House Bill 4382
Sponsor: Rep. Lynne Martinez
Committee: Transportation
Complete to 3-16-99
A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILL 4382 AS INTRODUCED 3-9-99
Currently the act authorizing the Uniform Traffic Code requires that a sign designating a parking space for disabled persons be 12 inches by 18 inches or larger, and be either blue or white and at a minimum contain the international handicapped symbol in contrasting colors of either blue or white in the center of the sign. House Bill 4382 would amend the act to make permissive the color and design requirements. The bill would not alter the size requirement. In addition, the bill would specify that signs erected in compliance with R 408.30427 of the Michigan Administrative Code on or before November 5, 1993 would remain valid and effective until their removal.
[Since 1956, Michigan law has allowed a municipality to adopt the Michigan Uniform Traffic Code to provide for the regulation of vehicles within its borders. Effective November 5, 1993, the legislature passed Public Act 225 of 1993 which amended the code to set the size, color, and design standards for handicapper parking signs. Public Act 225 was adopted to add flexibility to the Uniform Code, which until the amendment regulated the design of handicapper signs by reference to specifications found in the Michigan Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MMUTCD). The MMUTCD standards are based on national standards set by the Federal Highway Administration. For handicapper parking signs, the MMUTCD requires that the signs be a minimum of 12 inches by 18 inches, and have a white background, green lettering, and a blue square containing a white wheelchair symbol in the middle. Because the MMUTCD national standard was seldom followed, and because instead most handicapper parking signs followed the international standard--an all blue background with a white wheelchair in the center--Public Act 225 was enacted to specify that the international design standard was acceptable.]
MCL 257.951
Analyst: J. Hunault