La. Admin. Code tit. 70 § XXV-115

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024

Section XXV-115 - Crescent City Connection-Transit Lanes

A. Intent. It is the intent of this rule to efficiently maximize the use of the vehicular traffic lanes of the Crescent City Connection for the increased mobility of individuals and goods across the Mississippi River at New Orleans, to encourage and promote mass transit and transportation such as the use of carpools and other high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) use, while minimizing transportation-related fuel consumption and air pollution, and to provide for one-way reversible traffic flow on the transit lanes of the Crescent City Connection Bridge No. 2, and the establishment of the requirements for vehicles operating on the transit lanes.

B. Hours of Operation

1. The transit lanes of the Crescent City Connection Bridge No. 2 will be open for use by eligible vehicles in accordance with the control signals posted by the Crescent City Connection Division through the Crescent City Connection Police.

2. Generally, the transit lanes of the Crescent City Connection Bridge No. 2 will be open for use by eligible vehicles with the traffic proceeding to the Eastbank in the morning and with the traffic proceeding to the Westbank in the afternoon.

3. However, the directional traffic flow of the transit lanes may be reconfigured by the Crescent City Connection Division in its sole discretion at such times and in such directions in order to protect the public safety during emergencies and to accommodate the public interest during special events.

C. Ineligible Vehicles. The objective of the transit lanes is to provide a free flowing facility for mass transit, high occupancy vehicles, and other eligible vehicles. Accordingly, the following vehicles are prohibited from using the transit lanes during the hours of operation even though they may satisfy the vehicle occupancy requirements:

1. trucks with more than two axles or having a gross weight capacity of 1 ton or more;

2. vehicles towing trailers;

3. parades;

4. funeral processions;

5. pedestrians;

6. bicycles; and

7. non-motorized vehicles.

D. Eligible Vehicles. The following vehicles are eligible to use the transit lanes during the hours of operation:

1. all public mass transit vehicles, including Regional Transit Authority buses and Jefferson Transit System buses, properly displaying a valid toll tag issued by the Crescent City Connection Division ("Public Mass Transit Vehicles");

2. school buses properly displaying a valid toll tag issued by the Crescent City Connection Division ("School Buses");

3. commercial passenger vehicles manufactured to carry seven or more passengers and properly displaying a valid toll tag issued by the Crescent City Connection Division ("HOV-7");

4. other motor vehicles carrying more than a specified number of persons and properly displaying a valid toll tag issued by the Crescent City Connection Division ("HOV-2");

5. motorcycles properly displaying a valid toll tag issued by the Crescent City Connection Division ("Authorized Motorcycles"); and

6. any vehicle certified as an Inherently Low-Emission Vehicle pursuant to Title 40, Code of Federal Regulations, and labeled in accordance with Section 88. 312-93(c) of such Title, and properly displaying a valid toll tag issued by the Crescent City Connection Division ("ILEV").

E. Vehicle Occupancy Requirements. The minimum occupancy requirement for vehicles designated as HOV-2 shall be two or more persons during all hours of operation. The minimum occupancy requirement for vehicles designated as HOV-7 shall continue to be seven or more persons during all hours of operation. There are no minimum occupancy requirement for vehicles designated as authorized motorcycles or for vehicles designated as ILEV during all hours of operation.

F. Qualifications

1. Eligible vehicles must be prequalified to use the transit lanes as follows.

a. Public Mass Transit Vehicles. All public mass transit vehicles properly displaying a valid toll tag issued by the Crescent City Connection Division shall continue to be pre-qualified to access the transit lanes toll-free during the hours of operation.

i. Upon the written application of the chief administrative officer of the Regional Transit Authority and/or the Jefferson Transit System, and upon payment of the required deposit, the Crescent City Connection Division shall issue the number of automatic vehicular identification toll tags requested for use in connection with the use of the transit lanes by public mass transit vehicles.

ii. A refundable deposit of $25 shall be charged for the issuance of each tag.

iii. Toll tags issued for public mass transit vehicles shall expire annually and shall be renewed upon advance application by the chief executive or administrative officer of the regional transit authority and the Jefferson Transit System, as the case may be, attesting to the use of outstanding tags exclusively by public mass transit vehicles.

iv. It is incumbent upon the chief executive or administrative officer of the regional transit authority and the Jefferson Transit System, as the case may be, to promptly report lost toll tags to the Crescent City Connection Division.

