Establishes a standardized statewide system for collecting, recording, and monitoring winter road maintenance operational data in order to improve efficiency, enhance transparency, and support the protection of water resources in the state of New York; requires calibration of all deicing material application equipment used for winter highway maintenance on public roads.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
11105
IN ASSEMBLY
April 24, 2026
___________
Introduced by M. of A. MAGNARELLI -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the highway law, in relation to establishing statewide
data collection and monitoring requirements for winter road mainte-
nance and road salt application; and to amend the transportation law,
in relation to requiring the calibration of highway deicing material
application equipment
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The highway law is amended by adding a new article 3-A to
2 read as follows:
3 ARTICLE 3-A
4 WINTER ROAD MAINTENANCE DATA COLLECTION AND MONITORING
5 Section 70. Definitions.
6 71. Statewide winter maintenance data system.
7 72. Required operational data collection.
8 73. Equipment and technology integration.
9 74. Municipal data partnership program.
10 75. Environmental data coordination.
11 76. Reporting requirements.
12 77. Rulemaking.
13 § 70. Definitions. For the purposes of this article, the following
14 terms shall have the following meanings:
15 1. "Department" means the New York state department of transportation.
16 2. "Road salt" means sodium chloride or other chloride-based compounds
17 used for snow and ice control on roadways.
18 3. "Winter maintenance operation" means snow and ice control activ-
19 ities conducted on public highways including plowing, salting, sanding,
20 or application of liquid deicing materials.
21 4. "Operator" means an employee or contractor responsible for operat-
22 ing winter maintenance equipment applying materials to roadways.
23 5. "Maintenance vehicle" means a truck or other vehicle equipped for
24 snow and ice control operations.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15575-01-6
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1 § 71. Statewide winter maintenance data system. 1. The department
2 shall develop and maintain a statewide winter maintenance operational
3 data system for the collection and management of data related to snow
4 and ice control activities on state-maintained highways.
5 2. Such system shall, include, but not be limited to:
6 (a) Utilize digital reporting where practicable;
7 (b) Be capable of integrating with automated vehicle location systems,
8 spreader control technology, and road weather information systems;
9 (c) Provide standardized formats for recording winter maintenance
10 activities; and
11 (d) Be publicly accessible on the department's website, and be updated
12 monthly.
13 3. The department may promulgate regulations necessary to implement
14 and administer such system.
15 § 72. Required operational data collection. 1. For each winter mainte-
16 nance operation conducted on state-maintained highways, the department
17 shall ensure that the following information is recorded and maintained
18 within the statewide winter maintenance operational data system estab-
19 lished pursuant to this article:
20 (a) Date of operation;
21 (b) Operator name;
22 (c) Truck or equipment number;
23 (d) Record created by (name);
24 (e) Record updated by (name);
25 (f) Record modification indicator (yes/no); and
26 (g) Operator remarks.
27 2. For each winter maintenance route or work activity, the following
28 operational metrics shall be recorded:
29 (a) Total trip miles;
30 (b) Total spread miles;
31 (c) Work order number or identifier;
32 (d) Beat identification number or maintenance route identifier; and
33 (e) Task code identifying maintenance activity.
34 3. For each material applied during a winter maintenance operation,
35 the following information shall be recorded:
36 (a) Dry materials, including dry material code and the total dry mate-
37 rial amount used; and
38 (b) Liquid materials, including liquid material code and the total
39 liquid material amount used.
40 4. The following application performance data shall be recorded where
41 applicable:
42 (a) Application rate;
43 (b) Number of lanes spread; and
44 (c) Pounds per lane mile (lbs/LM).
45 5. Where available through operational observation or integrated
46 weather systems, the following environmental conditions shall be
47 recorded:
48 (a) Snow and ice event code;
49 (b) Highway conditions code;
50 (c) Air temperature; and
51 (d) Road surface temperature.
52 6. Where practicable, the department shall ensure that the data
53 elements required under this section may be captured through automated
54 systems including, but not limited to:
55 (a) spreader control systems;
56 (b) automated vehicle location technology; and
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1 (c) road weather information systems.
2 § 73. Equipment and technology integration. 1. Where practicable, the
3 department shall utilize winter maintenance equipment capable of elec-
4 tronically recording and transmitting operational data including, but
5 not limited to:
6 (a) Material application rates;
7 (b) Spread distances;
8 (c) Vehicle location; and
9 (d) Time of application.
10 2. The department shall prioritize integration of:
11 (a) Automated vehicle location systems;
12 (b) Spreader controller technology; and
13 (c) Road weather information systems.
