HOUSE BILL No. 4251 February 6, 1997, Introduced by Reps. Varga and Schermesser and referred to the Committee on Transportation. A bill to amend 1949 PA 300, entitled "Michigan vehicle code," by amending section 627a (MCL 257.627a), as amended by 1996 PA 574. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT: 1 Sec. 627a. (1) As used in this section and section 629: 2 (a) "Regularly scheduled school session" means that part of 3 a day of student instruction which is followed by a break for 4 lunch or by a final dismissal of the student body for that day. 5 (b) "School" means an educational institution operated by a 6 local school district or by a private, denominational, or paro- 7 chial organization, except an educational institution containing 8 only grades above eighth grade. School shall not include an 9 educational institution which the department of education 10 determines either has its entire student population in residence 01888'97 TJS 2 1 at the institution or has its entire student population 2 transported to and from the institution by motor vehicles. 3 (c) "School zone" means school property on which a school 4 building is located and the area adjacent to the school property 5 which is designated by the signs required under subsection (2). 6 Except as otherwise provided in subsection (5), the school zone 7 shall extend not more than 1,000 feet from the property line of 8 the school in each direction. 9 (2) Except as provided in subsection (4), the prima facie 10 speed limit in a school zone, which shall be in force 30 minutes 11 before the first regularly scheduled school session until school 12 commences and from dismissal until 30 minutes after the last reg- 13 ularly scheduled school session, and during a lunch period when 14 students are permitted to leave the school, shall be2515 15 miles an hour, if permanent signs designating the school zone and 16 the speed limit in the school zone are posted at the request of 17 the school superintendent. The signs shall conform to the 18 Michigan manual of uniform traffic control devices. 19 (3) This section shall not apply to a limited access highway 20 or to that portion of a street or highway over which a pedestrian 21 overhead walkway is erected, if the walkway is adjacent to school 22 property and is designed and located so as to be used, and is 23 being used, as the principal means by which students of a school 24 which has property adjacent to the walkway travel to and from the 25 school. 01888'97 3 1 (4) Local authorities may increase or decrease the prima 2 facie speed limit within a school zone under their jurisdiction 3 pursuant to section 629. 4 (5) Notwithstanding the requirements for a school zone as 5 defined in subsection (1)(c), if a school is located in an area 6 that requires school children to cross a state trunk line highway 7 or county highway that has a speed limit of 35 miles per hour or 8 more to attend that school, the school superintendent may submit 9 a request to the state transportation commission, county road 10 commission, or local authority having jurisdiction over the road- 11 way, as applicable, for a school crossing as permitted under 12 section 613a. If, based on the traffic engineering studies, the 13 road authority determines the need for a lower speed limit, the 14 road authority may designate the crossing as a school zone. 15 Before submitting a request, the school superintendent shall have 16 completed a school route plan as prescribed by section 7a-1 of 17 the Michigan manual of uniform traffic control devices. 18 (6) Notwithstanding the2515 mile per hour prima facie 19 speed limit established by subsection (2), the prima facie speed 20 limit for any street in a school zone which has sidewalks along 21 at least 1 side of the street, which shall be in force during the 22 same periods which a2515 mile per hour speed limit provided 23 by subsection (2) would otherwise be effective, shall be set at 24 the limit requested by the superintendent of schools with juris- 25 diction over the school within the school zone, but this limit 26 shallneitherNOT be more than 15 miles per hour below the 27 regularly posted speed limit for that street.nor less than 2501888'97 4 1miles per hour.Permanent signs designating the school zone and 2 the speed limit in the school zone shall be posted. These signs 3 shall conform to the Michigan manual of uniform traffic control 4 devices. 01888'97 Final page. TJS