NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A238
SPONSOR: Eichenstein TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the transportation law, in relation to reporting to the
governor and the legislature on the one hundred most structurally
damaged bridges in the state
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To report the one hundred most structurally damaged bridges in the state
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1. Section 14 of the transportation law is amended by adding a
new subdivision 36 to read as follows: 36. To study and report yearly to
the governor, the assembly and the senate, the one hundred most struc-
turally damaged bridges in the state.
Section 2. The department of transportation shall report to the governor
and the legislature no later than one year after this act shall have
become law and each year thereafter.
Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
JUSTIFICATION:
New York State alone has over 17,000 bridges, which range anywhere from
small municipal bridges to bridges as big as the Triborough bridge in
New York City. According the Syracuse news, Central New York alone has
129 "structurally deficient" bridges that need repair. Many New Yorkers
worry that these bridges are not receiving the maintenance that is
required. The time to act is now. We need to make sure that our highway
bridges are safe to avoid a catastrophic event from happening.
In 2010, an audit conducted by the state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli
warned that the state Department of Transportation has not adequately
addressed bridge repairs. On average, it took the Department of Trans-
portation 17 weeks to take action on 41 of the "red-flagged" bridges,
which is a lot more than the mandated 6 weeks. This bill will provide
lawmakers the necessary tools to further address the bridges that need
immediate structural repair. By identifying the top 100 worst bridges
each year, the legislature can further address the issues of inadequate
bridges in the state of New York.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2022:A6925 - Referred to transportation
2021:A6280 - referred to transportation
2020:A6715 - enacting clause stricken
2019:A6715 - referred to transportation
2018:A6384 - referred to transportation
2017:A6384 - referred to transportation
2015:A6856 - died in transportation
2013:A8053 - died in transportation
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
238
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY(Prefiled)
January 4, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. EICHENSTEIN -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the transportation law, in relation to reporting to the
governor and the legislature on the one hundred most structurally
damaged bridges in the state
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 14 of the transportation law is amended by adding a
2 new subdivision 37 to read as follows:
3 37. To study and report yearly to the governor, the assembly and the
4 senate, the one hundred most structurally damaged bridges in the state.
5 § 2. The department of transportation shall report to the governor and
6 the legislature, pursuant to section one of this act, no later than one
7 year after this act shall have become a law and each year thereafter.
8 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00161-01-3