14 § 74. Municipal data partnership program. 1. The department shall
15 establish a voluntary municipal winter maintenance data partnership
16 program enabling counties, towns, villages, and cities to participate in
17 the statewide winter maintenance data system.
18 2. The department may provide participating municipalities with:
19 (a) Technical assistance;
20 (b) Access to the statewide data platform; and
21 (c) Guidance on standardized reporting practices.
22 § 75. Environmental data coordination. The department shall coordinate
23 with the department of environmental conservation to utilize winter
24 maintenance operational data for the purposes of:
25 (a) Monitoring chloride levels in surface waters and groundwater;
26 (b) Identifying areas of high road salt application; and
27 (c) Informing statewide road salt reduction strategies.
28 § 76. Reporting requirements. 1. Beginning two years after the effec-
29 tive date of this article, the department shall submit an annual report
30 to the governor and the legislature summarizing:
31 (a) Total road salt usage on state-maintained highways;
32 (b) Trends in application rates;
33 (c) Operational efficiency metrics; and
34 (d) Participation of municipal partners in the data system.
35 2. Such report shall be made publicly available on the department's
36 website.
37 § 77. Rulemaking. The department may promulgate regulations necessary
38 for the implementation of this article including:
39 (a) Standardized data definitions and codes;
40 (b) Reporting formats; and
41 (c) Data submission requirements.
42 § 2. The transportation law is amended by adding a new section 23 to
43 read as follows:
44 § 23. Calibration of highway deicing material application equipment.
45 1. For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the
46 following meanings:
47 (a) "Deicing material" means sodium chloride, treated salt, brine,
48 calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, sand-salt mixtures, or any other
49 material applied to public roadways for the purpose of snow and ice
50 control.
51 (b) "Application equipment" means any mechanical spreader, sprayer,
52 pre-wetting system, or other device mounted on or integrated with a
53 vehicle used to apply deicing materials to a roadway.
54 (c) "Calibration" means the process of verifying and adjusting equip-
55 ment to ensure that deicing materials are applied at known and accurate
56 rates under specified operating conditions.
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1 (d) "Responsible entity" means the department, any county, city, town,
2 village, public authority, or contractor responsible for winter mainte-
3 nance of public roadways.
4 2. (a) All deicing material application equipment used for winter
5 highway maintenance on public roads within the state shall be calibrated
6 to ensure accurate application rates.
7 (b) Calibration shall ensure that the relationship between vehicle
8 speed, spreader control settings, and material output rate is documented
9 and verifiable.
10 (c) No responsible entity shall deploy application equipment for oper-
11 ational winter maintenance unless such equipment has been calibrated in
12 accordance with this section.
13 3. Application equipment shall be calibrated:
14 (a) At least once annually prior to the start of each winter mainte-
15 nance season;
16 (b) Whenever equipment is repaired, modified, or adjusted in a manner
17 that may affect material output;
18 (c) When a new spreader, controller, or liquid application system is
19 installed; and
20 (d) At intervals established by regulation of the commissioner.
21 4. (a) The commissioner, in consultation with the department of envi-
22 ronmental conservation, shall promulgate regulations establishing:
23 (i) Standardized calibration procedures;
24 (ii) Acceptable tolerances for material application rates;
25 (iii) Methods for calibrating granular and liquid application systems;
26 and
27 (iv) Documentation and verification requirements.
28 (b) Such standards shall incorporate best practices recommended by the
29 Adirondack Road Salt Reduction Task Force Report.
30 5. Each responsible entity shall maintain records of calibration for
31 all application equipment, including:
32 (a) Date of calibration;
33 (b) Equipment identification number;
34 (c) Type of material calibrated;
35 (d) Calibration method used;
36 (e) Verified application rate ranges; and
37 (f) Name of the individual performing the calibration.
38 Records shall be retained for no less than five years and made public-
39 ly available on an annual basis.
40 6. (a) The commissioner may require responsible entities to submit
41 periodic certification confirming that all application equipment has
42 been calibrated in accordance with this section.
43 (b) The commissioner may conduct audits or inspections to verify
44 compliance.
45 7. The department, in consultation with the department of environ-
46 mental conservation, may provide guidance, training, and technical
47 assistance to municipalities and highway agencies to facilitate compli-
48 ance with this section.
49 8. The commissioner shall promulgate any rules and regulations neces-
50 sary to implement the provisions of this section.
51 § 3. This act shall take effect two years after it shall have become a
52 law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any
53 rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its
54 effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such
55 effective date.
