Bill > A3637

Introduced Session

This bill requires public school districts to provide transportation services to public and nonpublic school students who live along a hazardous route. The bill stipulates that the district will be entitled to State aid in an amount equal to 100% of the cost of providing such transportation. Under the bill's provisions, the Commissioner of Transportation, in consultation with the Commissioner of Education, will develop three definitions of "hazardous route" for the purposes of this transportation requirement. The definitions will differentiate between urban, suburban, and rural routes. In developing the definitions, the commissioners will consider the following criteria: population density; traffic volume; average vehicle velocity; existence or absence of sufficient sidewalk space; roads and highways that are winding or have blind curves; roads and highways with steep inclines and declines; drop-offs that are in close proximity to a sidewalk; bridges or overpasses that must be crossed to reach the school; train tracks or trestles that must be crossed to reach school; and busy roads or highways that must be crossed to reach school. The Commissioner of Transportation, in consultation with the local police department, will designate hazardous routes in the State using the established definitions. The Commissioner of Transportation will then notify the Commissioner of Education of the designated routes. The Commissioner of Transportation will also conduct an annual review to determine whether the designated routes continue to need the hazardous designation, and will notify the Commissioner of Education if a determination is made to discontinue a hazardous route designation. Finally, the bill provides that when the Commissioner of Transportation determines discretionary aid from the New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund, he must give highest priority to projects intended to remedy conditions on the designated hazardous routes. The bill amends and repeals sections of a prior law which had authorized school districts to adopt a list of hazardous routes in the district requiring courtesy busing services.

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Erik Peterson (R)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee (on 03/16/2020)