Explanation
1. BACKGROUND
The purpose of this legislation is to amend the Columbus City Codes to allow the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) to legally operate articulated buses within the city of Columbus. City Codes presently do not contemplate articulated bus vehicles.
COTA has begun increasing service by approximately 10% per year to meet regional transit service needs. COTA's current Short Range Transit Plan includes increasing service frequency on local routes, operating service longer in the day, and extending service into currently unserved areas. Unfortunately, overcrowding on main local routes has required that most service expansion focus upon providing relief to these routes. This has severely limited COTA's ability to expand service to new areas. The acquisition of articulated buses will provide relief to overcrowded buses and facilitate assignment of other buses to service expansion.
COTA currently operates a fleet of 275 buses ranging from 30 to 40 feet in length. Most of the buses are 40 feet, with a seating capacity of 39. Earlier this year, COTA presented to the Transportation Advisory Committee of the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission a proposal to purchase 6 articulated buses. These buses are typically 60 feet in length, with a seating capacity of 57 passengers. The first of the articulated buses would generally operate on Line No. 1 (the Cleveland/Livingston Avenue route), although they may also be tested on several other routes. The planned procurement would be for hybrid-electric buses, which have better fuel economy than regular 40 foot diesel buses. The articulated buses would improve driver productivity and decrease the amount of fuel used per passenger.
Columbus City Code Chapter 2139 presently restricts COTA's ability to operate articulated buses within the city. The Code limits the length of a passenger bus vehicle operated exclusively within municipal corporation limits to 48 feet, and 40 feet for all other passenger type bus vehicles. COTA is requesting the City to add a provision to Columbus City Code allowing COTA to operate articulated buses.
2. FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no cost to the city of Columbus at this time.
Title
To amend Sections 2139.01 and 2139.05 of the Columbus City Code 1959, to allow articulated buses to be operated within the City of Columbus. (AMENDED BY ORD. 0667-2009 PASSED 5/18/2009)
Body
WHEREAS, the city of Columbus recognizes the need for mass transit serving the needs of its residents, to provide affordable, alternative transportation needs; and
WHEREAS, Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) has begun increasing service by approximately 10% per year to meet regional transit service needs; and
WHEREAS, the acquisition of articulated buses will provide relief to overcrowded buses and facilitate assignment of other buses to service expansion; and
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus supports the evaluation and potential wide use of larger bus passenger vehicles, to reduce fuel dependency and encourage fewer cars on the roads; and
WHEREAS, on November 13, 2008, the Transportation & Pedestrian Commission voted in favor of encouraging Columbus City Council to amend Columbus City Codes to allow COTA to evaluate and use articulated bus passenger vehicles within the city of Columbus; now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
Section 1. That Section 2139.01 of the Columbus City Codes, 1959, is hereby amended to read as follows:
2139.01 Definitions.
No vehicle shall be operated upon the public highways, streets, bridges, and culverts within the city, whose dimensions exceed those specified in this section.
(a) As used in Chapter 2139:
(1) "Axle" means one or more load-carrying wheels mounted in a single transverse vertical plane.
(2) "Spacing between axles" means the distance between any two (2) successive such planes.
(3) "Maximum axle load" means the gross weight of vehicle and load imposed by any axle upon the road surface.
(4) "Maximum wheel load" means the proportionate gross weight of vehicle and load imposed by any wheel upon the road surface.
(5) "Automobile transporter" means any vehicle combination designed and used expressly for the transport of assembled motor vehicles.
(6) "Stinger-steered automobile transporter" means any automobile transporter configured as a semitrailer combination in which the fifth wheel is located on a drop frame located behind and below the rearmost axle of the power unit.
(7) "Boat transporter" means any vehicle combination, including a straight truck towing a trailer typically using a ball and socket connection, designed and used specifically for the transport of boat hulls and boats, whether the hulls or boats are assembled or partially disassembled to facilitate transportation.
(8) "Stinger-steered boat transporter" means a boat transporter configured as a semitrailer combination in which the fifth wheel is located on a drop frame located behind and below the rearmost axle of the power unit.
(9) "Assembled" means, in regard to motor vehicles, capable of being driven.
(10) "B-train assembly" means any rigid frame extension that is attached to the rear frame of one (1) semitrailer and provides a fifth wheel connection point for a second semitrailer.
(11) "Saddlemount vehicle transporter combination" means any combination of vehicle in which a straight truck or commercial tractor tows one (1) or more straight trucks or commercial tractors, each connected by a saddle to the frame or fifth wheel of the straight truck or commercial tractor in front of it. Such a combination may include a fullmount, in which a smaller vehicle is mounted completely on the frame of either the first or last straight truck or commercial tractor in the saddlemount combination.
(12) "Articulated passenger bus type vehicle" means an articulated bus is a transit vehicle with three axles supporting two connected passenger compartments that are connected by a joint that allows the bus to bend when making turns.
