HBA-MPA H.B. 2349 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2349 By: Burnam Transportation 4/26/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, to install traffic control devises for pedestrian crosswalks, municipal traffic engineers are required to meet certain traffic "warrants" or guidelines set out in the state's Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). Unfortunately, these warrants are based on high-speed, highvolume roadways, making their numbers virtually impossible to meet in many settings actually used by pedestrians. For example, to install a traffic signal at a crosswalk based on pedestrian volumes, the MUTCD warrants require a count of 190 pedestrians per hour or four consecutive hours of 100 pedestrians each. This amount of pedestrian traffic exceeds normal foot traffic in an average residential area; yet that is where many municipalities need crosswalks to protect residents and children on the way to and from neighborhood parks, schools, and stores. H.B. 2349 allows municipalities to install protected crosswalks and other control devices as deemed necessary, permitting local traffic planners to make safe, efficient decisions for neighborhood streets. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 544.001, Transportation Code, by adding Subsection (b), to prohibit the uniform traffic-control devices manual issued by the Texas Transportation Commission from prohibiting a municipality from installing traffic-control devices or pedestrian crosswalks other than at intersections of streets to slow traffic and permit pedestrian and bicycle crossing, as determined by the municipality. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 3. Emergency clause.