HB5300 - Relating to a project to identify and address high injury road segments and the designation of highway safety corridors; increasing a fine.

  89R10661 AND-D     By: Goodwin H.B. No. 5300       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to a project to identify and address high injury road   segments and the designation of highway safety corridors;   increasing a fine.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  This Act shall be known as the Dr. Michael James   Babineaux Act.          SECTION 2.  Subchapter H, Chapter 201, Transportation Code,   is amended by adding Section 201.6014 to read as follows:           Sec.   201.6014.     HIGH INJURY NETWORK PROJECT. (a) In this   section:                 (1)     "High injury network project" means the project   developed by the institute under this section.                 (2)     "Institute" means the Texas A&M Transportation   Institute.                 (3)     "Intervention strategy" means a department plan to   reduce traffic deaths and serious injuries in a certain public   roadway segment.                 (4)     "Political subdivision" means a municipality or   county.                 (5)     "Safety action plan" means a plan prepared for the   Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program.           (b)     Subject to the availability of funds, the institute   shall develop and maintain a high injury network project that   includes an interactive map and data that allows ranking of all   public roadway segments in the state according to the estimated   total cost of traffic crashes for each roadway segment during the   preceding five years, accounting for personal injuries, personal   property damage, and cost of repairs to the roadway. The institute   shall update the project's map and rankings at least once every five   years.           (c)     The department shall annually develop an intervention   strategy for:                 (1)     the two highest ranking roadway segments in a   rural district on the high injury network project;                 (2)     the two highest ranking roadway segments in an   urban district on the high injury network project; and                 (3)     each of the 10 highest ranking roadway segments in   any district on the high injury network project that are not   described by Subdivisions (1) and (2).           (d)     The department may partner with a political subdivision   to implement, on its own initiative or in collaboration with any   governmental unit, for a roadway segment among the 100 highest   ranking roadway segments on the high injury network project:                 (1)     adaptive signal timing, signal preemption for   emergency vehicles, wrong-way driving alerts, intelligent   transportation systems, vehicle-to-infrastructure technology, or   traffic demand management;                   (2)  highway safety corridors or variable speed limits;                 (3)     interim or innovative design improvements,   including temporary improvements that do not involve permanent   roadway reconstruction, including painting, plastic delineator   posts, water-filled plastic barriers, planters, traffic cones,   raised line separators, and temporary speed humps/bumps that may be   used to right-size roadways, create curb extensions, shorten   crosswalk distances, create roundabouts, establish bike lanes, and   implement other safety countermeasures that slow speeds and make   roads safer for multiple road user types;                 (4)     upgrades to any portion of a right-of-way to   optimize safe travel by any mode of transportation, including   reducing the portion of a right-of-way dedicated to single occupant   vehicle lanes if the department determines through an engineering   and traffic investigation that an updated design will be an   effective way to reduce deaths and serious injuries on one of the   100 highest ranking roadways identified in the high injury network   plan; or                 (5)     any proven safety measure, including any measure   listed in the Texas Strategic Highway Safety Plan, the Federal   Highway Administration's Proven Safety Countermeasures initiative   as it existed on May 1, 2025, or Proven Safety Countermeasures in   Rural Communities publication as the publication existed on May 1,   2025, or a local or regional safety action plan if the roadway   segment is within the area covered by the safety action plan.           (e)     Notwithstanding any other law, a safety measure under   Subsection (d)(1) or (5) may be implemented with no requirement for   environmental process, public input opportunity, engineering and   traffic investigation, or any other administrative procedure.           (f)     The department may not implement a safety measure under   Subsection (d)(2), (3), or (4) before a simple majority vote in   support of implementing the measure on that roadway segment or a   broader area by:                 (1)     the governing body of the municipality in which   the roadway segment is located; or                 (2)     the commissioners court of the county in which the   roadway segment is located, if the roadway segment is in an   unincorporated area.           (g)     This subsection applies only to an on-system roadway   segment that is not a controlled access highway and has been listed   as one of the 100 highest ranking roadway segments under the high   injury network project for three or more years and for which total   deaths and serious injuries have not decreased by an average of at   least three percent per year.   