Transportation

School bus video-monitoring systems; enforcement; sworn or affirmed certificates. Authorizes, for enforcement of violations related to passing a stopped school bus via video-monitoring system, the use of a certificate, or a facsimile thereof, sworn to or affirmed by a law-enforcement officer or a retired sworn law-enforcement officer, as defined in the bill, based on recorded images produced by the video-monitoring system as prima facie evidence of the facts contained therein.

Transit-oriented housing overlay districts. Requires certain localities to establish one or more transit-oriented housing overlay districts covering qualifying areas, as defined in the bill, within their boundaries. The bill provides that within such overlay districts, the locality shall permit, by right, a minimum height of six stories and a minimum average density of 30 units per acre within one-quarter of a mile of a major transit stop and allow two units per lot and four units per corner lot between one-quarter of a mile and one mile from a such a stop. The bill further provides that applications for such housing development shall be approved ministerially by the zoning administrator or other designated official and that no public hearing is required for approval. The bill allows certain areas within a locality to be excluded from its provisions and sunsets on September 1, 2030. The bill has a delayed effective date of September 1, 2027.

This bill prohibits consuming or possessing open containers of alcohol in the passenger area of any motor vehicle. It directly affects drivers and passengers who might have open alcohol containers in the car's passenger space. The law would require such containers to be stored outside the passenger area (e.g., in the trunk) to prevent in-vehicle alcohol use.

Use of violation monitoring systems to enforce traffic light signals and certain traffic control devices; repeal. Repeals the authority of localities to use traffic light signal violation monitoring systems, colloquially known as red light cameras, and traffic control device violation monitoring systems to enforce certain traffic offenses, including traffic light signal violations.

Tort claims against the Commonwealth; liability for dangerous condition on public roadway. Provides that the Commonwealth or a transportation district of the Commonwealth shall be liable for injury or death caused by a dangerous condition on a public roadway that the Commonwealth or transportation district had knowledge of and negligently or wrongfully failed to remedy or maintain. Current law immunizes the Commonwealth or a transportation district against such liability.