HOUSE AMENDED PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 11, 1059, 1076 PRINTER'S NO. 1351
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 19830S0011B1351 - 2 -
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. <-- L8L75JRW/19830S0011B1351 - 3 -