HOUSE BILL No. 5759

June 9, 2016, Introduced by Reps. Townsend, Vaupel, Victory, Schor, Brinks, Pagel, LaGrand, Rutledge, Dianda, Driskell and Greig and referred to the Committee on Appropriations.

 

     A bill to amend 1951 PA 51, entitled

 

"An act to provide for the classification of all public roads,

streets, and highways in this state, and for the revision of that

classification and for additions to and deletions from each

classification; to set up and establish the Michigan transportation

fund; to provide for the deposits in the Michigan transportation

fund of specific taxes on motor vehicles and motor vehicle fuels;

to provide for the allocation of funds from the Michigan

transportation fund and the use and administration of the fund for

transportation purposes; to promote safe and efficient travel for

motor vehicle drivers, bicyclists, pedestrians, and other legal

users of roads, streets, and highways; to set up and establish the

truck safety fund; to provide for the allocation of funds from the

truck safety fund and administration of the fund for truck safety

purposes; to set up and establish the Michigan truck safety

commission; to establish certain standards for road contracts for

certain businesses; to provide for the continuing review of

transportation needs within the state; to authorize the state

transportation commission, counties, cities, and villages to borrow

money, issue bonds, and make pledges of funds for transportation

purposes; to authorize counties to advance funds for the payment of

deficiencies necessary for the payment of bonds issued under this

act; to provide for the limitations, payment, retirement, and

security of the bonds and pledges; to provide for appropriations

and tax levies by counties and townships for county roads; to

authorize contributions by townships for county roads; to provide

for the establishment and administration of the state trunk line

fund, local bridge fund, comprehensive transportation fund, and


certain other funds; to provide for the deposits in the state trunk

line fund, critical bridge fund, comprehensive transportation fund,

and certain other funds of money raised by specific taxes and fees;

to provide for definitions of public transportation functions and

criteria; to define the purposes for which Michigan transportation

funds may be allocated; to provide for Michigan transportation fund

grants; to provide for review and approval of transportation

programs; to provide for submission of annual legislative requests

and reports; to provide for the establishment and functions of

certain advisory entities; to provide for conditions for grants; to

provide for the issuance of bonds and notes for transportation

purposes; to provide for the powers and duties of certain state and

local agencies and officials; to provide for the making of loans

for transportation purposes by the state transportation department

and for the receipt and repayment by local units and agencies of

those loans from certain specified sources; and to repeal acts and

parts of acts,"

 

(MCL 247.651 to 247.675) by adding section 10q.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 10q. (1) An objective and quantifiable prioritization

 

process, known as the Michigan value for money transportation

 

prioritization process, shall be established, implemented, and

 

maintained for the assessment and selection of candidate

 

transportation projects to be included in the 4-year state

 

transportation improvement program.

 

     (2) The Michigan value for money transportation prioritization

 

process board is created for the purpose of establishing and

 

maintaining the Michigan value for money transportation

 

prioritization process, which shall be utilized by the department,

 

regional transit authority, and each metropolitan planning

 

organization, county road commission, city, village, and transit

 

agency for the objective and quantifiable assessment and selection

 

of candidate transportation projects based on all of the following

 

performance measures:

 

     (a) Congestion mitigation.

 


     (b) System reliability.

 

     (c) Safety.

 

     (d) Accessibility.

 

     (e) Economic development.

 

     (f) Land use.

 

     (g) Environment.

 

     (3) In establishing and maintaining the Michigan value for

 

money transportation prioritization process, the Michigan value for

 

money transportation prioritization process board shall do all of

 

the following:

 

     (a) Work collaboratively and hold public meetings with the

 

department; regional transit authority; metropolitan planning

 

organizations; transit agencies; local, county, and regional

 

governments; transportation, environmental, and consumer advocacy

 

groups; and other stakeholders, including the general public.

 

     (b) Establish an objective and quantifiable scoring process to

 

measure, compare, and rank the ability of candidate transportation

 

projects by department region and state based on performance

 

measures outlined in subsection (2) as they relate to the cost of

 

initial construction and the ongoing liability for preservation and

 

maintenance.

