1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to traffic regulations; limiting seasonal 
  1.3             weight restrictions that may be established by local 
  1.4             road authorities; authorizing local road authorities 
  1.5             to prohibit trucks on streets and highways under their 
  1.6             jurisdiction for specified periods; limiting 
  1.7             application of statutory five-ton seasonal weight 
  1.8             restriction; amending Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 
  1.9             169.87, subdivisions 1, 2, and by adding a subdivision.
  1.10  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.11     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 169.87, 
  1.12  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  1.13     Subdivision 1.  [OPTIONAL POWER.] (a) Local authorities, 
  1.14  with respect to highways under their jurisdiction and subject to 
  1.15  the provisions of subdivision 1a, may prohibit the operation of 
  1.16  vehicles upon any such highway or impose restrictions as to the 
  1.17  weight of vehicles to be operated upon any such highway, 
  1.18  whenever any such highway, by reason of deterioration, rain, 
  1.19  snow, or other climatic conditions, will be seriously damaged or 
  1.20  destroyed unless the use of vehicles thereon is prohibited or 
  1.21  the permissible weights thereof reduced. 
  1.22     (b) The local authority enacting any such prohibition or 
  1.23  restriction shall erect or cause to be erected and maintained 
  1.24  signs plainly indicating the prohibition or restriction at each 
  1.25  end of that portion of any highway affected thereby, and the 
  1.26  prohibition or restriction shall not be effective unless and 
  1.27  until such signs are erected and maintained.  
  2.1      (c) Municipalities, with respect to highways under their 
  2.2   jurisdiction, may also, by ordinance, prohibit the operation of 
  2.3   trucks or other commercial vehicles, or may impose limitations 
  2.4   as to the weight thereof, on designated highways, which 
  2.5   prohibitions and limitations shall be designated by appropriate 
  2.6   signs placed on such highways.  
  2.7      (d) The commissioner shall likewise have authority, as 
  2.8   hereinabove granted to local authorities, to determine and to 
  2.9   impose prohibitions or restrictions as to the weight of vehicles 
  2.10  operated upon any highway under the jurisdiction of the 
  2.11  commissioner, and such restrictions shall be effective when 
  2.12  signs giving notice thereof are erected upon the highway or 
  2.13  portion of any highway affected by such action.  
  2.14     (e) When a local authority petitions the commissioner to 
  2.15  establish a truck route for travel into, through, or out of the 
  2.16  territory under its jurisdiction, the commissioner shall 
  2.17  investigate the matter.  If the commissioner determines from 
  2.18  investigation that the operation of trucks into, through, or out 
  2.19  of the territory involves unusual hazards because of any or all 
  2.20  of the following factors; load carried, type of truck used, or 
  2.21  topographic or weather conditions, the commissioner may, by 
  2.22  order, designate certain highways under the commissioner's 
  2.23  jurisdiction as truck routes into, through, or out of such 
  2.24  territory.  When these highways have been marked as truck routes 
  2.25  pursuant to the order, trucks traveling into, through, or out of 
  2.26  the territory shall comply with the order.  
  2.27     (f) A maximum weight per axle restriction on a paved street 
  2.28  or highway imposed under this subdivision by a local road 
  2.29  authority may not be less than seven tons per axle. 
  2.30     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 169.87, is 
  2.31  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  2.32     Subd. 1a.  [PROHIBITION OF TRUCKS.] A local road authority 
  2.33  may by resolution, for the reasons specified in subdivision 1, 
  2.34  paragraph (a), prohibit the operation of trucks other than 
  2.35  emergency vehicles on any street or highway under its 
  2.36  jurisdiction, during the period set by the commissioner under 
  3.1   subdivision 2.  The resolution may be in effect for up to two 
  3.2   weeks and may be renewed for additional periods not exceeding 
  3.3   two weeks for each period. 
  3.4      Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 169.87, 
  3.5   subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  3.6      Subd. 2.  [SEASONAL LOAD RESTRICTION.] Except for ~~portland~~ 
  3.7   ~~cement concrete~~ paved roads, between the dates set by the 
  3.8   commissioner of transportation each year, the weight on any 
  3.9   single axle shall not exceed five tons on a county highway, town 
  3.10  road, or city street that has not been restricted as provided in 
  3.11  subdivision 1.  The gross weight on consecutive axles shall not 
  3.12  exceed the gross weight allowed in section 169.825 multiplied by 
  3.13  a factor of five divided by nine.  This reduction shall not 
  3.14  apply to the gross vehicle weight.