A municipality in which a roadway   segment to which this subsection applies is located or a county in   which a roadway segment to which this subsection applies is located   if in an unincorporated area may request that:                 (1)     the department address the safety problems in a   manner consistent with department plans and guidelines, the   political subdivision's design manuals, local or regional safety   action plans that include the roadway segment, and other local   transportation plans that include the roadway segment; or                 (2)     the department transfer ownership, operations, or   maintenance responsibility for the roadway segment to the political   subdivision.           (h)     If the department determines that a measure requested   under Subsection (g)(1) is warranted through an engineering and   traffic investigation, the department may implement the measure   following a majority vote of:                 (1)  the governing body of a municipality; or                 (2)     the commissioners court of a county if the roadway   segment is in an unincorporated area.           (i)     The department may, at the request of a political   subdivision under Subsection (g)(2), transfer ownership,   operations, or maintenance responsibility of a roadway segment to   the political subdivision to allow for the political subdivision to   address the safety issues on the roadway.           (j)     The commission shall adopt rules as necessary to   administer this section.           (k)     This section may not be construed to limit existing   department practices for making roadways safer.          SECTION 3.  Subchapter K, Chapter 201, Transportation Code,   is amended by adding Section 201.9051 to read as follows:           Sec.   201.9051.     HIGHWAY SAFETY CORRIDOR. (a)   In this   section, "political subdivision" means a municipality or county.           (b)     The department may designate as a highway safety   corridor a portion of a roadway if the roadway segment is one of the   100 highest ranking roadway segments in the high injury network   project under Section 201.6014, and the governing body of the   political subdivision identified under Section 201.6014(f) has   approved the designation.           (c)     The department shall remove a highway safety corridor   designation made under Subsection (b) on the 10th anniversary of   the designation unless the governing body of the political   subdivision that approved the designation notifies the department   that the designation should be removed before that date or extended   after that date. Each designation extension made under this   subsection must be for a period of 10 years unless a shorter period   is requested by the governing body and may be removed or extended as   provided by this subsection for an initial designation.           (d)  The department may:                 (1)     designate as a highway safety corridor a portion   of a roadway containing a site with a high number of traffic   collisions that lead to a serious injury or fatality as identified   by the department; and                 (2)     at the department's discretion, remove a   designation made under this subsection.           (e)     The department shall erect a sign at each end of a   designated portion of a roadway and at appropriate intermediate   sites along the roadway:                 (1)     indicating that the roadway is a highway safety   corridor; and                 (2)  stating "Fines double: highway safety corridor."           (f)     The department by rule may prescribe forms for use by a   political subdivision for the designation of a highway safety   corridor under Subsection (b) and the removal or extension of a   highway safety corridor designation under Subsection (c).           (g)     The department may distribute literature to the public   concerning highway safety corridors designated under this section.          SECTION 4.  Subchapter D, Chapter 542, Transportation Code,   is amended by adding Section 542.405 to read as follows:           Sec.   542.405.     FINE FOR OFFENSE IN HIGHWAY SAFETY CORRIDOR.   (a) In this section, "highway safety corridor" means a portion of a   roadway designated under Section 201.9051.           (b)     If an offense under this subtitle, other than an offense   under Chapter 548 or 552 or Section 545.412 or 545.413, is committed   in a highway safety corridor:                 (1)     the minimum fine applicable to the offense is   twice the minimum fine that would be applicable to the offense if it   were committed outside a highway safety corridor; and                 (2)     the maximum fine applicable to the offense is   twice the maximum fine that would be applicable to the offense if it   were committed outside a highway safety corridor.          SECTION 5.  Section 545.353, Transportation Code, is amended   by adding Subsection (l) to read as follows:           (l)     A speed limit established under the program established   under Subsection (k) may be set at any speed supported by an   engineering and traffic investigation if:                 (1)     the roadway segment is one of the 100 highest   ranking roadway segments under the high injury network project   established under Section 201.6014; and        &#x [Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]