1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to transportation; authorizing commissioner 
  1.3             to establish seasonal highway zones to allow operation 
  1.4             of overweight vehicles; allowing vehicles weighing up 
  1.5             to 100,000 pounds to travel on nine-ton roads in 
  1.6             winter; regulating gross weights on vehicles and 
  1.7             combinations hauling raw or unfinished farm or forest 
  1.8             products under certain circumstances; amending 
  1.9             Minnesota Statutes 2002, sections 169.826, 
  1.10            subdivisions 1, 3; 169.86, subdivision 5; proposing 
  1.11            coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 169; 
  1.12            repealing Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 169.826, 
  1.13            subdivision 6. 
  1.14  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.15     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 169.826, 
  1.16  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  1.17     Subdivision 1.  [INCREASE AMOUNTS.] The limitations 
  1.18  provided in sections 169.822 to 169.829 are increased:  
  1.19     (1) by ~~ten~~ 25 percent between the dates set by the 
  1.20  commissioner for each zone established by the commissioner based 
  1.21  on a freezing index model each winter, statewide; and 
  1.22     (2) ~~by ten percent between the dates set by the~~ 
  1.23  ~~commissioner based on a freezing index model each winter, in the~~ 
  1.24  ~~zone bounded as follows:  beginning at Pigeon River in the~~ 
  1.25  ~~northeast corner of Minnesota; thence in a southwesterly~~ 
  1.26  ~~direction along the north shore of Lake Superior to the~~ 
  1.27  ~~northeastern city limits of Duluth; thence along the eastern and~~ 
  1.28  ~~southern city limits of Duluth to the junction with trunk~~ 
  1.29  ~~highway No. 210; thence westerly along trunk highway No. 210 to~~ 
  2.1   ~~the junction with trunk highway No. 10; thence northwesterly~~ 
  2.2   ~~along trunk highway No. 10 to the Minnesota-North Dakota border;~~ 
  2.3   ~~thence northerly along that border to the Minnesota-Canadian~~ 
  2.4   ~~Border; thence easterly along said Border to Lake Superior; and~~ 
  2.5      ~~(3)~~ by ten percent from the beginning of harvest to 
  2.6   November 30 each year for the movement of sugar beets, carrots, 
  2.7   and potatoes from the field of harvest to the point of the first 
  2.8   unloading.  Transfer of the product from a farm vehicle or small 
  2.9   farm trailer, within the meaning of chapter 168, to another 
  2.10  vehicle is not considered to be the first unloading.  The 
  2.11  commissioner shall not issue permits under this clause if to do 
  2.12  so will result in a loss of federal highway funding to the state.
  2.13     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 169.826, 
  2.14  subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
  2.15     Subd. 3.  [EXCESS WEIGHT PERMIT.] When the ~~ten~~ 25 percent 
  2.16  increase is in effect, a permit is required for a motor vehicle, 
  2.17  trailer, or semitrailer combination that has a gross weight in 
  2.18  excess of 80,000 pounds, an axle group weight in excess of that 
  2.19  prescribed in section 169.824, or a single axle weight in excess 
  2.20  of 20,000 pounds and which travels on interstate routes.  
  2.21     Sec. 3.  [169.8261] [GROSS WEIGHT LIMITATIONS; FARM AND 
  2.22  FOREST PRODUCTS.] 
  2.23     A vehicle or combination of vehicles hauling raw or 
  2.24  unfinished farm or forest products by the most direct route from 
  2.25  the place of production or on-farm storage site to the nearest 
  2.26  highway that has been designated under section 169.832, 
  2.27  subdivision 11, may be operated on any highway with gross 
  2.28  weights permitted under sections 169.822 to 169.829 without 
  2.29  regard to load restrictions imposed on that highway, except for: 
  2.30     (1) seasonal load restrictions in effect between the dates 
  2.31  set by the commissioner under section 169.87, subdivision 2; and 
  2.32     (2) bridge load limits posted under section 169.84. 
