SENATE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE April 22, 1997 1:35 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Senator Jerry Ward, Chairman Senator Gary Wilken, Vice Chairman Senator Lyda Green Senator Rick Halford Senator Georgianna Lincoln MEMBERS ABSENT All members present. COMMITTEE CALENDAR SENATE BILL NO. 156 "An Act relating to limitations on studded tires and on the use of certain studded tires; prohibiting certain trade practices regarding studded tires; and providing for an effective date." - FAILED TO MOVE SB 156 OUT OF COMMITTEE CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 83(STA) "An Act relating to regulation of commercial vehicles; and providing for an effective date." - MOVED CSHB 83(STA) OUT OF COMMITTEE PREVIOUS SENATE ACTION SB 156 - No previous Senate action to record. HB 83 - No previous Senate action to record. WITNESS REGISTER Tony Barter, State Materials Engineer Department of Transportation & Public Facilities 5800 E Tudor Road Anchorage, Alaska 99507-1225 POSITION STATEMENT: Presented a slide show and answered questions. Sam Kito III, Special Assistant Department of Transportation & Public Facilities 3132 Channel Drive Juneau, Alaska 99801-7898 POSITION STATEMENT: Discussed the changes in CSSB 156(TRA). Representative Martin State Capitol Juneau, Alaska 99801-1182 POSITION STATEMENT: Prime Sponsor of HB 83. Sergeant Brad Brown Alaska State Troopers POSITION STATEMENT: Reviewed the background of the commercial vehicle inspections. Frank Dillon, Executive Director Alaska Trucking Association 3443 Minnesota Drive Anchorage, Alaska 99503 POSITION STATEMENT: Encouraged support of CSHB 83(STA). ACTION NARRATIVE TAPE 97-12, SIDE A SB 156 STUDDED TIRES  Number 001 CHAIRMAN WARD called the Senate Transportation Committee meeting to order at 1:35 p.m. and introduced SB 156 as the first order of business before the committee. TONY BARTER , State Materials Engineer with DOT/PF, began his slide show which illustrates some of the problems with pavement wear due to studded tires and some of the possible solutions. The first slide showed an example of grooved pavement on Tudor Road. The department spends about $5 million per year on rehabilitation projects to repair such rutting. Through the department's studies, the rutting is directly linked with the passenger vehicle due to the axle width. The continued use of studded tires in the summer is of great concern. Through parking lot surveys, 3-6 percent of the users in Anchorage continue to use studs throughout the summer which creates 20 percent of the pavement wear problems or about a $1 million. Mr. Barter informed the committee that the Scandinavians had done a lot of work with light weight studs in the last 10 years. The Scandinavians have determined that the pavement wear is directly related to the kinetic energy as the stud hits the pavement. By reducing the weight of the stud, a 50 percent return on the pavement wear can be expected. The remaining wear is being addressed by engineers at the department through different asphalt mixes. Stone mastic has been determined to be one of the more resistant pavements. The department is also working on identifying high quality aggregate sources. Mr. Barter explained that all studs have a tungsten carbide pin which provides traction. The housing of the stud that holds the stud in the tire creates the weight of the stud. The studies have proven that light weight studs perform and act virtually the same as conventional steel studs and at the wholesale level there is no difference in cost to the retailer. Mr. Barter noted that the department has been able to adapt the research by the Scandinavians and put it into place quickly. Number 082 Mr. Barter began showing slides of specialized test equipment for this. There is a ball mill tester which determines the resistance of an aggregate to the type of impact loads experienced on a road which provides a good correlation. There is a steel pin test which provides the durability of the pavement resisting the steel pins. Another piece of test equipment is the SRK which is three studded tires rotating around an asphalt biscuit which also indicates hardness and durability. With the abrasive track, the resistance from abrasion wear from sanding and snow plow operations can be determined. The point load test, a compression test, is another indicator of aggregate strength. Mr. Barter pointed out that the most successful test equipment is the road simulator. Asphalt mixes are built for the road simulator and placed under the track in order to compare different asphalt mixes. Mr. Barter showed a slide of different samples that had been run through the road simulator. From the Scandinavian studies, the department found that a two to one return can be accomplished with the conventional mix which results in 5 percent of the solution. Mr. Barter explained that by going to stone mastic asphalt, 70 percent of the larger aggregate is retained to resist studded tire wear. Other areas that influence studded tire wear are