Minnesota Session Laws - 1997, Regular Session

                            CHAPTER 114-S.F.No. 1179 
                  An act relating to traffic regulations; authorizing 
                  state and local authorities to issue annual overwidth 
                  permits for certain snowplowing vehicles; amending 
                  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 169.86, subdivision 
                  5, and by adding a subdivision. 
        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
           Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 169.86, is 
        amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
           Subd. 1b.  [PERMIT FOR SNOWPLOWING VEHICLE.] The 
        commissioner or a local authority may issue an annual permit to 
        a person that authorizes the person to operate on any highway 
        under the jurisdiction of the grantor of the permit, a motor 
        vehicle bearing a snowplow blade that when deployed does not 
        exceed ten feet in width.  The permit authorizes operation of 
        the vehicle between October 1 and April 1. 
           Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 169.86, 
        subdivision 5, is amended to read: 
           Subd. 5.  [FEES.] The commissioner, with respect to 
        highways under the commissioner's jurisdiction, may charge a fee 
        for each permit issued.  All such fees for permits issued by the 
        commissioner of transportation shall be deposited in the state 
        treasury and credited to the trunk highway fund.  Except for 
        those annual permits for which the permit fees are specified 
        elsewhere in this chapter, the fees shall be: 
           (a) $15 for each single trip permit. 
           (b) $36 for each job permit.  A job permit may be issued 
        for like loads carried on a specific route for a period not to 
        exceed two months.  "Like loads" means loads of the same 
        product, weight, and dimension. 
           (c) $60 for an annual permit to be issued for a period not 
        to exceed 12 consecutive months.  Annual permits may be issued 
        for: 
           (1) motor vehicles used to alleviate a temporary crisis 
        adversely affecting the safety or well-being of the public; 
           (2) motor vehicles which travel on interstate highways and 
        carry loads authorized under subdivision 1a; 
           (3) motor vehicles operating with gross weights authorized 
        under section 169.825, subdivision 11, paragraph (a), clause 
        (3); and 
           (4) special pulpwood vehicles described in section 169.863; 
        and 
           (5) motor vehicles bearing snowplow blades not exceeding 
        ten feet in width. 
           (d) $120 for an oversize annual permit to be issued for a 
        period not to exceed 12 consecutive months.  Annual permits may 
        be issued for:  
           (1) mobile cranes; 
           (2) construction equipment, machinery, and supplies; 
           (3) manufactured homes; 
           (4) implements of husbandry when the movement is not made 
        according to the provisions of paragraph (i); 
           (5) double-deck buses; 
           (6) commercial boat hauling.  
           (e) For vehicles which have axle weights exceeding the 
        weight limitations of section 169.825, an additional cost added 
        to the fees listed above.  The additional cost is equal to the 
        product of the distance traveled times the sum of the overweight 
        axle group cost factors shown in the following chart:  
                       Overweight Axle Group Cost Factors 
        Weight (pounds)         Cost Per Mile For Each Group Of:
        exceeding       Two consec-     Three consec-   Four consec-
        weight          utive axles     utive axles     utive axles
        limitations     spaced within   spaced within   spaced within
        on axles        8 feet or less  9 feet or less  14 feet or less 
             0-2,000    .12             .05             .04
         2,001-4,000    .14             .06             .05
         4,001-6,000    .18             .07             .06
         6,001-8,000    .21             .09             .07
         8,001-10,000   .26             .10             .08
        10,001-12,000   .30             .12             .09
        12,001-14,000   Not permitted   .14             .11
        14,001-16,000   Not permitted   .17             .12
        16,001-18,000   Not permitted   .19             .15
        18,001-20,000   Not permitted   Not permitted   .16
        20,001-22,000   Not permitted   Not permitted   .20
           The amounts added are rounded to the nearest cent for each 
        axle or axle group.  The additional cost does not apply to 
        paragraph (c), clauses (1) and (3).  
           For a vehicle found to exceed the appropriate maximum 
        permitted weight, a cost-per-mile fee of 22 cents per ton, or 
        fraction of a ton, over the permitted maximum weight is imposed 
        in addition to the normal permit fee.  Miles must be calculated 
        based on the distance already traveled in the state plus the 
        distance from the point of detection to a transportation loading 
        site or unloading site within the state or to the point of exit 
        from the state. 
           (f) As an alternative to paragraph (e), an annual permit 
        may be issued for overweight, or oversize and overweight, 
        construction equipment, machinery, and supplies.  The fees for 
        the permit are as follows:  
        Gross Weight (pounds) of Vehicle          Annual Permit Fee
             90,000 or less                             $200
             90,001 - 100,000                           $300
            100,001 - 110,000                           $400
            110,001 - 120,000                           $500
            120,001 - 130,000                           $600
            130,001 - 140,000                           $700
            140,001 - 145,000                           $800
           If the gross weight of the vehicle is more than 145,000 
        pounds the permit fee is determined under paragraph (e). 
           (g) For vehicles which exceed the width limitations set 
        forth in section 169.80 by more than 72 inches, an additional 
        cost equal to $120 added to the amount in paragraph (a) when the 
        permit is issued while seasonal load restrictions pursuant to 
        section 169.87 are in effect. 
           (h) $85 for an annual permit to be issued for a period not 
        to exceed 12 months, for refuse compactor vehicles that carry a 
        gross weight of not more than:  22,000 pounds on a single rear 
        axle; 38,000 pounds on a tandem rear axle; or, subject to 
        section 169.825, subdivision 14, 46,000 pounds on a tridem rear 
        axle.  A permit issued for up to 46,000 pounds on a tridem rear 
        axle must limit the gross vehicle weight to not more than 62,000 
        pounds. 
           (i) For vehicles exclusively transporting implements of 
        husbandry, an annual permit fee of $24.  A vehicle operated 
        under a permit authorized by this paragraph may be moved at the 
        discretion of the permit holder without prior route approval by 
        the commissioner if: 
           (1) the total width of the transporting vehicle, including 
        load, does not exceed 14 feet; 
           (2) the vehicle is operated only between sunrise and 30 
        minutes after sunset, and is not operated at any time after 
        12:00 noon on Sundays or holidays; 
           (3) the vehicle is not operated when visibility is impaired 
        by weather, fog, or other conditions that render persons and 
        other vehicles not clearly visible at 500 feet; 
           (4) the vehicle displays at the front and rear of the load 
        or vehicle a pair of flashing amber lights, as provided in 
        section 169.59, subdivision 4, whenever the overall width of the 
        vehicle exceeds 126 inches; and 
           (5) the vehicle is not operated on a trunk highway with a 
        surfaced roadway width of less than 24 feet unless such 
        operation is authorized by the permit. 
           A permit under this paragraph authorizes movements of the 
        permitted vehicle on an interstate highway, and movements of 75 
        miles or more on other highways. 
           Sec. 3.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
           Sections 1 and 2 are effective the day following final 
        enactment. 
           Presented to the governor May 7, 1997 
           Signed by the governor May 8, 1997, 11:18 a.m.