HB 1147
Department of Legislative Services
Maryland General Assembly
2021 Session
FISCAL AND POLICY NOTE
First Reader
House Bill 1147 (Delegate Parrott)
Environment and Transportation
Traffic Control Signal Modernization Fund – Establishment
This bill establishes the Traffic Control Signal Modernization Fund administered by the
State Highway Administration (SHA). The purpose of the fund is to finance the
modernization of traffic control signals in the State. The bill requires the District Court to
impose an additional $8 fee for defendants convicted of or found liable for specified traffic
violations (related to traffic control signals), which must be deposited to the special fund.
SHA must develop and implement a plan to replace, by December 31, 2028, traffic control
signals in the State that do not use light-emitting diode (LED) technology with traffic
control signals that use LED technology. The bill takes effect July 1, 2021.
Fiscal Summary
State Effect: Special fund revenues and expenditures increase beginning in FY 2022 as
SHA uses the new special fund to modernize traffic control signals in the State.
Transportation Trust Fund (TTF) expenditures may increase significantly for the same
purpose if the new funding is not sufficient to fully implement SHA’s modernization plan,
as discussed below. Although spread over seven and one-half years, the cost to fully
implement the plan is likely significant, as discussed below. General fund expenditures
increase by $26,500 for reprogramming in FY 2022 only.
Local Effect: Potential significant cumulative reduction in local expenditures for
electricity for and maintenance of traffic control signals. Revenues are not affected.
Small Business Effect: Potential meaningful.
 Analysis
Bill Summary: The prioritization of traffic control signal replacement by SHA is as
follows:
 first priority to the replacement of traffic control signals on (or at) the intersection
of highways maintained by municipalities, except Baltimore City;
 second priority to the replacement of traffic control signals on (or at) the intersection
of highways maintained by a county or Baltimore City; and
 final priority to the replacement of traffic control signals on State highways.
The fund also consists of (1) money appropriated in the State budget for the fund; (2) any
interest earnings of the fund; and (3) any other money from any other source accepted for
the benefit of the fund. Money expended from the fund for modernizing traffic control
signals is supplemental to and is not intended to take the place of funding that otherwise
would be appropriated for upgrading, replacing, or otherwise modernizing traffic control
signals.
Current Law:
Green Traffic Signals
Circular Green Signal: Vehicular traffic facing a circular green signal may proceed
straight through the intersection or, unless a sign otherwise prohibits the turn, turn right or
left. A vehicle proceeding straight or turning right or left at a circular green signal must
yield the right-of-way to a vehicle or pedestrian lawfully in the intersection or adjacent
crosswalk.
Green Arrow Signal: Vehicular traffic facing a green arrow signal may cautiously enter
the intersection only to make the movement indicated by the arrow or by another indication
shown at the same time as the arrow. Vehicular traffic facing a green arrow signal must,
when making an authorized movement, yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian or bicycle
lawfully within the adjacent crosswalk and to other traffic lawfully using the intersection.
Penalties: A violation of these provisions is a misdemeanor, and a violator is subject to a
maximum fine of $500. The prepayment penalty established by the District Court is $90,
and the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) must assess one point against a violator’s
license. If, however, the violation contributes to an accident, the prepayment penalty is
$130, and MVA must assess three points against the violator’s license.
HB 1147/ Page 2
Red Traffic Signals
Required Stop: Vehicular traffic facing a steady red signal alone or a steady red arrow
(unless entering the intersection to make a movement permitted by another signal) must
stop at the near side of the intersection (1) at a clearly marked stop sign; (2) if there is no
clearly marked stop sign, before entering any crosswalk; or (3) if there is no crosswalk,
before entering the intersection. Traffic generally must remain stopped until a signal to
proceed is displayed.
A violation is a misdemeanor, and a violator is subject to a maximum fine of $500. The
prepayment penalty established by the District Court is $140, and MVA must assess
two points against a violator’s license. If, however, the violation contributes to an accident,
the prepayment penalty is $180, and MVA must assess three points against the violator’s
license.
Authorized Turns: Unless a sign prohibiting a turn is in place, vehicular traffic facing a
steady red signal may, after stopping, cautiously enter the intersection and make (1) a right
turn; (2) a left turn from a one-way street onto a one-way street; or (3) a turn as indicated
by a sign. Such traffic must yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian or bicycle lawfully
within an adjacent crosswalk and to any vehicle in the intersection or approaching on
another roadway so closely as to constitute an immediate hazard.
A violation of these provisions is a misdemeanor, and a violator is subject to a maximum
fine of $500. The prepayment penalty assessed by the District Court is $90 or, if a violation
contributes to an accident, $130. MVA must assess two points on the violator’s license or,
if the violation contributes to an accident, three points. For a failure to yield the intersection
right-of-way after a turn on a red signal, MVA must assess one point against the violator’s
license or, if the violation contributes to an accident, three points.
Red Light Cameras
Unless the driver of a motor vehicle receives a citation from a police officer at the time of
the violation, the owner or driver of a vehicle recorded by a red light monitoring system
entering an intersection against a red signal in violation of the Maryland Vehicle Law is
subject to a civil penalty of up to $100. Red light camera enforcement applies to a violation
of specified Maryland Vehicle Law requirements applicable to a vehicle approaching a
steady circular red signal or arrow, including (1) stopping at a clearly marked stop line, or
crosswalk if there is no stop line, or intersection if there is no crosswalk and (2) remaining
stopped until a signal allows the vehicle to proceed.