compaction and the type of crushing operation. Mr. Barter showed a slide that illustrated the difference between good rock and bad rock which supports finding a high quality aggregate. Number 149 In response to Senator Wilken, Mr. Barter explained that porphyry is a geologic description of an aggregate. This is the rock, like sand stone, that is in the asphalt itself. Mr. Barter continued with the slide presentation. How the rock is crushed influences the wearing properties. Mr. Barter showed a slide of the road simulator which illustrates the wearing properties of various mixes. A variety of the test equipment provides a statistical correlation between how a property will be influenced in the field. There is a 96-98 percent correlation for the road simulator. Mr. Barter noted that the following have a strong influence on the wearing properties: the quality of the aggregate, the type of ratio, the aggregate size, and the type of mixture. The type of asphalt does not really influence the wearing properties that much. The kinetic energy transferred to the pavement has an influence on wear. The mass of the stud is very significant in this with the volume of traffic and the amount of stud frequency. The wearing properties in relation to speed are very significant. Going from 35 mph to 55 mph will double the wearing rate of the same mix. Mr. Barter showed a slide illustrating the kinetic energy transfer. In the last year, all this information has been assimilated and a report has been compiled. The department has been giving this presentation to a variety of markets. Mr. Barter noted that he heads a task force working with Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Mr. Barter has met with most of the major suppliers in the Anchorage market to get some feedback. The department has acquired the ball mill tester to evaluate the hardness and durability of aggregates. Mr. Barter informed the committee that the department has received additional funding from the Federal Highway Administration to do some test projects. The geologists have been looking across Alaska for high quality aggregate sources. The department has been working with the AGC to discuss implementing stone mastic to the point that the contractors have been sent for additional training for this operation. Number 212 Mr. Barter noted that the department focuses on the weight of the stud. The 1.1 gram will accommodate the passenger vehicle and there are provisions for larger size vehicles and commercial vehicles. Mr. Barter reiterated that the $1 million problem and 20 percent of the wearing properties comes from summer use that should be addressed. Mr. Barter stated that the department would recommend the status quo for the time periods, but may want to revisit that in the future. Furthermore, the department is recommending that the manufacturers' recommendations be followed with regard to the number of studs per tire. There is a provision in the bill that would disallow the drilling and restudding of tires. SENATOR WILKEN inquired as to the number of studs in a normal tire with a 14 inch wheel. TONY BARTER said that with a 14 inch tire there would be 110, but it does depend upon the tire and the manufacturer. In further response to Senator Wilken, Mr. Barter agreed that he was only proposing that the weight of the stud be reduced not the number of studs in the tire. CHAIRMAN WARD requested that Mr. Kito come forward due to the proposed committee substitute. SAM KITO III , Special Assistant in DOT/PF, noted that there is a draft committee substitute which adds a provision to account for the light truck or sport vehicle size of tire that is a slightly heavier stud. The original draft of the bill included a provision that made it illegal to use heavier weight studs after the effective date of the bill. Mr. Kito said that the department did not want to require everyone to take off studs and restud the tires, therefore it was necessary to grandfather those folks. Thus making it illegal to sell the heavier weight studs after the effective date of the bill. Number 254 SENATOR HALFORD moved that CSSB 156(TRA) be adopted. Without objection, the CS was adopted for discussion. SENATOR HALFORD suggested that if on alternate years the lines within the existing roadway were offset by one or two feet, the wear would be spread and no channels would exist. The shoulders are plenty wide on that road which has been redone three or four times over the last decade due to stud wear. Why is this not being done? SAM KITO III was not aware of why the striping may not be an option. Mr. Kito did point out that light weight studs provide the same stopping traction as a heavier weight studs, the light weight studs decreases the wear. TONY BARTER said that Senator Halford made a good point. Other countries have experimented with this striping, but it is a short term solution. The shoulder widths are maintained at the eight feet level due to design standards for safety and liability. Mr. Barter did not know what the process would involve to be exempt