Section 544.50  Agreements and Permits

a)         Master Agreement

1)         As soon after January 1, 1980, as practicable, the District Engineer will initiate negotiations to develop a revised Master Agreement with those municipalities affected by this Part, which Agreement will establish the participation limits for the maintenance costs of each signalized intersection that is operational or under contract on State highways within the municipality. The Master Agreement will include provisions for energy costs and define which agency is to provide the necessary maintenance.  The Master Agreement shall be in accordance with the provisions of all applicable law.

2)         This Master Agreement will provide for the Department to assume maintenance costs equivalent to the cost described in Section 544.60(b)(1)(B).  If, at the time the Master Agreement is executed, this division of costs would result in a municipality paying more for the sum of energy costs and the cost of acceptable maintenance of signals on the State system than it was previously paying, the Department will assume maintenance costs for additional signals to the extent necessary to equate the municipal costs to what it was paying prior to the Master Agreement.  The Master Agreement will be executed by the appropriate officials of the municipality, the District, and the Central Bureau of Traffic.

b)         Subsequent to the Master Agreement, individual agreements shall be executed between the Department and the local agency for all installations in which both parties are responsible for a portion of the installation, modernization, maintenance, or energy charges.  The agreements will delineate the financial responsibilities as established in Section 544.60 of this Part, as well as the requirements of the Department relative to the operation and maintenance of the signals.  In preparation of the agreements the specific items set forth in Section 544.60 of this Part shall be included or taken into consideration.  Permits will not be required in addition to the agreements.

c)         All traffic signal plans prepared by others for installation on State highways must be reviewed and approved by the Department.  If the signals are being installed as a part of a joint improvement, the agreement covering the other parts of the improvement may also include the items relating to the signals.

d)         A permit issued to the local agency is required for the installation of traffic signals if an agreement is not executed.  Permits under this paragraph shall be issued upon receipt by the Department of a resolution from the municipality requesting that a certain signal be installed and only where conditions meet the warrants established in the current State of Illinois Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways or supplemental Department policy.