HB 1147/ Page 3
State Fiscal Effect:
Traffic Control Signal Modernization Fund
Special fund revenues and expenditures increase beginning in fiscal 2022 due to the
additional $8 fee that must be imposed on cases in which a defendant is convicted of certain
traffic light violations and as SHA uses this additional revenue to replace traffic control
signals in the manner required by the bill. Exhibit 1 shows traffic citation and violation
data for the offenses addressed by the bill.
Exhibit 1
Traffic Citation Data for Violations Addressed by the Bill
Fiscal 2019
Charge Violations Convictions
Failing to yield intersection right-of-way after green traffic signal 80 34
Failing to yield right-of-way (to pedestrian or bicycle) after green 8 4
arrow signal
Failing to stop at steady circular red signal 7,786 3,475
Failing to stop at steady red arrow 619 289
Failing to stop at red traffic signal before right turn 823 382
Failing to stop at red signal before left turn or making improper left 212 113
turn at red signal
Failing to stop at red traffic signal before any other turn 55 22
Failing to yield intersection right-of-way (to pedestrian, vehicle, or 105 49
bicycle) after turn on red signal
Pedestrian entering roadway against red traffic signal 17 9
Failing to make required stop at signal, sign, or pavement mark 1,683 819
Total 11,388 5,196
Source: Judiciary (Administrative Office of the Courts); Department of Legislative Services
In addition to the offenses shown in Exhibit 1, the bill requires the District Court to impose
the additional $8 fee for a case in which a person is found liable for a red light camera
violation. The Judiciary notes that jurisdictions with red light traffic control monitoring
systems are responsible for pretrial payments, providing dockets, and sending notices to
HB 1147/ Page 4
the defendants. The District Court only hears the red light violations charged on a civil
citation when a person requests a trial.
Therefore, while the bill requires the District Court to assess an $8 fee for a person found
liable for a red light camera violation, it would only be able to do so if a person receiving
a red light camera violation requests a trial. Thus, this analysis assumes the bill does not
apply to prepayments of red light camera violations.
For illustrative purposes only, assuming all 5,196 convictions in fiscal 2019 were assessed
the additional $8 court cost fee, special fund revenues for SHA increase by approximately
$41,600. Expenditures from the fund are assumed to increase correspondingly for
LED traffic light replacement activities by SHA.
Costs to Replace Traffic Control Signals
SHA must develop and implement a plan to replace many of the traffic control signals in
the State. The bill’s requirement for replacement of traffic control signals is not limited to
replacements that can be funded through fee revenue generated by the bill. The funding
mechanism discussed above for this purpose may not be sufficient to fully replace each of
these traffic control signals by December 31, 2028, as required by the bill. For purposes of
this analysis, it is assumed that, if additional funds are needed to implement the plan, SHA
uses TTF monies. Thus, TTF expenditures may increase significantly beginning in
fiscal 2022.
As SHA does not yet know how many traffic control signals must be replaced and the cost
to replace each signal may vary based on a number of factors, the total cost to develop and
implement the plan cannot be reliably estimated at this time. For example,
Prince George’s County advises that it has 200 traffic control signals that will need to be
upgraded, whereas Montgomery County has already converted its traffic control signals to
LED technology. For illustrative purposes only, Prince George’s County advises that the
cost of modernizing its traffic control signals could be as much as $300,000 for each signal,
based on a previously negotiated contract in which materials accounted for about one-third
of the total and labor costs for installation accounted for the remaining two-thirds. If this
cost estimate could be applied statewide and 500 traffic control signals needed to be
replaced, the total cost could approach $150 million. The actual cost likely varies from this
illustrative estimate. Even so, the total cost for replacement is likely significant and is
assumed to be spread over the seven and one-half year period from fiscal 2022 through the
first half of fiscal 2029.
Additionally, SHA advises that many of the traffic control signals that require replacement
are not under SHA’s jurisdiction. As the bill requires SHA to implement the plan, it is
HB 1147/ Page 5
assumed that SHA uses the Traffic Control Signal Modernization Fund and TTF to pay for
traffic control signals that are locally owned and operated as well.
Judiciary Programming Costs
In fiscal 2022 only, the Judiciary advises that reprogramming changes totaling $26,544 are
necessary in order to implement the bill’s changes.
Local Expenditures: Due to the lower energy consumption and longevity of LED bulbs
compared to incandescent bulbs, local jurisdictions that receive LED traffic control signals
at the State’s expense under the bill experience a potentially significant cumulative
reduction in expenditures for electricity for and maintenance of traffic control signals.
Small Business Effect: Any small businesses in the State that are involved with the
installation or maintenance of LED traffic light signals may benefit due to the increased
State spending under the bill.
Additional Comments: As of January 2020, 6 counties, Baltimore City, and 22 other
jurisdictions in the State use red light cameras.
Additional Information
Prior Introductions: None.
Designated Cross File: None.
Information Source(s): Montgomery and Prince George’s counties; cities of Annapolis
and Bowie; Comptroller’s Office; Judiciary (Administrative Office of the Courts);
Maryland Department of Transportation; Department of Legislative Services
Fiscal Note History: First Reader - February 25, 2021
rh/aad
Analysis by: Eric F. Pierce Direct Inquiries to:
(410) 946-5510
(301) 970-5510
HB 1147/ Page 6


Statutes affected:
Text - First - Traffic Control Signal Modernization Fund – Establishment: 7-410 Courts and Judicial Proceedings, 6-226 Courts and Judicial Proceedings, 8-663 Transportation, 11-168 Transportation, 21-202 Transportation, 21-202.1 Transportation, 21-202 Transportation