House File 2177 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2177 BY HEARTSILL A BILL FOR An Act concerning public notice of changes to the speed limit 1 on a primary highway. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 5960YH (3) 85 dea/tm

H.F. 2177 Section 1. Section 321.290, Code 2014, is amended to read 1 as follows: 2 321.290 Special restrictions. 3 1. a. Whenever the department shall determine determines 4 upon the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation 5 that any speed limit hereinbefore set forth in this chapter 6 is greater or less than is reasonable or safe under the 7 conditions found to exist at any intersection or other place 8 or upon any part of the primary road system or upon any part 9 of a primary road extension, said the department shall hold a 10 public meeting, after reasonable notice, to share information 11 from the engineering and traffic investigation and provide an 12 opportunity for public discussion and comment. Following the 13 public meeting, the department shall determine and declare a 14 reasonable and safe speed limit thereat which for the location. 15 If the determination is to change the existing speed limit, 16 the department shall provide notice of the change by issuing 17 a press release available to all local media outlets serving 18 the area affected by the change. The change in the speed limit 19 shall be effective following the provision of such notice and 20 when appropriate signs giving notice thereof of the speed limit 21 are erected at such the intersection or other place or part of 22 the highway. 23 b. This subsection does not apply to speed limit changes in 24 a road work zone. 25 2. Whenever the council in any a city shall determine 26 council determines upon the basis of an engineering and traffic 27 investigation that any speed limit hereinbefore set forth in 28 this chapter is greater or less than is reasonable or safe 29 under the conditions found to exist at any intersection or 30 other place or upon any part of the city street system, except 31 primary road extensions, said the council shall determine and 32 adopt by ordinance such higher or lower speed limit as it the 33 council deems reasonable and safe thereat for the location . 34 Such speed limit shall be effective when proper and appropriate 35 -1- LSB 5960YH (3) 85 dea/tm 1/ 2

H.F. 2177 signs giving notice thereof of the speed limit are erected at 1 such intersections intersection or other place or part of the 2 street. 3 EXPLANATION 4 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 5 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 6 Under current law, when the department of transportation 7 determines, following an engineering and traffic investigation, 8 that an existing speed limit at an intersection or other 9 location on a primary highway is greater or less than is 10 reasonably safe, the department is authorized to declare a new 11 speed limit. The new speed limit takes effect after proper 12 and appropriate signs are posted at the intersection or other 13 location on the primary highway. 14 This bill requires the department to hold a public meeting 15 to share information from the engineering and traffic 16 investigation and provide an opportunity for public discussion 17 and comment before changing a speed limit. Following the 18 public meeting, if the department determines that a change 19 in the speed limit is warranted, the department is required 20 to provide notice of the change by issuing a press release 21 available to all local media outlets serving the area affected 22 by the change. The change in the speed limit then becomes 23 effective following the press release and the posting of proper 24 and appropriate signage at the intersection or other location 25 on the primary highway. 26 The requirements of the bill do not apply to speed limit 27 changes in a road work zone. 28 -2- LSB 5960YH (3) 85 dea/tm 2/ 2