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| 1 | AN ACT concerning transportation.
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| 2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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| 3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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| 4 | Section 5. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by changing | ||||||
| 5 | Section 11-709.1 and by adding Sections 1-209.3, 11-709.2, and | ||||||
| 6 | 11-709.3 as follows: | ||||||
| 7 | (625 ILCS 5/1-209.3 new) | ||||||
| 8 | Sec. 1-209.3. Transit bus. A bus engaged in public | ||||||
| 9 | transportation as defined by the Regional Transportation | ||||||
| 10 | Authority Act and authorized by the Department to be used on | ||||||
| 11 | specifically designated roadway shoulders.
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| 12 | (625 ILCS 5/11-709.1) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 11-709.1)
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| 13 | Sec. 11-709.1. Driving on the shoulder. | ||||||
| 14 | (a) Vehicles shall be driven on a roadway, and shall only
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| 15 | be driven on the shoulder for the purpose of stopping or | ||||||
| 16 | accelerating from
a stop while merging into traffic. It shall | ||||||
| 17 | be a violation of this Section
if while merging into traffic | ||||||
| 18 | and while on the shoulder, the vehicle passes
any other vehicle | ||||||
| 19 | on the roadway adjacent to it.
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| 20 | (b) This Section shall not apply to any authorized | ||||||
| 21 | emergency vehicle, to any authorized transit bus, to any farm | ||||||
| 22 | tractor or implement of husbandry,
to any service vehicle while | ||||||
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| 1 | engaged in maintenance of the highway or
related work, or to | ||||||
| 2 | any authorized vehicle within a designated construction zone.
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| 3 | (Source: P.A. 95-785, eff. 8-7-08.)
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| 4 | (625 ILCS 5/11-709.2 new) | ||||||
| 5 | Sec. 11-709.2. Bus on shoulder pilot program. | ||||||
| 6 | (a) For purposes of this Section, "bus on shoulders" is the | ||||||
| 7 | use of specifically designated shoulders of roadways by | ||||||
| 8 | authorized transit buses. The shoulders may be used by transit | ||||||
| 9 | buses at times and locations as set by the Department in | ||||||
| 10 | cooperation with the Regional Transportation Authority and the | ||||||
| 11 | Suburban Bus Division of the Regional Transportation | ||||||
| 12 | Authority. | ||||||
| 13 | (b) Commencing on the effective date of this amendatory Act | ||||||
| 14 | of the 97th General Assembly, the Department along with the | ||||||
| 15 | Regional Transportation Authority and Suburban Bus Division of | ||||||
| 16 | the Regional Transportation Authority in cooperation with the | ||||||
| 17 | Illinois State Police shall establish a 5-year pilot program | ||||||
| 18 | within the boundaries of the Regional Transportation Authority | ||||||
| 19 | for transit buses on highways and shoulders. The pilot program | ||||||
| 20 | may be implemented on shoulders of highways as designated by | ||||||
| 21 | the Department in cooperation with the Regional Transportation | ||||||
| 22 | Authority and Suburban Bus Division of the Regional | ||||||
| 23 | Transportation Authority. The Department may adopt rules | ||||||
| 24 | necessary for transit buses to use roadway shoulders. | ||||||
| 25 | (c) After the pilot program established under subsection | ||||||
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| 1 | (b) of this Section has been operating for 2 years, the | ||||||
| 2 | Department in cooperation with the Regional Transit Authority, | ||||||
| 3 | the Suburban Bus Division of the Regional Transportation | ||||||
| 4 | Authority, and the Illinois State Police shall issue a report | ||||||
| 5 | to the General Assembly on the effectiveness of the bus on | ||||||
| 6 | shoulders pilot program. | ||||||
| 7 | (625 ILCS 5/11-709.3 new) | ||||||
| 8 | Sec. 11-709.3. Transit buses on shoulders - toll highways. | ||||||
| 9 | The Illinois State Toll Highway Authority may allow transit | ||||||
| 10 | buses to use the shoulders of highways under its jurisdiction | ||||||
| 11 | as part of the bus on shoulder pilot program under Section | ||||||
| 12 | 11-709.2 of this Code.
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| 13 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
| 14 | becoming law.
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