Requires the New York state bridge authority, the Triborough bridge authority, the Thousand Islands bridge authority, the Nassau county bridge authority, the Ogdensburg bridge authority, and the New York state thruway authority to develop a feasibility study to promote bicycle and pedestrian access on bridges and provide a report to the governor, temporary president of the senate, speaker of the assembly, and the public a copy of such plan.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8309
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
May 13, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. McMAHON, SEAWRIGHT, SIMON, LUNSFORD, SMULLEN,
SHIMSKY, LUCAS, SEPTIMO, KELLES, TAPIA, OTIS, JACOBSON, BORES, DeSTE-
FANO, SHRESTHA, SANTABARBARA -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions
AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to requiring
certain public authorities to develop a feasibility study to promote
bicyclist and pedestrian access on bridges statewide and to consider
the impact of capital projects on bicyclist and pedestrian access
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The public authorities law is amended by adding a new
2 section 543 to read as follows:
3 § 543. Pedestrian bridge access feasibility study. 1. The authority
4 shall develop a pedestrian bridge access feasibility study to analyze
5 ways to improve bicycle and pedestrian access on roadway bridges under
6 its jurisdiction. Such study shall include but not be limited to:
7 (a) identification of bridges within the authority's jurisdiction that
8 are suitable for safe bicycle and pedestrian access;
9 (b) potential capital projects that would allow for and/or expand
10 bicycle and pedestrian access on bridges; and
11 (c) a review of the authority's capital program plans in effect on and
12 after January first, two thousand twenty-four, to determine the impact
13 of such projects on bicycle and pedestrian access and propose amendments
14 and modifications to such capital program plans that would allow for
15 and/or expand bicycle and pedestrian access on bridges.
16 2. Within one year of the effective date of this section, the authori-
17 ty shall submit a written report to the governor, the temporary presi-
18 dent of the senate, and the speaker of the assembly, detailing the
19 pedestrian bridge access feasibility study conducted pursuant to this
20 section. Such report shall be made available to the public on the
21 authority's website.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06127-01-5
A. 8309 2
1 § 2. The public authorities law is amended by adding a new section 593
2 to read as follows:
3 § 593. Pedestrian bridge feasibility study. 1. The authority shall
4 develop a pedestrian bridge access feasibility study to analyze ways to
5 improve bicycle and pedestrian access on roadway bridges under its
6 jurisdiction. Such study shall include but not be limited to:
7 (a) identification of bridges within the authority's jurisdiction that
8 are suitable for safe bicycle and pedestrian access;
9 (b) potential capital projects that would allow for and/or expand
10 bicycle and pedestrian access on bridges; and
11 (c) a review of the authority's capital program plans in effect on and
12 after January first, two thousand twenty-four, to determine the impact
13 of such projects on bicycle and pedestrian access and propose amendments
14 and modifications to such capital program plans that would allow for
15 and/or expand bicycle and pedestrian access on bridges.
16 2. Within one year of the effective date of this section, the authori-
17 ty shall submit a written report to the governor, the temporary presi-
18 dent of the senate, and the speaker of the assembly, detailing the
19 pedestrian bridge access feasibility study conducted pursuant to this
20 section. Such report shall be made available to the public on the
21 authority's website.
22 § 3. The public authorities law is amended by adding a new section 669
23 to read as follows:
24 § 669. Pedestrian bridge access feasibility study. 1. The authority
25 shall develop a pedestrian bridge access feasibility study to analyze
26 ways to improve bicycle and pedestrian access on roadway bridges under
27 its jurisdiction. Such study shall include but not be limited to:
28 (a) identification of bridges within the authority's jurisdiction that
29 are suitable for safe bicycle and pedestrian access;
30 (b) potential capital projects that would allow for and/or expand
31 bicycle and pedestrian access on bridges; and
32 (c) a review of the authority's capital program plans in effect on and
33 after January first, two thousand twenty-four, to determine the impact
34 of such projects on bicycle and pedestrian access and propose amendments
35 and modifications to such capital program plans that would allow for
36 and/or expand bicycle and pedestrian access on bridges.
37 2. Within one year of the effective date of this section, the authori-
38 ty shall submit a written report to the governor, the temporary presi-
39 dent of the senate, and the speaker of the assembly, detailing the
40 pedestrian bridge access feasibility study conducted pursuant to this
41 section. Such report shall be made available to the public on the
42 authority's website.
43 § 4. The public authorities law is amended by adding a new section 718
44 to read as follows:
45 § 718. Pedestrian bridge feasibility study. 1. The authority shall
46 develop a pedestrian bridge access feasibility study to improve bicycle
47 and pedestrian access on roadway bridges under its jurisdiction. Such
48 plan shall include but not be limited to:
49 (a) identification of bridges within the authority's jurisdiction that
50 are suitable for safe bicycle and pedestrian access;
51 (b) potential capital projects that would allow for and/or expand
52 bicycle and pedestrian access on bridges; and
53 (c) a review of the authority's capital program plans in effect on and
54 after January first, two thousand twenty-four, to determine the impact
55 of such projects on bicycle and pedestrian access and propose amendments
A. 8309 3
1 and modifications to such capital program plans that would allow for
2 and/or expand bicycle and pedestrian access on bridges.
3 2. Within one year of the effective date of this section, the authori-
4 ty shall submit a written report to the governor, the temporary presi-
5 dent of the senate, and the speaker of the assembly, detailing the
6 pedestrian bridge access feasibility study conducted pursuant to this
7 section. Such report shall be made available to the public on the
8 authority's website.
9 § 5. The public authorities law is amended by adding a new section 390
10 to read as follows:
11 § 390. Pedestrian bridge access feasibility study. 1. The authority
12 shall develop a pedestrian bridge access feasibility study to improve
13 bicycle and pedestrian access on roadway bridges under its jurisdiction.
14 Such plan shall include but not be limited to:
15 (a) identification of bridges within the authority's jurisdiction that
16 are suitable for safe bicycle and pedestrian access;
17 (b) potential capital projects that would allow for and/or expand
18 bicycle and pedestrian access on bridges; and
19 (c) a review of the authority's capital program plans in effect on and
20 after January first, two thousand twenty-four, to determine the impact
21 of such projects on bicycle and pedestrian access and propose amendments
22 and modifications to such capital program plans that would allow for
23 and/or expand bicycle and pedestrian access on bridges.
24 2. Within one year of the effective date of this section, the authori-
25 ty shall submit a written report to the governor, the temporary presi-
26 dent of the senate, and the speaker of the assembly, detailing the
27 pedestrian bridge access feasibility study conducted pursuant to this
28 section. Such report shall be made available to the public on the
29 authority's website.
30 § 6. This act shall take effect immediately.
