HF 658

as introduced - 83rd Legislature (2003 - 2004) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to traffic regulations; enacting the Safe 
  1.3             School Zone Law; amending Minnesota Statutes 2002, 
  1.4             section 169.14, subdivision 5a. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 169.14, 
  1.7   subdivision 5a, is amended to read: 
  1.8      Subd. 5a.  [SPEED ZONING IN SCHOOL ZONE; SURCHARGE.] (a) 
  1.9   Local authorities may establish a school speed limit within a 
  1.10  school zone of a public or nonpublic school upon the basis of an 
  1.11  engineering and traffic investigation as prescribed by the 
  1.12  commissioner of transportation.  The establishment of a school 
  1.13  speed limit on any trunk highway shall be with the consent of 
  1.14  the commissioner of transportation.  Such school speed limits 
  1.15  shall be in effect when children are present, going to or 
  1.16  leaving school during opening or closing hours or during school 
  1.17  recess periods.  The school speed limit shall not be lower than 
  1.18  15 miles per hour and shall not be more than 20 30 miles per 
  1.19  hour below the established speed limit on an affected street or 
  1.20  highway if the established speed limit is 40 miles per hour or 
  1.21  greater. 
  1.22     (b) The school speed limit shall be effective upon the 
  1.23  erection of appropriate signs designating the speed and 
  1.24  indicating the beginning and end of the reduced speed zone.  Any 
  1.25  speed in excess of such posted school speed limit is unlawful.  
  2.1   All such signs shall be erected by the local authorities on 
  2.2   those streets and highways under their respective jurisdictions 
  2.3   and by the commissioner of transportation on trunk highways. 
  2.4      (c) For the purpose of this subdivision, "school zone" 
  2.5   means that section of a street or highway which abuts the 
  2.6   grounds of a school where children have access to the street or 
  2.7   highway from the school property or where an established school 
  2.8   crossing is located provided the school advance sign prescribed 
  2.9   by the manual on uniform traffic control devices adopted by the 
  2.10  commissioner of transportation pursuant to section 169.06 is in 
  2.11  place.  All signs erected by local authorities to designate 
  2.12  speed limits in school zones shall conform to the manual on 
  2.13  uniform control devices. 
  2.14     (d) Notwithstanding section 609.0331 or 609.101 or other 
  2.15  law to the contrary, a person who violates a speed limit 
  2.16  established under this subdivision is assessed an additional 
  2.17  surcharge equal to the amount of the fine imposed for the 
  2.18  violation, but not less than $25.