CSHB 372(TRA): "An Act relating to highway design; and providing for an effective date."
00 CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 372(TRA) 01 "An Act relating to highway design; and providing for an effective date." 02 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 03 * Section 1. AS 19.10.160 is amended by adding new subsections to read: 04 (c) In applying the standards described in (a) of this section, the department 05 shall establish a design process for use during the design of highway projects that 06 ensures projects are consistent with the principles used by the Federal Highway 07 Administration under its Context Sensitive Solutions program. In establishing a design 08 process described in this subsection, the department shall take steps to ensure early 09 and ongoing collaboration with affected citizens, elected officials, interest groups, and 10 other stakeholders in a project, and shall consider the following factors: 11 (1) safety, durability, and economy of maintenance; 12 (2) the constructed and natural environment of the area; 13 (3) community development plans and relevant municipal ordinances; 14 (4) sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places or identified 15 by the Alaska Historical Commission established under AS 41.35.300;
01 (5) the environmental, scenic, aesthetic, historic, community, and 02 preservation effects of the activity; 03 (6) access for other modes of transportation, including bicycle and 04 pedestrian transportation; 05 (7) access to and integration of sites considered culturally and 06 historically significant to the communities affected; 07 (8) acceptable engineering practices and standards; and 08 (9) safety studies and other pertinent research. 09 (d) In carrying out the design process described in (c) of this section, the 10 commissioner may 11 (1) consult with affected citizens, elected officials, interest groups, and 12 other stakeholders appropriate for a particular project; and 13 (2) scale the process commensurate with the scope, complexity, and 14 effect of the project. 15 * Sec. 2. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 16 read: 17 REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS. The Department of Transportation and 18 Public Facilities shall review the design process set out in AS 19.10.160(c), as enacted by sec. 19 1 of this Act, and the effect of the Context Sensitive Solutions program on the state, and 20 submit a report to the legislature not later than January 1, 2011. The report must include 21 (1) a summary of the training opportunities offered by the Federal Highway 22 Administration of which the department's employees have taken advantage; 23 (2) an evaluation of interdepartmental relations as they relate to the amended 24 guidelines, as well as public safety, traffic control, and environmental concerns; and 25 (3) a review of the design process in the state with a recommendation for 26 eliminating or modifying elements that will conflict with or obstruct the implementation of 27 the Context Sensitive Solutions best practices model. 28 * Sec. 3. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 29 read: 30 APPLICABILITY. The provisions of this Act apply only to projects that begin on or 31 after the effective date of this Act.