from that, but felt that was the obstacle. SENATOR HALFORD identified his problem with selling constituents, who are concerned about the stopping power, on using light weight studs. The problem is that if people see the state not doing everything it can, then there is reluctance to use light weight studs. CHAIRMAN WARD requested that Mr. Barter provide the committee with the studies from other countries regarding striping. SENATOR LINCOLN emphasized that the studded tire issue was dealt with during the previous Administration and there is much information available from that. The bill was stopped at the door because there was a question regarding the availability of the studs. Is the stud recommended made in the U.S. and if not, is it available in the quantity needed? TONY BARTER pointed out that there are about 400 studs on the market. With regard to the cost and quality issue, Mr. Barter said that the wholesalers sort that out. The studs are readily available. There are five manufacturers in the world: Finland, Sweden, an assembly in France, and Germany. In further response, Mr. Barter said that there is the quantity to supply Alaska. Number 335 SENATOR LINCOLN recalled the testing of a studded tire continuously moving over asphalt in order to illustrate the wear studs created. Senator Lincoln said that an individual she talked with from the materials lab, suggested that much of the wear has little to do with studs but rather with the material used under the asphalt. TONY BARTER said that as the problem was being reviewed such assumptions were made. Initially, the rutting was said to be related to the heavy trucks, however when the axle widths of the ruts are measure the measurements are more in line with the axle widths of the small import vehicles. Cross sections of pavement were cut to investigate the notion that the underlying base is not able to support the pavement; that is not the case. Mr. Barter informed the committee that the aggregates are too soft for the performance desired. Two years ago, the department incorporated the stone mastic design which was used on the Egan Expressway and there has been good return on that. Mr. Barter believed that the combination of light weight studs, the change in the mix, and the change in aggregates would achieve longer lasting pavements when exposed to the studded tire. SENATOR LINCOLN supported anything that would stop the erosion of the pavement that costs the state a great deal of money, however she wanted to ensure that everything was in place to move forward. SENATOR WILKEN said that people use studs in order to start more quickly and stop sooner. What is the acceleration and deceleration data for a 1.9 gram stud versus a 1.1 gram stud for a personal use vehicle? TONY BARTER noted that it would be based upon the mass of the vehicle and the weather conditions. Mr. Barter did not believe there would be any difference to the driver. A 1.9 gram and a 1.1 gram stud would have almost identical acceleration and deceleration. SENATOR WILKEN inquired as to why anyone would be opposed to a 1.1 gram stud. TONY BARTER said that a few years ago, there were some bad performing studs which were classified as light weight studs. Mr. Barter reiterated that there are a variety of studs available and the department believes that the wholesaler will sort that out due to the competitiveness of the market. In further response to Senator Wilken, Mr. Barter explained that every stud has a carbide pin inside, the housing and the composition of the stud change in relation to the weight of the stud. Studies indicate that a 1.1 gram stud lasts as long as a 1.9 gram stud. CHAIRMAN WARD asked if the 1.1 gram studs worked as well as the 1.9 gram studs. TONY BARTER replied yes. SENATOR WILKEN understood Mr. Barter to mean that those against light weight studs did not understand, therefore some education is necessary. TONY BARTER said that the department has been trying to have public involvement. The department did receive some funding and ran the Click and Clack commercials which were effective. Mr. Barter believed it to be a matter of public awareness. Number 408 SENATOR GREEN stated that if the testimony concerning SB 156 was no more reliable than the information given on SB 56 , she would have a difficult time having any positive feelings about considering this information credible. Until the information string about SB 56 is changed and corrected, Senator Green said that she would not support SB 156 nor anything requested by DOT. CHAIRMAN WARD asked Mr. Kito if he could work towards alleviating some of the concerns on SB 56. SAM KITO III agreed. TONY BARTER pointed out that in the back of the packet there is a performance chart showing the effectiveness of various studs as well as the quality issue, the wear over time in conjunction with the performance on the road. CHAIRMAN WARD inquired as to the pleasure of the committee. SENATOR WILKEN moved to report CSSB 156(TRA) out of committee with individual recommendations and accompanying fiscal notes. SENATOR GREEN