 

     (c) Establish weighting factors for each performance measure

 

based on the unique needs and qualities of the department region.

 

The Michigan value for money transportation prioritization process

 

board may establish different weighting factors for each

 

performance measure within each department region based on the

 

unique needs and qualities of each county, city, village, and

 


transit agency.

 

     (4) The Michigan value for money transportation prioritization

 

process board shall consist of the following members:

 

     (a) The director of the department.

 

     (b) One member of the state transportation commission

 

appointed by the state transportation commission.

 

     (c) The chief executive officer of the regional transit

 

authority.

 

     (d) One member representing the metropolitan planning

 

organizations appointed by the governor from a list of 3

 

recommendations supplied by the directors of the metropolitan

 

planning organizations.

 

     (e) One member representing county road commissions appointed

 

by the governor from a list of 3 recommendations supplied by the

 

board of the County Road Association of Michigan.

 

     (f) One member representing cities and villages appointed by

 

the governor from a list of 3 recommendations supplied by the board

 

of trustees of the Michigan Municipal League.

 

     (g) One member representing transit agencies appointed by the

 

governor from a list of 3 recommendations supplied by the board of

 

the Michigan Public Transit Association.

 

     (h) One member appointed by the speaker of the house.

 

     (i) One member appointed by the house minority leader.

 

     (j) One member appointed by the senate majority leader.

 

     (k) One member appointed by the senate minority leader.

 

     (5) The members first appointed to the Michigan value for

 

money transportation prioritization process board shall be

 


appointed within 30 days after the effective date of the amendatory

 

act that added this section.

 

     (6) Members of the Michigan value for money transportation

 

prioritization process board shall serve for terms of 2 years or

 

until a successor is appointed, whichever is later.

 

     (7) If a vacancy occurs on the Michigan value for money

 

transportation prioritization process board, the vacancy shall be

 

filled by an appointment for the unexpired term in the same manner

 

as the original appointment.

 

     (8) The appointing official or board may remove a member

 

appointed to the Michigan value for money transportation

 

prioritization process board by that appointing official or board

 

for incompetence, dereliction of duty, malfeasance, misfeasance, or

 

nonfeasance in office, or any other good cause.

 

     (9) The first meeting of the Michigan value for money

 

transportation prioritization process board shall be called by the

 

director of the department. At the first meeting, the Michigan

 

value for money transportation prioritization process board shall

 

elect from among its members a chairperson and other officers as it

 

considers necessary or appropriate. After the first meeting, the

 

Michigan value for money transportation prioritization process

 

board shall meet at least monthly, or more frequently at the call

 

of the chairperson or if requested by a majority of the members.

 

Upon establishing the Michigan value for money transportation

 

prioritization process under subsection (16), the Michigan value

 

for money transportation prioritization process board shall meet at

 

least annually to conduct the annual review described in subsection

 


(18), or more frequently at the call of the chairperson or if

 

requested by a majority of the board members.

 

     (10) A majority of the members of the Michigan value for money

 

transportation prioritization process board constitute a quorum for

 

the transaction of business at a meeting of the Michigan value for

 

money transportation prioritization process board. A majority of

 

the members present and serving are required for official action of

 

the Michigan value for money transportation prioritization process

 

board.

 

     (11) The business that the Michigan value for money

 

transportation prioritization process board may perform shall be

 

conducted at a public meeting of the Michigan value for money

 

transportation prioritization process board held in compliance with

 

the open meetings act, 1976 PA 267, MCL 15.261 to 15.275.

 

     (12) A writing prepared, owned, used, in the possession of, or

 

retained by the Michigan value for money transportation

 

prioritization process board in the performance of an official

 

function is subject to the freedom of information act, 1976 PA 442,

 

MCL 15.231 to 15.246.

 

     (13) Members of the Michigan value for money transportation

 

prioritization process board shall serve without compensation.

 

However, members of the Michigan value for money transportation

 

prioritization process board may be reimbursed for their actual and

 

necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their official

 

duties.

 

     (14) The Michigan value for money transportation

 

prioritization process shall not be used for preservation or

 


maintenance projects.

