HOUSE AMENDED
        PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 11, 1059, 1076           PRINTER'S NO. 1351

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


SENATE BILL

No. 11 Session of 1983


        INTRODUCED BY HOLL AND KRATZER, JANUARY 12, 1983

        AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, HOUSE OF
           REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, OCTOBER 12, 1983

                                     AN ACT

     1  Amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
     2     Statutes, requiring school buses to stop at all railroad
     3     crossings; and permitting local authorities to designate and   <--
     4     use roads for nonvehicular purposes; AND FURTHER PROVIDING     <--
     5     FOR LIMITED EXEMPTIONS FROM THE AXLE TAX.

     6     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
     7  hereby enacts as follows:
     8     Section 1.  Section 3342 of Title 75 of the Pennsylvania
     9  Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:
    10  § 3342.  Vehicles required to stop at railroad crossings.
    11     (a)  General rule.--Except as provided in subsection [(b)]
    12  (c), the driver of any vehicle described in regulations issued
    13  pursuant to subsection [(c)] (d), before crossing at grade any
    14  track or tracks of a railroad, shall stop the vehicle within 50
    15  feet but not less than 15 feet from the nearest rail of the
    16  railroad and while so stopped shall listen and look in both
    17  directions along the track for any approaching train, and for
    18  signals indicating the approach of a train, and shall not

     1  proceed until it can be done safely. After stopping and upon
     2  proceeding when it is safe to do so the driver of the vehicle
     3  shall cross only in such gear of the vehicle that there will be
     4  no necessity for manually changing gears while traversing the
     5  crossing and the driver shall not manually shift gears while
     6  crossing the track or tracks.
     7     (b)  School buses.--Notwithstanding the provisions of
     8  paragraphs (2), (3) and (4) of subsection (c), the drivers of
     9  school buses shall stop before crossing any railroad grade
    10  crossing or track or tracks of a railroad.
    11     [(b)] (c)  Exceptions.--This section does not apply at any of
    12  the following:
    13         (1)  Any railroad grade crossing at which traffic is
    14     controlled by a police officer or flagman.
    15         (2)  Any railroad grade crossing at which traffic is
    16     regulated by a traffic-control signal.
    17         (3)  Any railroad grade crossing protected by crossing
    18     gates or an alternately flashing light signal intended to
    19     give warning of the approach of a railroad train.
    20         (4)  Any railroad grade crossing at which an official
    21     traffic-control device gives notice that the stopping
    22     requirement imposed by this section does not apply.
    23     [(c)] (d)  Regulations defining vehicles subject to
    24  section.--The department shall adopt such regulations as may be
    25  necessary describing the vehicles which must comply with the
    26  stopping requirements of this section. In formulating the
    27  regulations, the department shall give consideration to the
    28  hazardous nature of any substance carried by the vehicle as
    29  determined by the Hazardous Substances Transportation Board and
    30  to the number of passengers carried by the vehicle in
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     1  determining whether the vehicle shall be required to stop. These
     2  regulations shall be developed in conjunction with the
     3  Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and the Urban Mass
     4  Transportation Authority and shall correlate with and so far as
     5  possible conform to the current regulations of the United States
     6  Department of Transportation.
     7     Section 2.  Section 6109 of Title 75 is amended by adding a
     8  subsection to read:
     9  § 6109.  Specific powers of department and local authorities.
    10     * * *
    11     (g)  Play highways.--Local authorities may designate any
    12  highway or any part of a highway under their jurisdiction a
    13  "play highway," and may close such designated highway to general
    14  traffic where interference to traffic will not be serious. Such
    15  highways or portions of highways shall be used for play purposes
    16  and shall be clearly designated by appropriate signs, specifying
    17  the hours between which such highways shall be closed to general
    18  traffic.
    19     SECTION 3.  TITLE 75 IS AMENDED BY ADDING A SECTION TO READ:   <--
    20  § 9910.  AGRICULTURAL EXEMPTION.
    21     THE PROVISIONS OF THIS CHAPTER SHALL NOT APPLY TO A TRUCK,
    22  TRUCK TRACTOR OR COMBINATION WHICH IS USED SOLELY FOR
    23  AGRICULTURAL OR FARMING PURPOSES, CARRIES PRODUCTS PRODUCED BY
    24  THE OWNER AND IS OWNED AND OPERATED BY A NONRESIDENT IN FULL
    25  COMPLIANCE WITH THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE PLACE OF
    26  RESIDENCE OF THE OWNER.
    27     Section 3 4.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.           <--


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