SB422: Bill Text

Under this bill, this 75 feet length limit exception for tractor-semitrailer combinations, and this 53 feet length limit exception for certain semitrailers, apply on all highways, not just state trunk highways, subject to the same exceptions for designated ineligible highways or long truck routes that apply under current law.

Under current law, the overall length limit for combinations of two or three vehicles operated or transported by the drive-away method in saddlemount combination is 65 feet. The term "saddlemount combination" is neither defined nor described by statute, but DOT defines it by rule as a combination of vehicles in which a truck or truck tractor tows one or more trucks or truck tractors, each connected by a saddle to the vehicle in front of it; the towed vehicles essentially piggyback the power unit or one another. Also under current law, DOT and local authorities may issue permits for combinations of two or three vehicles operated or transported by the drive-away method in saddlemount combination with an overall length not exceeding 65 feet.

This bill increases, from 65 feet to 75 feet, the length limit for combinations of two or three vehicles operated or transported by the drive-away method in saddlemount combination. In addition, the bill eliminates provisions of current law related to the issuance of permits for these vehicle combinations.

The bill also increases, from 65 feet to 66 feet, the vehicle length limit for articulated buses operated in urban areas.

For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

SB422, s. 1 Section 1. 194.32 of the statutes, as affected by 2011 Wisconsin Act 54, is amended to read:

SB422,3,6 194.32 Buses, restrictions. No common motor carrier of passengers shall operate any passenger-carrying bus over any public highway of this state with any trailer or semitrailer attached except for an articulated bus as defined in s. 340.01 (2m). Except for an articulated bus as defined in s. 340.01 (2m) which may be 65 feet in length, no No interurban motor bus which exceeds 45 feet in length or 8 feet 6 inches in width or is of a double-decked open-roof design shall be operated upon the public highways under the authority of this chapter. As used in this section an interurban motor bus is deemed to be of a "double-decked open-roof design" when passengers are carried therein on an upper level throughout the length of the bus over passengers on a lower level throughout the length of the bus and the bus roof does not extend throughout the length of the bus or is not permanently enclosed with rigid construction.

SB422, s. 2 Section 2. 348.05 (2) (f) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB422,3,9 348.05 (2) (f) Eight feet 8 inches for urban passenger buses and 8 feet 6 inches for interurban passenger buses.

SB422, s. 3 Section 3. 348.07 (1) of the statutes, as affected by 2011 Wisconsin Act 54, is amended to read:

SB422,3,15 348.07 (1) No person, without a permit therefor, may operate on a highway any single vehicle with an overall length in excess of 45 feet or any combination of 2 vehicles with an overall length in excess of 65 70 feet, except as otherwise provided in subs. (2) and, (2a), and (4m) and s. 348.08 (1).

SB422, s. 4 Section 4. 348.07 (2) (fs) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB422,3,18 348.07 (2) (fs) 75 feet for a tractor-semitrailer combination that is operated on any part of the state trunk highway system, except as provided in par. (f) or sub. (4m).

SB422, s. 5 Section 5. 348.07 (2) (g) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB422,3,21 348.07 (2) (g) 48 feet for a semitrailer or trailer operated as part of a 2-vehicle combination, except as provided in par. (gr) or (gv).

SB422, s. 6 Section 6. 348.07 (2) (gr) of the statutes is repealed.

SB422, s. 7 Section 7. 348.07 (2) (gv) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB422,4,3 348.07 (2) (gv) 53 feet for a semitrailer whose length from kingpin to axle does not exceed 43 feet and which is operated as part of a 2-vehicle combination on any part of the state trunk highway system, except as provided in par. (gr) or sub. (4m). The length limits in this paragraph do not apply to a trailer or a semitrailer that is authorized to operate under par. (im).

SB422, s. 8 Section 8. 348.07 (2) (h) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB422,4,5 348.07 (2) (h) 65 Sixty-six feet for articulated buses operated in urban areas.

SB422, s. 9 Section 9. 348.07 (2) (i) of the statutes is repealed.

SB422, s. 10 Section 10. 348.07 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB422,4,25 348.07 (4) The secretary shall, by rule, designate the highways to which sub. (2) (f), (fm), and (gm), and (gr) and s. 348.08 (1) (e) apply. The designation of highways under this subsection may not be inconsistent with the designation of highways made by the U.S. secretary of transportation under P.L. 97-424, section 411. The secretary may also designate additional highways by rule. In adopting a rule designating other highways, which may include 2-lane highways, the secretary shall specify the factors which resulted in the determination to designate the highways. These factors shall include, but are not limited to, safety, economics, energy savings, industry productivity and competition. Vehicles to which sub. (2) (f), (fm), and (gm), and (gr) and s. 348.08 (1) (e) apply may also operate on highways not designated under this subsection for a distance of 15 miles or less in order to obtain access to a highway designated under this subsection or to reach fuel, food, maintenance, repair, rest, staging, terminal or vehicle assembly facilities or points of loading or unloading. The secretary may, by rule, designate an access route of more than 15 miles from a highway designated under this subsection when the longer route provides safer and better access to a location which is within the 15-mile limit. Household goods carriers may operate between highways designated under this subsection and points of loading and unloading.

SB422, s. 11 Section 11. 348.07 (4m) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB422,5,12 348.07 (4m) The secretary shall, by rule, designate those parts of the state trunk highway system to which sub. (2) (fs) and (gv) do not apply. For each part of the state trunk highway system designated under this subsection, the secretary shall specify the factors that resulted in the determination to designate the part as not suitable to accommodate vehicle lengths as specified in sub. (2) (fs) and (gv). The secretary may, by rule, establish exceptions to the vehicle-combination length limitation specified in sub. (1), including establishing any greater or lesser length limitation than that specified in sub. (1), with respect to specific types of vehicles identified by the secretary or highways designated by the secretary, but the secretary may not establish under this subsection any length limitation inconsistent with sub. (2) or (2a) or s. 348.08 (1).

SB422, s. 12 Section 12. 348.08 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB422,5,17 348.08 (1) (a) Two or 3 vehicles may, without such permit, be drawn or attached when such vehicles are being transported by the drive-away method in saddlemount combination and the overall length of such combination of vehicles does not exceed 65 75 feet.

SB422, s. 13 Section 13. 348.25 (4) (intro.) of the statutes, as affected by 2011 Wisconsin Acts 56, 57 and 58, is amended to read:

SB422,5,24 348.25 (4) (intro.) Except as provided under s. 348.26 (4), (5), (6), or (7) or 348.27 (3), (3m), (4m), (9), (9m), (9r), (9t), (10), (12), (13), (15), or (16), or (18) permits shall be issued only for the transporting of a single article or vehicle which exceeds statutory size, weight or load limitations and which cannot reasonably be divided or reduced to comply with statutory size, weight or load limitations, except that:

SB422, s. 14 Section 14. 348.26 (5) of the statutes is repealed.

SB422, s. 15 Section 15. 348.27 (13) of the statutes is repealed.

SB422, s. 16 Section 16. 348.28 (1) of the statutes, as affected by 2011 Wisconsin Acts 55, 56 and 58, is amended to read:

SB422,6,5 348.28 (1) Permits issued under ss. 348.25, 348.26 and 348.27 and (16) shall be carried on the vehicle during operations so permitted.

SB422, s. 17 Section 17. Initial applicability.

SB422,6,8 (1) This act first applies to vehicles operated on the effective date of this subsection.

SB422, s. 18 Section 18. Effective date.

SB422,6,11 (1) This act takes effect on the first day of the 7th month beginning after publication.

SB422,6,12 (End)