  2.33     Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 169.86, 
  2.34  subdivision 5, is amended to read: 
  2.35     Subd. 5.  [FEE; PROCEEDS TO TRUNK HIGHWAY FUND.] The 
  2.36  commissioner, with respect to highways under the commissioner's 
  3.1   jurisdiction, may charge a fee for each permit issued.  All such 
  3.2   fees for permits issued by the commissioner of transportation 
  3.3   shall be deposited in the state treasury and credited to the 
  3.4   trunk highway fund.  Except for those annual permits for which 
  3.5   the permit fees are specified elsewhere in this chapter, the 
  3.6   fees shall be: 
  3.7      (a) $15 for each single trip permit. 
  3.8      (b) $36 for each job permit.  A job permit may be issued 
  3.9   for like loads carried on a specific route for a period not to 
  3.10  exceed two months.  "Like loads" means loads of the same 
  3.11  product, weight, and dimension. 
  3.12     (c) $60 for an annual permit to be issued for a period not 
  3.13  to exceed 12 consecutive months.  Annual permits may be issued 
  3.14  for: 
  3.15     (1) motor vehicles used to alleviate a temporary crisis 
  3.16  adversely affecting the safety or well-being of the public; 
  3.17     (2) motor vehicles which travel on interstate highways and 
  3.18  carry loads authorized under subdivision 1a; 
  3.19     (3) motor vehicles operating with gross weights authorized 
  3.20  under section 169.826, subdivision 1, clause ~~(3)~~ (2); 
  3.21     (4) special pulpwood vehicles described in section 169.863; 
  3.22     (5) motor vehicles bearing snowplow blades not exceeding 
  3.23  ten feet in width; and 
  3.24     (6) noncommercial transportation of a boat by the owner or 
  3.25  user of the boat. 
  3.26     (d) $120 for an oversize annual permit to be issued for a 
  3.27  period not to exceed 12 consecutive months.  Annual permits may 
  3.28  be issued for:  
  3.29     (1) mobile cranes; 
  3.30     (2) construction equipment, machinery, and supplies; 
  3.31     (3) manufactured homes; 
  3.32     (4) implements of husbandry when the movement is not made 
  3.33  according to the provisions of paragraph (i); 
  3.34     (5) double-deck buses; 
  3.35     (6) commercial boat hauling.  
  3.36     (e) For vehicles which have axle weights exceeding the 
  4.1   weight limitations of sections 169.822 to 169.829, an additional 
  4.2   cost added to the fees listed above.  However, this paragraph 
  4.3   applies to any vehicle described in section 168.013, subdivision 
  4.4   3, paragraph (b), but only when the vehicle exceeds its gross 
  4.5   weight allowance set forth in that paragraph, and then the 
  4.6   additional cost is for all weight, including the allowance 
  4.7   weight, in excess of the permitted maximum axle weight.  The 
  4.8   additional cost is equal to the product of the distance traveled 
  4.9   times the sum of the overweight axle group cost factors shown in 
  4.10  the following chart:  
  4.11                 Overweight Axle Group Cost Factors 
  4.12  Weight (pounds)         Cost Per Mile For Each Group Of:
  4.13  exceeding       Two consec-     Three consec-   Four consec-
  4.14  weight          utive axles     utive axles     utive axles
  4.15  limitations     spaced within   spaced within   spaced within
  4.16  on axles        8 feet or less  9 feet or less  14 feet or less 
  4.17       0-2,000    .12             .05             .04
  4.18   2,001-4,000    .14             .06             .05
  4.19   4,001-6,000    .18             .07             .06
  4.20   6,001-8,000    .21             .09             .07
  4.21   8,001-10,000   .26             .10             .08
  4.22  10,001-12,000   .30             .12             .09
  4.23  12,001-14,000   Not permitted   .14             .11
  4.24  14,001-16,000   Not permitted   .17             .12
  4.25  16,001-18,000   Not permitted   .19             .15
  4.26  18,001-20,000   Not permitted   Not permitted   .16
  4.27  20,001-22,000   Not permitted   Not permitted   .20
  4.28  The amounts added are rounded to the nearest cent for each axle 
  4.29  or axle group.  The additional cost does not apply to paragraph 
  4.30  (c), clauses (1) and (3).  
