NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A8433
SPONSOR: Ryan
 
TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the highway law, in relation to enabl-
ing safe access to public roads for all users by utilizing complete
street design principles
 
PURPOSE: To include, when possible, complete street design features
in resurfacing, maintenance and pavement recycling projects and further
enable safe access to public roads for all users
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1: amends subdivision (a) of section 331 of the highway law to
include complete streets design features in resurfacing, maintenance and
pavement recycling projects that are subject to the department of trans-
portation's oversight.
Section 2: sets the effective date for this act.
 
JUSTIFICATION: New York State's Compete Street Law, which requires
the Department of Transportation to consider the convenient access and
mobility on the road network by all users of. all ages, including motor-
ists, pedestrians, bicyclists, and public transportation users through
the use of complete street design features, only applies to projects
classified as construction, reconstruction or rehabilitation. The law
specifically excludes projects classified as resurfacing, maintenance
and pavement recycling, which dramatically decreases the projects in
which complete-streets design features are used.
As a result of the state Department of Transportation's Preservation
First policy, nearly 80 percent of transportation funding and numerous
road projects exclude pedestrian and bicycling infrastructure, according
to the Tri-State Transportation Campaign. This exclusion of a key
component of complete-streets design runs contrary to the original
intent of the state's Complete Streets law, and this bill would address
the issue and strengthen the law.
By reforming our state's Complete Streets law, this legislation would
make dangerous intersections and roadways safer for pedestrians and
bicyclists. It would ensure our children have safer routes to school and
provide local families with more opportunities to walk and bike safely.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: New Bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
S. 6340 A. 8433
SENATE - ASSEMBLY
January 15, 2014
___________
IN SENATE -- Introduced by Sen. KENNEDY -- read twice and ordered print-
ed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Transporta-
tion
IN ASSEMBLY -- Introduced by M. of A. RYAN -- read once and referred to
the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the highway law, in relation to enabling safe access to
public roads for all users by utilizing complete street design princi-
ples
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision (a) of section 331 of the highway law, as added
2 by chapter 398 of the laws of 2011, is amended to read as follows:
3 (a) For all state, county and local transportation projects that are
4 undertaken by the department or receive both federal and state funding
5 and are subject to department of transportation oversight, the depart-
6 ment or agency with jurisdiction over such projects shall consider the
7 convenient access and mobility on the road network by all users of all
8 ages, including motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists, and public transpor-
9 tation users through the use of complete street design features in the
10 planning, design, construction, reconstruction and rehabilitation, [but
11 not including resurfacing, maintenance, or pavement recycling of such
12 projects] resurfacing, maintenance and pavement recycling.
13 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13150-01-3