PRINTER'S NO. 915
No. 824 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY GORDNER, CAPPABIANCA, ARGALL, M. BAKER, BELFANTI,
BROWNE, CALTAGIRONE, COY, DeWEESE, FAIRCHILD, FRANKEL,
FREEMAN, GODSHALL, GRUCELA, HARHAI, HERMAN, HORSEY,
HUTCHINSON, KELLER, LAUGHLIN, LEDERER, MARKOSEK, McCALL,
MUNDY, PETRARCA, PISTELLA, PRESTON, READSHAW, ROSS, RUBLEY,
SAINATO, SAMUELSON, SATHER, SAYLOR, SCHULER, SOLOBAY, STURLA,
E. Z. TAYLOR, WOJNAROSKI, YOUNGBLOOD AND J. WILLIAMS,
FEBRUARY 27, 2001
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, FEBRUARY 27, 2001
AN ACT
1 Authorizing the establishment of the Pennsylvania Scenic Byways
2 System; imposing certain duties on the Department of
3 Community and Economic Development and on the Department of
4 Transportation; and making an appropriation.
5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby enacts as follows:
7 Section 1. Short title.
8 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Scenic Byways
9 Act.
10 Section 2. Definitions.
11 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
12 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
13 context clearly indicates otherwise:
14 "Department." The Department of Community and Economic
15 Development of the Commonwealth.
16 "PennDOT." The Department of Transportation of the
1 Commonwealth.
2 "Scenic byway." A road which runs through wild, pastoral,
3 historic or otherwise scenic countryside and which is designated
4 as such under this act.
5 Section 3. Program.
6 The Pennsylvania Scenic Byways System is hereby established
7 and shall be jointly administered by the department and PennDOT.
8 Section 4. Study.
9 The department and PennDOT shall jointly study and conduct
10 public hearings if necessary on the roads of this Commonwealth
11 to determine if these roads meet the criteria established under
12 this act for a scenic byway designation.
13 Section 5. Proposals.
14 The department shall, from time to time, submit proposals to
15 the Governor and to the General Assembly setting forth roads in
16 this Commonwealth to which the "scenic byway" designation might
17 appropriately be affixed by an act of the General Assembly.
18 These scenic byways shall become part of the Pennsylvania Scenic
19 Byways System.
20 Section 6. Criteria.
21 To be designated as a scenic byway, a road shall:
22 (1) Be recommended for the designation by the
23 department.
24 (2) Be a road which is free of impediments, still
25 largely primitive and undeveloped, and contains little
26 commerce on either side of the road.
27 (3) Be of some pastoral, wilderness or historic value to
28 this Commonwealth.
29 Section 7. Markers.
30 PennDOT shall erect uniform and aesthetically pleasant signs
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1 on a scenic byway to inform passing motorists of its designated
2 status.
3 Section 8. Maintenance.
4 (a) Local planning.--The department shall make small
5 community planning grants available to local governments in
6 which scenic byways are located. These grants shall be used to
7 enhance local planning, zoning and other measures to protect the
8 preservation of scenic byways.
9 (b) Improvements.--Where repairs to scenic byways or rights-
10 of-way contiguous with them are needed, PennDOT shall make them.
11 Section 9. Promotion.
12 PennDOT shall include the Pennsylvania Scenic Byways System
13 on its maps and in other tourist and travel promotional
14 material, in coordination with the department.
15 Section 10. Appropriation.
16 The sum of $400,000, or as much thereof as may be necessary,
17 is hereby appropriated to the Department of Transportation, for
18 the fiscal year July 1, 2001, to June 30, 2002, for the erection
19 of scenic byway markers.
20 Section 11. Effective date.
21 This act shall take effect as follows:
22 (1) Section 10 shall take effect July 1, 2001, or
23 immediately, whichever occurs later.
24 (2) This section shall take effect immediately.
25 (3) The remainder of this act shall take effect in 60
26 days.
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