Relating to transportation

ARTICLE 1

Modifying or adding provisions relating to highways, motor vehicles, vehicle registration, traffic regulations and surcharges, commercial vehicles and vehicle combinations and permits, pupil transportation and school bus drivers, drivers licenses, driver training, motor fuels, the state patrol, transit, paratransit planning, the transfer of right of way to the state rail bank, nonmotorized transportation, transportation finance and other transportation related programs or practices; clarifying a watercraft titling provision; providing for the designation the bridge over Margaret street in North St. Paul on trunk highway #36 as the Mayor William 'Bill' Sandberg memorial bridge; requiring the commissioner of transportation (DOT) to consider certain insurance standards when reviewing data and information for the development of safety improvements for trunk ighways and state aid projects; exempting certain two wheel motorized vehicles from wheelage taxes imposed by counties within the metropolitan area; modifying the definitions of passenger automobile and special mobile equipment and defining medium speed electric vehicle; exempting emergency response vehicles and repair parts from the motor vehicle sales tax commercial motor vehicle; authorizing certain state hospitals and institutions for persons who are mentally ill and developmentally disabled and county social service agencies providing child and vulnerable adult protection services to operate vehicles exempt from payment of registration tax and fees and without the required identification on the sides of the vehicle; regulating display of vehicle license plates; defining spotter trucks; allowing issuance of multiple sets of motor vehicle license plates for physically disabled persons upon approval of the state board on disability; allowing use of a temporary permit while awaiting delivery of license plates and eliminating the use of special plates; establishing sesquicentennial special motor vehicle license plates; specifying Minnesota sesquicentennial commission design consultation requirements with the commissioner of public safety; providing for fees and contributions; modifying the USDOT number registration process and use for certain trucks and truck-tractors; clarifying certain exemptions; establishing a penalty on special mobile equipment used to transport persons or property on public streets; modifying provisions relating to registration and use of special mobile equipment; prohibiting the commissioner or public safety from issuing a certificate of tile for a spotter truck; requiring medium speed electric vehicles to be registered and titled; permitting the sale of impounded vehicles and contents after voluntary transfer under certain conditions; providing for written notice of impound and right to retrieval of contents of impounded vehicles under certain conditions; providing for a waiver of rights; clarifying procedures for auction or sale of towed vehicle contents; modifying the definition of implement of husbandry (farm vehicles) to include a self-propelled or towed vehicle for timber harvesting, agricultural, horticultural or livestock raising operations; conforming hazardous materials definition to the federal definition; defining wireless communication device; defining medium speed electric vehicle; requiring motor vehicle drivers to move to the lane farthest away from parked road maintenance or construction vehicles; modifying driving exceptions for driving left of roadway center; requiring the class D curriculum to include instruction on the duties of drivers encountering bicycles, other nonmotorized vehicles and pedestrians; requiring medium speed electric vehicles to be registered and titled; identifying roads medium speed electric vehicles may operate; regulating the use of spotter trucks; creating the office of pupil transportation safety as a section under the division of state patrol in the department of public safety; requiring the commissioner of public safety to designate the director of pupil transportation, modifying duties and providing for staff; specifying a minimum amount of time for driver training instruction on pupil transportation laws for the safety of school children; prohibiting use of wireless communication devices (cell phones) while operating a motor vehicle, specifying certain exceptions; modifying brake requirements for trailers or semitrailers and modifying certain gross vehicle weight restrictions; imposing penalties for forging or possessing false commercial motor vehicle inspection decals; regulating display of vehicle license plates; requiring vehicles displaying tax exempt plates to have vehicle identification markings; providing for certain size, weight, and load restrictions exemptions for implements of husbandry; requiring the commissioner of transportation (DOT) to recommend certain infrastructure adaptations to accommodate the implementation of manure application technologies to lessen impacts on roads and bridges; modifying certain provisions relating to tow trucks; authorizing operation of certain combinations with gross vehicle weight up to a certain amount on certain highways with special three unit vehicle permit; authorizing certain trucks to qualify for special canola hauling products vehicle permits; specifying certain restrictions; imposing annual permit fees and appropriating the fee into the trunk highway fund; requiring the uniform traffic ticket to contain a notice of the surcharge and the amount of the surcharge; modifying the definition of school bus; modifying drivers license endorsing requirements; placing additional restrictions on the operation of motor vehicles by holders of provisional drivers licenses; prohibiting passengers under a certain age, limiting the number of passengers and prohibiting operation of motor vehicles between certain nighttime hours by provisional license holders; requiring the commissioner of public safety to adopt rules for persons