objected. Upon a roll call vote, Senators Ward, Green, and Halford voted "Nay" and Senators Wilken and Lincoln voted "Yea", therefore CSSB 156(TRA) failed to be reported out of committee. HB 83 COMMERCIAL VEHICLE INSPECTIONS   Number 434 CHAIRMAN WARD announced that CSHB 83(STA) was the final order of business before the committee. REPRESENTATIVE MARTIN , Prime Sponsor, said that this matter was brought to his attention by the Ombudsman's office. The bill would repeal an unnecessary law that requires commercial vehicle inspections twice a year; that law has not been followed. The industry itself has a much better program that complies with the federal government and provides more assurance of safety on the highways. Representative Martin hoped that the committee would support CSHB 83(STA). SERGEANT BRAD BROWN , Alaska State Troopers, explained that through the years, there has been an effective size and weight enforcement program which includes commercial vehicle enforcement. In 1985/86 commercial vehicle enforcement dwindled. Although AS 28.32 was introduced as an inspection program, no fiscal note was applied to that which resulted in no commercial vehicle enforcement for a time. Alaska then became fourth in the nation for fatality rates related to commercial vehicles. The troopers and the Alaska Highway Safety Planning did review the development of a commercial vehicle enforcement unit. Throughout this process the state, federal, and industry have worked together. Initially, the out of service rate was 88 to 90 percent of commercial vehicles inspected in the Anchorage area in 1990. That has been reduced to about a 23 percent out of service rate. The accident rates have also been significantly reduced with regard to commercial vehicles actually contributing to an accident. Sergeant Brown informed the committee that he was out of state attending a hazardous material conference. During this conference, Alaska has been the envy of many states. By the industry and legislative regulatory process, Alaska has brought itself in compliance with all the Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, lowered the accident rate, and generally improved the safety and operation of Alaska's highways. Sergeant Brown expressed the desire to continue that through HB 83 by continuing to operate under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations which require one inspection per year, establish the criteria to be met for those inspections and the qualifications required of the inspectors. SENATOR LINCOLN referred to page 2, line 16 which speaks to the compliance of 49 C.F.R. 396, but there is not a definition in the bill speaking to that provision. REPRESENTATIVE MARTIN did not know. Number 509 FRANK DILLON , Executive Director of the Alaska Trucking Association, explained that this bill would replace a statute that has been on the books, but has not been into effect nor would it have worked well had it been put into effect. This legislation solidifies the adoption of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulation which is an extensive system of safety regulations applying to truck users, the equipment standards, and the operators. Mr. Dillon said that most of the companies in Alaska have been doing this type of inspection as well as following these rules for the last four years as a result of the administrative adoption of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations at the Department of Public Safety. Mr. Dillon pointed out that the mandated annual inspection will not be the only inspection the trucks receive. Everyday the truck is inspected by the driver before operating the vehicle, the driver is required to file a written report at the end of the work shift listing any deficiencies. There are also mandated programs requiring record keeping and regular maintenance checks. Furthermore, a truck can be stopped at any time by the commercial vehicle unit and be inspected on the road. Mr. Dillon echoed Mr. Brown's comments regarding the reduction in the number of accidents. In conclusion, Mr. Dillon requested that the committee support CSHB 83(STA). SENATOR LINCOLN determined from Mr. Dillon's statements that all of the truckers understand the language of 49 C.F.R. 396. FRANK DILLON noted that the process of education continues. There are some 25,000 to 30,000 commercial drivers license holders in Alaska and some 35,000 to 45,000 commercial vehicles which are not concentrated in one area or with one company. Mr. Dillon said that the association along with DOT and the troopers have been educating truck users throughout Alaska about these rules. Mr. Dillon pointed out the substantial penalty imposed on those ignoring the inspections and the criteria. CHAIRMAN WARD inquired as to the pleasure of the committee. SENATOR WILKEN moved to report CSHB 83(STA) out of committee with individual recommendations and accompanying fiscal notes. Without objection, it was so ordered. There being no further business before the committee, the meeting was adjourned at 2:17 p.m.