 

     (15) This section and section 10r do not apply to federal

 

funds subject to 23 USC 133(d)(1)(A)(i).

 

     (16) Not later than 365 days after the effective date of the

 

amendatory act that added this section, the Michigan value for

 

money transportation prioritization process board shall establish

 

the Michigan value for money transportation prioritization process.

 

Not later than 365 days after the Michigan value for money

 

transportation prioritization process board establishes the

 

Michigan value for money transportation prioritization process, the

 

department, the regional transit authority, and each metropolitan

 

planning organization, county road commission, city, village, and

 

transit agency shall begin assessing and selecting candidate

 

transportation projects using the objective and quantifiable

 

priority performance measures and weighting factors established

 

under the Michigan value for money transportation prioritization

 

process.

 

     (17) The department shall assign staff to each department

 

region, prepare guidance materials, and provide training and

 

workshops as necessary to assist the regional transit authority and

 

each metropolitan planning organization, county road commission,

 

city, village, and transit agency in assessing and selecting

 

candidate transportation projects using the Michigan value for

 

money transportation prioritization process.

 

     (18) Upon receiving the report from the department under

 

section 10r, the Michigan value for money transportation

 

prioritization process board shall conduct an annual review of the

 


Michigan value for money transportation prioritization process to

 

determine if the established scoring process and weighting factors

 

are prioritizing candidate transportation projects that best

 

achieve local, regional, and state goals and consider revisions to

 

the Michigan value for money transportation prioritization process

 

that would improve upon the established scoring process and

 

weighting factors to best achieve local, regional, and state

 

transportation goals.

 

     (19) Unless otherwise determined by the Michigan value for

 

money transportation prioritization process board, this section and

 

section 10r do not apply to a project that has all funds identified

 

in the 4-year state transportation improvement program and will be

 

fully obligated before January 1, 2016, and has completed the state

 

environmental review process or the review process required by the

 

national environmental policy act, 42 USC 4321 to 4370h, before

 

August 1, 2014. This subsection does not apply to a project that

 

has a reevaluation or supplement of the project's environmental

 

impact statement under 23 CFR 771.129, that was approved after

 

August 1, 2014.

 

     (20) As used in this section and section 10r:

 

     (a) "Department region" means any of the following regions

 

established by the department:

 

     (i) Superior.

 

     (ii) North.

 

     (iii) Grand.

 

     (iv) Southwest.

 

     (v) University.

 


     (vi) Bay.

 

     (vii) Metro.

 

     (b) "Metropolitan planning organization" means any of the

 

following:

 

     (i) The southeast Michigan council of governments.

 

     (ii) The tri-county regional planning commission.

 

     (iii) The west Michigan shoreline regional development

 

commission.

 

     (iv) The southwest Michigan planning commission.

 

     (v) The St. Clair county metropolitan planning commission.

 

     (vi) The Saginaw metropolitan planning organization.

 

     (vii) The Michigan area council of governments.

 

     (viii) The Toledo metropolitan area council of governments.

 

     (c) "Preservation" means an activity undertaken to preserve

 

the integrity of an existing transportation facility. Preservation

 

does not include new construction of a highway, road, street, or a

 

bridge, capital public transportation, a rail project, a project

 

that increases the capacity of a transportation facility to

 

accommodate that part of traffic having neither an origin nor

 

destination within the local area, widening of a lane, or adding

 

turn lanes of more than 1/2 mile in length. Preservation includes,

 

but is not limited to, 1 or more of the following:

 

     (i) Maintenance.

 

     (ii) Capital preventive treatments.

 

     (iii) Safety projects.

 

     (iv) Adding auxiliary weaving, climbing, or speed change lanes.

 

     (v) Adding auxiliary turning lanes of 1/2 mile or less.

 


     (vi) Installing traffic signs in new locations, installing

 

signal devices in new locations, and replacing existing signal

 

devices.

 

     Enacting section 1. This amendatory act takes effect 90 days

 

after the date it is enacted into law.

 

     Enacting section 2. This amendatory act does not take effect

 

unless Senate Bill No.____ or House Bill No. 5760 (request no.

 

00803'15 **) of the 98th Legislature is enacted into law.