  4.31  For a vehicle found to exceed the appropriate maximum permitted 
  4.32  weight, a cost-per-mile fee of 22 cents per ton, or fraction of 
  4.33  a ton, over the permitted maximum weight is imposed in addition 
  4.34  to the normal permit fee.  Miles must be calculated based on the 
  4.35  distance already traveled in the state plus the distance from 
  4.36  the point of detection to a transportation loading site or 
  5.1   unloading site within the state or to the point of exit from the 
  5.2   state. 
  5.3      (f) As an alternative to paragraph (e), an annual permit 
  5.4   may be issued for overweight, or oversize and overweight, 
  5.5   construction equipment, machinery, and supplies.  The fees for 
  5.6   the permit are as follows:  
  5.7   Gross Weight (pounds) of Vehicle          Annual Permit Fee
  5.8        90,000 or less                             $200
  5.9        90,001 - 100,000                           $300
  5.10      100,001 - 110,000                           $400
  5.11      110,001 - 120,000                           $500
  5.12      120,001 - 130,000                           $600
  5.13      130,001 - 140,000                           $700
  5.14      140,001 - 145,000                           $800
  5.15  If the gross weight of the vehicle is more than 145,000 pounds 
  5.16  the permit fee is determined under paragraph (e). 
  5.17     (g) For vehicles which exceed the width limitations set 
  5.18  forth in section 169.80 by more than 72 inches, an additional 
  5.19  cost equal to $120 added to the amount in paragraph (a) when the 
  5.20  permit is issued while seasonal load restrictions pursuant to 
  5.21  section 169.87 are in effect. 
  5.22     (h) $85 for an annual permit to be issued for a period not 
  5.23  to exceed 12 months, for refuse-compactor vehicles that carry a 
  5.24  gross weight of not more than:  22,000 pounds on a single rear 
  5.25  axle; 38,000 pounds on a tandem rear axle; or, subject to 
  5.26  section 169.828, subdivision 2, 46,000 pounds on a tridem rear 
  5.27  axle.  A permit issued for up to 46,000 pounds on a tridem rear 
  5.28  axle must limit the gross vehicle weight to not more than 62,000 
  5.29  pounds. 
  5.30     (i) For vehicles exclusively transporting implements of 
  5.31  husbandry, an annual permit fee of $24.  A vehicle operated 
  5.32  under a permit authorized by this paragraph may be moved at the 
  5.33  discretion of the permit holder without prior route approval by 
  5.34  the commissioner if: 
  5.35     (1) the total width of the transporting vehicle, including 
  5.36  load, does not exceed 14 feet; 
  6.1      (2) the vehicle is operated only between sunrise and 30 
  6.2   minutes after sunset, and is not operated at any time after 
  6.3   12:00 noon on Sundays or holidays; 
  6.4      (3) the vehicle is not operated when visibility is impaired 
  6.5   by weather, fog, or other conditions that render persons and 
  6.6   other vehicles not clearly visible at 500 feet; 
  6.7      (4) the vehicle displays at the front and rear of the load 
  6.8   or vehicle a pair of flashing amber lights, as provided in 
  6.9   section 169.59, subdivision 4, whenever the overall width of the 
  6.10  vehicle exceeds 126 inches; and 
  6.11     (5) the vehicle is not operated on a trunk highway with a 
  6.12  surfaced roadway width of less than 24 feet unless such 
  6.13  operation is authorized by the permit. 
  6.14  A permit under this paragraph authorizes movements of the 
  6.15  permitted vehicle on an interstate highway, and movements of 75 
  6.16  miles or more on other highways. 
  6.17     Sec. 5.  [REPEALER.] 
  6.18     Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 169.826, subdivision 6, is 
  6.19  repealed.