§ 14-298 — Office of the State Traffic Administration.

Connecticut § 14-298

• Jurisdiction: Connecticut
• Title 14: Motor Vehicles. Use of the Highway By Vehicles. Gasoline
• Ch. 249: Traffic Control and Highway Safety

Text

There shall be within the Department of Transportation the Office of the State Traffic Administration, which shall constitute a successor to the State Traffic Commission, in accordance with the provisions of sections 4-38d, 4-38e and 4-39. For the purpose of standardization and uniformity, said office shall adopt and cause to be printed for publication regulations establishing a uniform system of traffic control signals, devices, signs and markings consistent with the provisions of this chapter for use upon the public highways. The Commissioner of Transportation shall make known to the General Assembly the availability of such regulations and any requesting member shall be sent a written copy or electronic storage media of such regulations by said commissioner. Taking into consideration the public safety and convenience with respect to the width and character of the highways and roads affected, the density of traffic thereon and the character of such traffic, said office shall also adopt regulations, in cooperation and agreement with local traffic authorities, governing the use of state highways and roads on state-owned properties, and the operation of vehicles, including, but not limited to, motor vehicles, bicycles, as defined in section 14-286, electric bicycles and electric foot scooters thereon. A list of limited-access highways shall be published with such regulations and said list shall be revised and published once each year. The Commissioner of Transportation shall make known to the General Assembly the availability of such regulations and list and any requesting member shall be sent a written copy or electronic storage media of such regulations and list by the commissioner. A list of limited-access highways opened to traffic by the Commissioner of Transportation in the interim period between publications shall be maintained in the Office of the State Traffic Administration and such regulations shall apply to the use of such listed highways. Said office shall also make regulations, in cooperation and agreement with local traffic authorities, respecting the use by through truck traffic of streets and highways within the limits of, and under the jurisdiction of, any city, town or borough of this state for the protection and safety of the public. If said office determines that the prohibition of through truck traffic on any street or highway is necessary because of an immediate and imminent threat to the public health and safety and the local traffic authority is precluded for any reason from acting on such prohibition, the office, if it is not otherwise precluded from so acting, may impose such prohibition. Said office may place and maintain traffic control signals, signs, markings and other safety devices, which it deems to be in the interests of public safety, upon such highways as come within the jurisdiction of said office as set forth in section 14-297. The traffic authority of any city, town or borough may place and maintain traffic control signals, signs, markings and other safety devices upon the highways under its jurisdiction, and all such signals, devices, signs and markings shall conform to the regulations established by said office in accordance with this chapter, and such traffic authority shall, with respect to traffic control signals, conform to the provisions of section 14-299. See Sec. 7-136i re preliminary review of municipal petitions, applications or permit requests.

Legislative History

(1949 Rev., S. 2517; 1957, P.A. 331, S. 1; 1967, P.A. 685, S. 1; 1969, P.A. 768, S. 151; P.A. 77-375, S. 6; 77-614, S. 558, 610; P.A. 78-303, S. 11, 136; P.A. 84-429, S. 67; P.A. 88-242, S. 1, 2; P.A. 98-222, S. 6; P.A. 11-51, S. 134; Oct. Sp. Sess. P.A. 11-1, S. 7; P.A. 12-132, S. 1; P.A. 18-165, S. 17; P.A. 19-162, S. 17.) History: 1967 act added provisions re regulations governing use of state highways and roads on state-owned properties and re list of limited access highways; 1969 act replaced highway commissioner with commissioner of transportation; P.A. 77-375 added reference to role of local traffic authorities in adoption of regulations and specifically referred to regulations re operation of vehicles “not limited to motor vehicles” and of bicycles; P.A. 77-614 placed state traffic commission in department of transportation and changed membership to include commissioner of public safety rather than commissioner of motor vehicles, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 78-303 restored membership of commissioner of motor vehicles and deleted reference to no longer existing commissioner of state police; P.A. 84-429 made technical changes for statutory consistency; P.A. 88-242 added provisions authorizing the state traffic commission to prohibit through truck traffic in certain cases involving an immediate and imminent threat to public health and safety; P.A. 98-222 added a requirement that the commissioner notify the General Assembly that the regulations establishing a uniform system of traffic control signals and the list of limited-access highways are available upon request in a written format or as electronic storage; pursuant to P.A. 11-51, “Commissioner of Public Safety” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection”, effective July 1, 2011; Oct. Sp. Sess. P.A. 11-1 added provision making Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, or his or her designee, a member of commission when commission discusses and votes on any matter re an economic development project, and made technical changes, effective October 27, 2011; P.A. 12-132 replaced provisions re State Traffic Commission with provisions re Office of the State Traffic Administration, effective July 1, 2012; P.A. 18-165 added “and electric bicycles” re operation of vehicles on state highways and roads on state-owned properties and made technical changes; P.A. 19-162 deleted reference to Sec. 14-1 and added “and electric foot scooters” re operation of vehicles on state highways and roads on state-owned properties. Court may take judicial notice of State Traffic Commission regulations. 133 C. 453. Cited. 134 C. 636; 181 C. 114. Uniform Administrative Procedure Act not applicable to regulations under statute which are not of general applicability; distinction between regulations within and without the purview of that act discussed. 183 C. 313. Legislature reserved to State Traffic Commission the ultimate authority to regulate through truck traffic. 203 C. 267. Cited. 28 CA 283. Cited. 4 Conn. Cir. Ct. 104.