Act No. 223

Public Acts of 1998

Approved by the Governor

July 1, 1998

Filed with the Secretary of State

July 1, 1998

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 1998

STATE OF MICHIGAN

89TH LEGISLATURE

REGULAR SESSION OF 1998

Introduced by Senators Schwarz, McManus, Conroy and Koivisto

ENROLLED SENATE BILL No. 483

AN ACT to amend 1941 PA 205, entitled "An act to provide for the construction, establishment, opening, use, discontinuing, vacating, closing, altering, improvement, and maintenance of limited access highways and facilities ancillary to those highways; to permit the acquiring of property and property rights and the closing or other treatment of intersecting roads for these purposes; to provide for the borrowing of money and for the issuing of bonds or notes payable from special funds for the acquisition, construction or improvement of such highways; and to provide for the receipt and expenditure of funds generated from the facilities," by amending section 2 (MCL 252.52), as amended by 1995 PA 93.

The People of the State of Michigan enact:

Sec. 2. (1) The state transportation department, a board of county road commissioners, or a city or village, acting alone or in cooperation with each other or with a federal, state, or local agency having authority to participate in the construction and maintenance of highways, may establish, open, discontinue, vacate, close, alter, improve, maintain, and provide for the public use of limited access highways, subject to section 1(i) of 1925 PA 352, MCL 213.171.

(2) The state transportation department shall allow only the installation of vending machines at selected sites on the limited access highway system to dispense food, drink, and other articles that the state transportation department determines appropriate. The state transportation department shall allow only the installation of vending machines at selected travel information centers. Following a 2-year trial period the state transportation department shall use its discretion with the advice of the commission for the blind to allow only vending machines at other locations on the limited access highway system. The vending machines shall be operated solely by the commission for the blind, which is designated as the state licensing agency under section 2(a)(5) of chapter 638, 49 Stat. 1559, 20 U.S.C. 107a. Except as otherwise provided in this section, no other commercial enterprise shall be authorized or conducted within or on property acquired for or designated as a limited access highway. The commission for the blind shall require evidence of liability insurance and monitor compliance as it pertains to only vending machines in the designated areas, holding harmless the state transportation department.

(3) In conjunction with the exemption granted by federal law from the restrictions contained in section 111 of title 23 of the United States Code, 23 U.S.C. 111, and described in the "manual on uniform traffic control devices for streets and highways", U.S. department of transportation and federal highway administration, part 2g (LOGOS), this section does not prohibit the use of facilities located in part on the right-of-way of I-94 in the vicinity of the interchange of I-94 and I-69 business loop/I-94 business loop for the sale of only those articles which are for export and consumption outside the United States.

(4) This section does not prohibit the use of facilities located in the vicinity of the international bridge in the city of Sault Ste. Marie for the sale of only those articles which are for export and consumption outside the United States to the extent that the use is not restricted by federal law.

(5) This section does not prohibit the operation of customs brokering facilities on state owned property available for that use at the sites of the blue water bridge in Port Huron and the international bridge in Sault Ste. Marie.

(6) The state transportation department may enter into a lease for facilities described in subsection (3), (4), or (5), the revenue from which shall be deposited in the state trunk line fund if attributable to the blue water bridge site or in the fund created under section 7 of 1954 PA 99, MCL 254.227, if attributable to the international bridge site.

(7) This section does not prohibit the use of facilities located at rest areas or welcome centers to distribute, either directly or through electronic technologies, free travel related information or assistance, or both, to the traveling public if the distribution is approved by the state transportation department.

(8) The state transportation department may enter into agreements for the activities described in subsection (7), the revenue from which shall be deposited in the state trunk line fund.

(9) The state transportation department shall conduct a study for a period of not less than 3 years to evaluate the potential benefit to the traveling public of logo signing within the right-of-way of limited access highways. Not later than December 31, 1998, the state transportation department shall issue a written report on the study, which shall include the economic impact of logo signing on the outdoor advertising industry, the benefits of logo signing to the motoring public and local businesses, the acceptance of logo signing by the motoring public, and the proposed standards for logo signing recommended by the state transportation commission. The study shall include a pilot program for logo signing at not more than 60 interchanges. However, not less than 30 days before the implementation date of the pilot program, any proposed agreement specifying a location for the pilot program shall be reported to the senate and house of representatives standing committees that consider transportation-related legislation. Any revenue received by the state transportation department under this subsection shall be deposited into the Michigan transportation fund established under section 10 of 1951 PA 51, MCL 247.660.

This act is ordered to take immediate effect.

Secretary of the Senate.

Clerk of the House of Representatives.

Approved

Governor.