are present, going to or 
  3.19  leaving school during opening or closing hours or during school 
  3.20  recess periods.  The school speed limit shall not be lower than 
  3.21  15 miles per hour and shall not be more than 20 miles per hour 
  3.22  below the established speed limit on an affected street or 
  3.23  highway if the established speed limit is 40 miles per hour or 
  3.24  greater. 
  3.25     The school zone speed limit shall be effective upon the 
  3.26  erection of appropriate signs designating the speed and 
  3.27  indicating the beginning and end of the reduced speed zone.  Any 
  3.28  speed in excess of such posted school speed limit is unlawful.  
  3.29  All such signs shall be erected by the local authorities on 
  3.30  those streets and highways under their respective jurisdictions 
  3.31  and by the commissioner of transportation on trunk highways. 
  3.32     For the purpose of this subdivision, "school zone" means 
  3.33  that section of a street or highway which abuts the grounds of a 
  3.34  school where children have access to the street or highway from 
  3.35  the school property or where an established school crossing is 
  3.36  located provided the school advance sign prescribed by the 
  4.1   manual on uniform traffic control devices adopted by the 
  4.2   commissioner of transportation pursuant to section 169.06 is in 
  4.3   place.  All signs erected by local authorities to designate 
  4.4   speed limits in school zones shall conform to the manual on 
  4.5   uniform control devices. 
  4.6      Notwithstanding section 609.0331 or 609.101 or other law to 
  4.7   the contrary, a person who violates a the school zone speed 
  4.8   limit established under this subdivision section is assessed an 
  4.9   additional surcharge equal to the amount of the fine imposed for 
  4.10  the violation, but not less than $25. 
  4.11     Sec. 5.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  4.12     Sections 1 to 4 are effective September 1, 1999.