5537-1-01. Definitions

(A) "Commission" means the Ohio turnpike and infrastructure commission, and also includes such officers and employees of the commission as may act for or in the place of the commission.

(B) "Turnpike" means all traffic lanes, acceleration lanes, deceleration lanes, shoulders, medial strip, bridges, overpasses, underpasses, interchanges, approaches, entrance and exit ramps, access roads, toll plazas, service plazas, maintenance areas, parking areas and any and all other area or areas adjacent thereto under the control or jurisdiction of the commission and comprising a part of Ohio turnpike project No. 1.

(C) "Traffic lanes" are the continuous traffic lanes (each for a single line of vehicles) extending between the eastern and western termini of the turnpike. The westbound and eastbound traffic lanes are separated by a medial strip. The lanes immediately adjacent to the medial strip are denominated "inner" lanes. The lanes immediately adjacent to and beyond the inner lane are denominated "outer" lanes, except where three lanes are provided for the same direction of travel, in which case the lanes immediately adjacent to and beyond the inner lanes are denominated "center" lanes and the lanes immediately adjacent to and beyond the center lanes are denominated "outer" lanes.

(D) "Deceleration lanes" and "acceleration lanes" are speed-change lanes provided for vehicles entering and leaving service plazas or interchanges, respectively, and are adjacent to the outer traffic lanes.

(E) "Shoulders" are the paved strips adjoining the traffic lanes, acceleration and deceleration lanes, and interchange ramps.

(F) "Medial strip" means the area, including paved shoulders and grassed strip or median barrier separating traffic lanes for traffic moving in opposite directions.

(G) "Vehicle" means every device in, upon, or by which any person or property may be transported or drawn upon a highway.

(H) "Motor vehicle" means every self-propelled vehicle.

(I) "Motorcycle" means every motor vehicle other than a tractor, which has a saddle for the use of the operator and is constructed to travel on not more than three wheels in contact with the ground, including, but not limited to vehicles known as "motorized bicycle," "motor scooter" or "moped."

(J) "Emergency vehicle" means ambulance, garage-service vehicle, garage towing and wrecking trucks, fire-department, and police vehicles responding to emergency calls and when identified as such as required by law.

(K) "Bicycle" means a vehicle propelled by human power which is constructed to travel on not more than three wheels in contact with the ground.

(L) "Truck" means every motor vehicle, except trailers and semi-trailers, designed and used to carry property.

(M) "Trailer" means every vehicle designed or used for carrying persons or property wholly on its own structure and for being drawn by a motor vehicle.

(N) "Semi-trailer" means every vehicle designed or used for carrying persons or property with another and separate motor vehicle so that in operation a part of its own weight or that of its load, or both, rests upon and is carried by another vehicle.

(O) "Commercial tractor" means every motor vehicle having motive power and designed or used for drawing other vehicles and not so constructed as to carry any loan thereon except a part of the weight of a semi-trailer, or of its load, or both.

(P) "Bus" means every motor vehicle designed for carrying more than nine passengers and used for the transportation of persons.

(Q) "Pedestrian" means any natural person afoot.

(R) "Operator" means every person who drives, operates, or is in actual physical control of a motor vehicle.

(S) "Police officer" means an officer of the Ohio state highway patrol and every person authorized to direct, control, or regulate traffic, or to make arrests for violations of traffic regulations, on the turnpike.

(T) "Public police officer" means any one of those public police officers referred to in section 5537.16 of the Revised Code.

(U) "Person" means every natural person, firm, partnership, association, limited liability company, corporation, trust, estate or legal entity.

(V) "Axle" means the common axis of rotation of one or more wheels, whether power driven or freely rotating, and whether in one or more segments and regardless of the number of wheels carried thereon.

(W) "Axle load" means the gross weight of vehicle and load imposed by any axle upon the road surface.

(X) "Gross weight" means the weight of a vehicle plus the weight of any load thereon.

(Y) "Combined axle load" means the gross weight of vehicle and load imposed by any two tandem axles upon the road surface.

(Z) "Aircraft" means any contrivance, now known or hereafter invented, used or designed for navigation of or flight in the air, excepting a parachute or other contrivance for such navigation used exclusively as safety equipment.

(AA) "Automobile transporter" means any vehicle combination designed and used expressly for the transport of assembled motor vehicles.

(BB) "CFR" means the code of federal regulations.

(CC) "Heavy commercial vehicle" means a motor vehicle in excess of two and one-half tons used for commercial purposes such as transportation of goods and wares.

(DD) "License" means the whole or part of any commission permit, certificate, approval, registration or similar form of permission required by Ohio turnpike commission rules.

(EE) "Long combination vehicles" means semi-trailers with triple trailer or long double trailer combinations in excess of ninety feet in length.

(FF) "Service plazas" means service facilities as defined in section 5537.01 of the Revised Code.

(GG) "Vehicle class" means the designation assigned to each vehicle entering the turnpike, and is determined based upon the number of axles and the height of the vehicle over the first two axles, exclusive of temporary appurtenances.

(HH) "Electronic tolling transponder" means the device issued by participating tolling authorities of the E-ZPass® group and utilized by turnpike customers to pay their tolls.

(II) "Toll collection system" means the collection of hardware and software utilized by the commission to determine the toll to be charged based upon vehicle class assigned and the distance traveled on the turnpike.

Five Year Review (FYR) Dates: 4/2/2019 and 01/01/2024
Promulgated Under: 111.15
Statutory Authority: 5537.16
Rule Amplifies: 5537.16
Prior Effective Dates: 04/03/1956, 03/03/2001, 07/01/2013, 03/27/2014

Prior History: (Effective: 03/27/2014
R.C. 119.032 review dates: 01/07/2014 and 01/01/2019
Promulgated Under: 111.15
Statutory Authority: 5537.16
Rule Amplifies: 5537.16
Prior Effective Dates: 04/03/1956, 03/03/2001, 07/01/2013)