Requires the New York state 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--A
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 -- recommitted to the
Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions in accordance
with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- committee discharged, bill amended,
ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
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-seven, 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
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06127-02-6
A. 8309--A 2
1 pedestrian bridge access feasibility study conducted pursuant to this
2 section. Such report shall be made available to the public on the
3 authority's website.
4 § 2. The public authorities law is amended by adding a new section 593
5 to read as follows:
6 § 593. Pedestrian bridge feasibility study. 1. The authority shall
7 develop a pedestrian bridge access feasibility study to analyze ways to
8 improve bicycle and pedestrian access on roadway bridges under its
9 jurisdiction. Such study shall include but not be limited to:
10 (a) identification of bridges within the authority's jurisdiction that
11 are suitable for safe bicycle and pedestrian access;
12 (b) potential capital projects that would allow for and/or expand
13 bicycle and pedestrian access on bridges; and
14 (c) a review of the authority's capital program plans in effect on and
15 after January first, two thousand twenty-seven, to determine the impact
16 of such projects on bicycle and pedestrian access and propose amendments
17 and modifications to such capital program plans that would allow for
18 and/or expand bicycle and pedestrian access on bridges.
19 2. Within one year of the effective date of this section, the authori-
20 ty shall submit a written report to the governor, the temporary presi-
21 dent of the senate, and the speaker of the assembly, detailing the
22 pedestrian bridge access feasibility study conducted pursuant to this
23 section. Such report shall be made available to the public on the
24 authority's website.
25 § 3. The public authorities law is amended by adding a new section 669
26 to read as follows:
27 § 669. Pedestrian bridge access feasibility study. 1. The authority
28 shall develop a pedestrian bridge access feasibility study to analyze
29 ways to improve bicycle and pedestrian access on roadway bridges under
30 its jurisdiction. Such study shall include but not be limited to:
31 (a) identification of bridges within the authority's jurisdiction that
32 are suitable for safe bicycle and pedestrian access;
33 (b) potential capital projects that would allow for and/or expand
34 bicycle and pedestrian access on bridges; and
35 (c) a review of the authority's capital program plans in effect on and
36 after January first, two thousand twenty-seven, to determine the impact
37 of such projects on bicycle and pedestrian access and propose amendments
38 and modifications to such capital program plans that would allow for
39 and/or expand bicycle and pedestrian access on bridges.
40 2. Within one year of the effective date of this section, the authori-
41 ty shall submit a written report to the governor, the temporary presi-
42 dent of the senate, and the speaker of the assembly, detailing the
43 pedestrian bridge access feasibility study conducted pursuant to this
44 section. Such report shall be made available to the public on the
45 authority's website.
46 § 4. The public authorities law is amended by adding a new section 718
47 to read as follows:
48 § 718. Pedestrian bridge feasibility study. 1. The authority shall
49 develop a pedestrian bridge access feasibility study to improve bicycle
50 and pedestrian access on roadway bridges under its jurisdiction. Such
51 plan shall include but not be limited to:
52 (a) identification of bridges within the authority's jurisdiction that
53 are suitable for safe bicycle and pedestrian access;
54 (b) potential capital projects that would allow for and/or expand
55 bicycle and pedestrian access on bridges; and
A. 8309--A 3
1 (c) a review of the authority's capital program plans in effect on and
2 after January first, two thousand twenty-seven, to determine the impact
3 of such projects on bicycle and pedestrian access and propose amendments
4 and modifications to such capital program plans that would allow for
5 and/or expand bicycle and pedestrian access on bridges.
6 2. Within one year of the effective date of this section, the authori-
7 ty shall submit a written report to the governor, the temporary presi-
8 dent of the senate, and the speaker of the assembly, detailing the
9 pedestrian bridge access feasibility study conducted pursuant to this
10 section. Such report shall be made available to the public on the
11 authority's website.
12 § 5. The public authorities law is amended by adding a new section 390
13 to read as follows:
14 § 390. Pedestrian bridge access feasibility study. 1. The authority
15 shall develop a pedestrian bridge access feasibility study to improve
16 bicycle and pedestrian access on roadway bridges under its jurisdiction.
17 Such plan shall include but not be limited to:
18 (a) identification of bridges within the authority's jurisdiction that
19 are suitable for safe bicycle and pedestrian access;
20 (b) potential capital projects that would allow for and/or expand
21 bicycle and pedestrian access on bridges; and
22 (c) a review of the authority's capital program plans in effect on and
23 after January first, two thousand twenty-seven, to determine the impact
24 of such projects on bicycle and pedestrian access and propose amendments
25 and modifications to such capital program plans that would allow for
26 and/or expand bicycle and pedestrian access on bridges.
27 2. Within one year of the effective date of this section, the authori-
28 ty shall submit a written report to the governor, the temporary presi-
29 dent of the senate, and the speaker of the assembly, detailing the
30 pedestrian bridge access feasibility study conducted pursuant to this
31 section. Such report shall be made available to the public on the
32 authority's website.
33 § 6. This act shall take effect immediately.
