SUMMARY OF BILL
REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE
House Bill 4541 (Substitute S-1 as reported)
Sponsor: Representative Graham Filler
House Committee: Government Operations
Senate Committee: Regulatory Reform
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Michigan Vehicle Code to do the following:
-- Require the owner or another occupant of a motor vehicle involved in an accident to remove it away from a streetcar track if it were located in a place that would block, delay, or otherwise interfere with the movement of a streetcar on a streetcar track.
-- Allow a law enforcement agency to remove or dispose of a motor vehicle and cargoes of vehicles involved in an accident if it were blocking a streetcar track or could delay or interfere with the movement of a streetcar on a streetcar track.
-- Allow the driver of a vehicle to drive the vehicle in any lane lawfully available to traffic moving in the same direction of travel when the lanes were occupied by a streetcar or drive in any left-hand lane lawfully available to traffic moving in the same direction to avoid blocking, delaying, or otherwise interfering with the movement of a streetcar on a streetcar track.
-- Prohibit a person from operating an electric personal assistance mobility device, low speed vehicle, electric skateboard, or moped from blocking, delaying, or otherwise interfering with the movement of a streetcar on a streetcar track.
-- Allow the governing body of a county, city, village, entity created under the Urban Cooperation Act, or township to prohibit the use of electric personal assistive mobility devices, electric skateboards, or commercial quadricycles on a street that included streetcar tracks.
-- Prohibit an individual from parking a bicycle or an electric skateboard equipped with handlebars on a highway or street in such a manner as to block, delay, or otherwise interfere with the movement of a streetcar on a streetcar track.
-- Prohibit a vehicle from being parked on a streetcar track or in a manner that blocked, delayed, or otherwise interfered with the movement of a streetcar on a streetcar track.
-- Modify various definitions.
The bill also would add Chapter 6A (Streetcars) to the Code to do the following:
-- Require the driver of a bicycle or vehicle proceeding on a streetcar track in front of a streetcar to remove the bicycle or vehicle from the streetcar track as soon as practicable after a signal from the operator of the streetcar.
-- Prohibit a person from boarding a streetcar for a purpose other than purchasing a streetcar fare.
-- Prohibit a person from entering, remaining, occupying, or using a station that was part of a street railway system, including a shared station, except for certain purposes.
-- Prescribe permitted and prohibited conduct on a streetcar.
-- Allow a street authority to remove or cause to be removed a bicycle, vehicle, cargo, or personal property from the street to the nearest garage or other place of safety if it determined that the property was parked or standing on a street in a manner that would block, delay, or otherwise interfere with the movement of a streetcar on a streetcar track, and require the owner of the property to reimburse the street authority for all documented reasonable costs incurred in its removal, storage, and return.
-- Specify that a transit police unit could grant to a law enforcement officer of that unit the same powers, immunities, and authorities granted by law to a peace officer and a police officer to detect crime and enforce the State's criminal laws.
MCL 257.42 et al. Legislative Analyst: Christian Schmidt
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have no fiscal impact on State or local units of government.
Date Completed: 6-17-21 Fiscal Analyst: Joe Carrasco
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.