(b) "Vehicle" as used in Chapter 2139, means any single vehicle when not in combination, or any combination of vehicles as defined in Section 4501.01 of the Ohio Revised Code. (ORC 5577.01)
Section 2. That Section 2139.05 of the Columbus City Codes, 1959, is hereby amended to read as follows:
2139.05 Maximum width, height and length.
No vehicle shall be operated upon the public highways, streets, bridges, and culverts within the city, whose dimensions exceed those specified in this section.
(a) No such vehicle shall have a width in excess of:
(1) One hundred four (104) inches for passenger bus type vehicles operated exclusively within municipal corporations;
(2) One hundred two (102) inches, excluding such safety devices as are required by law, for passenger bus type vehicles operated over freeways, and such other State roads with minimum pavement widths of twenty-two (22) feet, except those roads or portions thereof over which operation of one hundred two (102)-inch buses is prohibited by order of the Ohio Director of Transportation;
(3) One hundred thirty-two (132) inches for traction engines;
(4) One hundred two (102) inches for recreational vehicles, excluding safety devices and retracted awnings and other appurtenances of six (6) inches or less in width and except that the Ohio Director of Transportation may prohibit the operation of one hundred two (102) inch recreational vehicles on designated state highways or portions of highways;
(5) One hundred two (102) inches, including load, for all other vehicles, except that the Ohio Director of Transportation may prohibit the operation of one hundred two (102) inch vehicles on such State highways or portions thereof as the Director designates.
(b) No such vehicle shall have a length in excess of:
(1) Forty-eight (48) feet for passenger bus type vehicles operated exclusively within municipal corporations;
(2) Sixty-six (66) Forty (40) feet for articulated all other passenger bus type vehicles;
(3) Fifty-three (53) feet for any semitrailer when operated in a commercial tractor-semitrailer combination, with or without load, except that the Ohio Director of Transportation may prohibit the operation of any such commercial tractor-semitrailer combination on such state highways or portions thereof as the Director designates;
(4) Twenty-eight (28) and one-half (1/2) feet for any semitrailer or trailer when operated in a commercial tractor-semitrailer-trailer or commercial tractor-semitrailer-semitrailer combination, except that the Ohio Director of Transportation may prohibit the operation of any such commercial tractor-semitrailer-trailer or commercial tractor-semitrailer-semitrailer combination on such state highways or portions thereof as the Director designates;
(5) Seventy-five (75) feet for drive-away saddlemount vehicle transporter combinations and drive-away saddlemount with fullmount vehicle transporter combinations, not to exceed three (3) saddlemounted vehicles, but which may include one (1) fullmount;
(6) Sixty-five (65) feet for any other combination of vehicles coupled together, with or without load, except as provided in divisions (b)(3) and (4), and in division (d) of this section;
(7) Forty-five (45) feet for recreational vehicles;
(8) Forty (40) feet for all other vehicles except trailers and semitrailers, with or without load.
(c) No such vehicle shall have a height in excess of thirteen (13) feet six (6) inches, with or without load.
(d) Any automobile transporter or boat transporter shall be allowed a length of sixty-five (65) feet and any stinger-steered automobile transporter or stinger-steered boat transporter shall be allowed a length of seventy-five (75) feet, except that the load thereon may extend no more than four (4) feet beyond the rear of such vehicles and may extend no more than three (3) feet beyond the front of such vehicles, and except further that the Ohio Director of Transportation may prohibit the operation of any stinger-steered automobile transporter, stinger-steered boat transporter, or a b-train assembly on any state highway or portion thereof that the Director designates.
The width prescribed in division (a)(5) of this section shall not include automatic covering devices used by a vehicle hauling solid waste.
The lengths prescribed in divisions (b)(2) to (7) of this section shall not include safety devices, bumpers attached to the front or rear of such bus or combination, b-train assembly used between the first and second semitrailer of a commercial tractor-semitrailer-semitrailer combination, energy conservation devices as provided in any regulations adopted by the Secretary of the United States Department of Transportation, or any noncargo-carrying refrigeration equipment attached to the front of trailers and semitrailers. In special cases, vehicles whose dimensions exceed those prescribed by this section may operate in accordance with rules promulgated by the Ohio Director of Transportation.
(e) This section does not apply to fire engines, fire trucks or other vehicles or apparatus belonging to any municipal corporation or to the volunteer fire department of any municipal corporation or used by such department in the discharge of its functions. This section does not apply to vehicles and pole trailers used in the transportation of wooden and metal poles, nor to the transportation of pipes or well-drilling equipment, nor to farm machinery and equipment. The owner or operator of any vehicle, machinery, or equipment not specifically enumerated in this section but the dimensions of which exceed the dimensions provided by this section, when operating the same on the highways and streets of this State, shall comply with the rules of the Ohio Director of Transportation governing such movement, which rules the Director may adopt.
This section does not require the State, a municipal corporation, county, township or any railroad or other private corporation to provide sufficient vertical clearance to permit the operation of such vehicle, or to make any changes in or about existing structures now crossing streets, roads, and other public thoroughfares in this City.
(f) As used in this section, "recreational vehicle" has the same meaning as in Section 4501.01 of the Ohio Revised Code.
Section 2. This ordinance shall take effect and be in force from and after the earliest period allowed by law.