Bill 79 2013

An Act to amend the Public Transportation and Highway Improvement Act

Note: This Act amends the Public Transportation and Highway Improvement Act.  For the legislative history of the Act, see the Table of Consolidated Public Statutes – Detailed Legislative History at www.e-Laws.gov.on.ca.

Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

   1.  The Public Transportation and Highway Improvement Act is amended by adding the following section:

Construction of paved shoulders

Application

   26.0.1  (1)  This section applies to the portions of the King's Highway prescribed by the regulations for the purposes of this section.

Duty to construct

   (2)  If a prescribed portion of the King's Highway does not have a paved shoulder, the Minister shall construct a paved shoulder on that portion when there is a significant undertaking to repave or resurface that portion.

Width of paved shoulder

   (3)  A paved shoulder must be at least one metre wide.

Exception

   (4)  The Minister is not required to construct a paved shoulder where it would be impracticable to do so.

Warning sign

   (5)  The beginning of a paved shoulder must be marked with a ground mounted sign that warns drivers to watch for pedestrians and cyclists and to be prepared to share the road with them.

Regulations

   (6)  The Minister may make regulations prescribing portions of the King's Highway for the purposes of this section.

Same

   (7)  If no regulations have been made under subsection (6) within one year after the day the Public Transportation and Highway Improvement Amendment Act, 2013 receives Royal Assent, the Minister shall table a report in the Legislative Assembly that provides,

  (a)  reasons why such regulations have not been made; and

  (b)  a description of the progress that the Minister has made in identifying the portions of the King's Highway to be prescribed by such regulations.

Commencement

   2.  This Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.

Short title

   3.  The short title of this Act is the Public Transportation and Highway Improvement Amendment Act, 2013.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Bill amends the Public Transportation and Highway Improvement Act to require the Minister of Transportation to construct paved shoulders on prescribed portions of the King's Highway.

The Minister is required to construct paved shoulders on prescribed portions of the King's Highway when there is a significant undertaking to repave or resurface that portion. However, the Minister is not required to construct a paved shoulder where doing so would be impracticable. These paved shoulders must be at least one metre wide and must be marked with a sign warning drivers to watch out for and share the road with pedestrians and cyclists.

If the Minister has not made any regulations prescribing portions of the King's Highway within one year after this Bill receives Royal Assent, the Minister must table a report in the Legislative Assembly that provides reasons why such regulations have not been made and that describes the progress that has been made in identifying the portions that will be prescribed.