1. (a) As used in this chapter, "eligible project" means either of the following:

   1. (1) A project:

      1. (A) that is undertaken by a local unit;
      2. (B) that repairs or increases the capacity of local roads and bridges; and
      3. (C) that is part of the local unit's transportation asset management plan.

   2. (2) A project that:

      1. (A) is undertaken by a local unit; and
      2. (B) reduces the risk to human life from low water crossings.

2. (b) As used in this chapter, "enhanced asset management plan" refers to a data driven asset management plan adopted by a local unit that:

   1. (1) is designed to maximize the lifecycle performance and cost effective management of the entire network of transportation assets for which the local unit is responsible;
   2. (2) inventories all streets or road segments within the local unit's transportation network, including sufficient detail to support network-level and segment-level analysis;
   3. (3) includes objective, repeatable condition assessments for each street or road segment using the Pavement Surface Evaluation and Rating (PASER) system or another pavement condition rating methodology approved by the department;
   4. (4) incorporates measures of roadway deterioration, roughness, surface distress, or other physical characteristics approved by the department relevant to pavement performance and remaining service life;
   5. (5) concatenates geospatial data with the asset condition or rating data of each street or segment;
   6. (6) is used by the local unit to prioritize maintenance, preservation, rehabilitation, and reconstruction activities in a manner intended to extend asset service life and minimize long term lifecycle costs across the entire transportation network;
   7. (7) is updated at intervals established by the department to ensure the ongoing accuracy and usefulness of the data for lifecycle management purposes, but not less than once every year; and
   8. (8) makes the concatenated geospatial data and asset condition or rating data available for access and display on both the local unit's website, and the website maintained by the local technical assistance program.
3. (c) As used in this chapter, "fund" refers to the local road and bridge matching grant fund established by section 2 of this chapter.
4. (d) As used in this chapter, "local unit" means a county or municipality.

5. (e) As used in this chapter, "low water crossing" means a public road waterway crossing:

   1. (1) other than a bridge where construction improvements have been made in the stream, river, or lake bed to provide a firm surface for vehicles to travel across the water course; and
   2. (2) that is designed and constructed to be passable to traffic most of the year during periods of ordinary stream flow but is impassable to traffic during periods of high water.
6. (f) As used in this chapter, "transportation asset management plan" includes planning for drainage systems and rights-of-way that affect transportation assets.

7. (g) As used in this chapter, "wheel tax" means the tax imposed in an ordinance adopted under:

   1. (1) IC 6-3.5-5 , in the case of a county; and
   2. (2) IC 6-3.5-11 , in the case of a municipality.

As added by P.L.146-2016, SEC.16. Amended by P.L.173-2025, SEC.26; P.L.147-2026, SEC.10.