v. The use of the automatic vehicular identification toll tags provided to the regional transit authority and the Jefferson Transit System shall be limited to crossings made by public mass transit vehicles. The regional transit authority and the Jefferson Transit System, as the case may be, each shall be responsible for any crossing made using the automatic vehicular identification toll tag outside the scope of this regulation.

b. School Buses. All school buses properly displaying a valid toll tag issued by the Crescent City Connection Division shall continue to be authorized to access the transit lanes toll-free during the hours of operation.

i. Upon the written application of an official school system's transportation coordinator and/or bus drivers who privately own their clearly marked school buses, and upon payment of the required deposit, the Crescent City Connection Division shall issue the number of automatic vehicular identification toll tags requested for use in connection with the use of the transit lanes by school buses. Bus drivers who privately own their clearly marked school buses must attach to their signed application an original letter from the school system they serve certifying that their bus services such school system.

ii. A refundable deposit of $25 dollars shall be charged for the issuance of each tag.

iii. Toll tags issued for school buses shall expire annually and shall be renewed upon advance application by the official school system's transportation coordinator or bus drivers who privately own their clearly marked school buses, as the case may be, attesting to the use of outstanding tags exclusively by school buses.

iv. It is incumbent upon the official school system's transportation coordinator and bus drivers who privately own their clearly marked school buses, as the case may be, to promptly report lost toll tags to the Crescent City Connection Division.

v. The use of the automatic vehicular identification toll tags provided to for school buses shall be limited to crossings made by school buses. Official school systems and bus drivers who privately own their clearly marked school buses, as the case may be, each shall be responsible for any crossing made using the automatic vehicular identification toll tag outside the scope of this regulation.

vi. Official school systems for purposes of this regulation are parish public school systems, private schools, and parochial schools operating in Louisiana.

c. HOV-7+. Eligible vehicles meeting the minimum occupancy requirement of seven or more persons and displaying a valid toll tag issued by the Crescent City Connection Division shall continue to be authorized to access the transit lanes toll-free during the hours of operation.

i. Upon the written application of the owner or operator of a commercial passenger vehicle manufactured to carry seven or more passengers, and upon payment of the required deposit, the Crescent City Connection Division shall issue an automatic vehicular identification toll tag requested for use in connection with the use of the transit lanes by an HOV-7 vehicle.

ii. A refundable deposit of $25 shall be charged for the issuance of each tag.

iii. Toll tags issued for HOV-7 vehicles shall expire annually and shall be renewed upon advance application of the owner or operator, attesting to the use of outstanding tags exclusively by HOV-7 vehicles.

iv. It is incumbent upon the owner and the operator of HOV-7 vehicles to promptly report lost toll tags to the Crescent City Connection Division.

v. The use of the automatic vehicular identification toll tags provided to for HOV-7 vehicles shall be limited to crossings made by eligible vehicles meeting the minimum occupancy requirements of seven or more persons. Registered owners of HOV-7 vehicles shall be responsible for any crossing made using the automatic vehicular identification toll tag outside the scope of this regulation.

d. HOV-2+. Eligible vehicles meeting the minimum occupancy requirement of two or more persons and displaying a valid toll tag issued by the Crescent City Connection Division.

e. Authorized Motorcycles. Motorcycles displaying a valid toll tag issued by the Crescent City Connection Division.

f. ILEV. Any vehicle certified as an Inherently Low-Emission Vehicle pursuant to Title 40, Code of Federal Regulations, and labeled in accordance with, Section 88. 312-93(c) of such title, and properly displaying a valid toll tag issued by the Crescent City Connection Division.

2. Toll tags on public mass transit vehicles, school buses, HOV-7 vehicles, HOV-2 vehicles, authorized motorcycles, and ILEV's must be conspicuously mounted and displayed in accordance with the instructions of the Crescent City Connection Division at all times while operating on the transit lanes.

G. Enforcement. During all hours of operation, the Crescent Connection police shall supervise and actively control access to the transit lanes, and enforce vehicle eligibility, minimum occupancy requirements and toll tag display.

La. Admin. Code tit. 70, § XXV-115

Promulgated by the Department of Transportation and Development, Office of the Secretary, Division of Crescent City Connection LR 24:960 (May 1998), amended LR 25:1654 (September 1999), LR 28:876 (April 2002).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 48:25 et seq., and R.S. 48:1101.2.