enrolled in driver education programs to include instruction on awareness and safer interaction with commercial motor vehicles; requiring the commissioner of public safety to include pupil transportation safety laws in the drivers training manual and license examination; requiring the inclusion of awareness and safe interaction with commercial motor vehicle traffic in the drivers manual; clarifying procedures for license revocation of commercial drivers licenses due to DWI related violations; requiring notification to publics safety commissioner and employer of conviction for violation and license suspension for violations; requiring the commissioner of transportation to prioritize for state funding certain transportation projects in the metropolitan area awarded federal funding through the federal surface transportation program; requiring the commissioner of transportation to develop a comprehensive statewide freight and passenger rail plan to be included and revised as part of the statewide transportation plan; requiring the commissioner of transportation to develop and implement a transit service needs implementation plan containing a goal of meeting certain
percentages of unmet transit service needs by certain dates, specifying plan requirements; requiring the commissioner to annually submit a legislative report by a certain date on transit services outside the metropolitan area, requiring metropolitan council assistance for reporting, specifying report content requirements; authorizing the commissioner of transportation to establish an advisory committee on nonmotorized transportation to make recommendations on safety, education and development programs; requiring an annual report to the commissioner; defining our of service order; eliminating the requirement for annual reporting to the commissioner of transportation by household goods movers; expanding the authority of the commissioner to issue fines to include violations of laws related to railroad crossings; making monetary penalties for railroad-highway grade crossings of motor carrier violations conform to federal law; clarifying certain household goods movers provisions; clarifying certain department of transportation enforcement powers; allowing funds in the rail service improvement program to be used for rail planning; making certain conforming modifications for the exemption from an ethanol blending requirement; exempting resorts, marinas and houseboat renal companies from an ethanol blending requirement under certain conditions; expanding the authority of the state patrol to enforce the North American uniform out of service criteria and issue out of service orders; expanding the state patrol civilian employee enforcement powers to include certain out of service requirements; making public right of way users including district heating and cooling nonprofits eligible for grants and federal money for utility relocation in connection with light rail projects; requiring the metropolitan council to include in its annual performance evaluation an assessment of progress towards meeting transit goals for persons with disabilities; requiring the metropolitan council to provide on the web site information on finances and ridership of light rail transit lines; removing a provision relating to the advisory committee on bicycling; authorizing the city of Minneapolis to by ordinance restrict or prohibit the use of engine brakes on motor vehicles along I-394 under certain conditions; requiring the commissioner of transportation to erect appropriate signs upon notification by the city; requiring the commissioner of transportation and the metropolitan council to reference a proposed commuter rail line along trunk highway #12 between Willmar and Minneapolis as the Little Crow transit way; transferring jurisdiction of legislative routes #295 and 335 to the city of St.
Peter after receipt of a notice of transfer by the commissioner of
transportation ; specifying certain route deletion instructions to the
revisor of statutes; transferring a trunk highway right-of-way in Otter Tail county to the state rail bank, providing a land parcel description; requiring the commissioner to consult with the metropolitan council in planning metropolitan area trunk highway bridge construction work; requiring the commissioner of transportation and the metropolitan council to create the required reports and assessments within current appropriation levels; requiring the commissioner of public safety to designate the director of pupil transportation, modifying duties and providing for staff; requiring the commissioner and the director to report to the legislature by a certain date; requiring the commissioner of transportation in cooperation with the metropolitan council to study possible adoption of a complete streets policy, requiring a report to legislature by a certain date; appropriating money to the commissioner for implementation and operation of the office of pupil transportation; specifying instructions to the revisor of statutes relating to changing the terns type III school buses to type III vehicles; repealing provisions relating to a temporary surcharge on certain special plates issued to veterans, waiver of rights to towed vehicles, brakes and speed limit requirements when towing implements of husbandry, redundant drivers education program language and a provision allowing protest and a department of transportation hearing before household goods mover permits issuance

ARTICLE 2

Specifying general requirements for rail carrier walkways; requiring rail carriers to provide walkways adjacent to certain portions of yard tracks; specifying standards for certain other tracks and providing fro allowances for unusual conditions; providing for a waiver of requirements under certain conditions; authorizing the commissioner of transportation (DOT) to order the construction of walkways under certain conditions; providing for the filing of complaints; modifying trespass provisions, exception
(Ch. 350, 2008)