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
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5178
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 19, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sens. COMRIE, FAHY -- read twice and ordered printed, and
when printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
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.
22 § 2. The public authorities law is amended by adding a new section 593
23 to read as follows:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06127-01-5
S. 5178 2
1 § 593. Pedestrian bridge feasibility study. 1. The authority shall
2 develop a pedestrian bridge access feasibility study to analyze ways to
3 improve bicycle and pedestrian access on roadway bridges under its
4 jurisdiction. Such study shall include but not be limited to:
5 (a) identification of bridges within the authority's jurisdiction that
6 are suitable for safe bicycle and pedestrian access;
7 (b) potential capital projects that would allow for and/or expand
8 bicycle and pedestrian access on bridges; and
9 (c) a review of the authority's capital program plans in effect on and
10 after January first, two thousand twenty-four, to determine the impact
11 of such projects on bicycle and pedestrian access and propose amendments
12 and modifications to such capital program plans that would allow for
13 and/or expand bicycle and pedestrian access on bridges.
14 2. Within one year of the effective date of this section, the authori-
15 ty shall submit a written report to the governor, the temporary presi-
16 dent of the senate, and the speaker of the assembly, detailing the
17 pedestrian bridge access feasibility study conducted pursuant to this
18 section. Such report shall be made available to the public on the
19 authority's website.
20 § 3. The public authorities law is amended by adding a new section 669
21 to read as follows:
22 § 669. Pedestrian bridge access feasibility study. 1. The authority
23 shall develop a pedestrian bridge access feasibility study to analyze
24 ways to improve bicycle and pedestrian access on roadway bridges under
25 its jurisdiction. Such study shall include but not be limited to:
26 (a) identification of bridges within the authority's jurisdiction that
27 are suitable for safe bicycle and pedestrian access;
28 (b) potential capital projects that would allow for and/or expand
29 bicycle and pedestrian access on bridges; and
30 (c) a review of the authority's capital program plans in effect on and
31 after January first, two thousand twenty-four, to determine the impact
32 of such projects on bicycle and pedestrian access and propose amendments
33 and modifications to such capital program plans that would allow for
34 and/or expand bicycle and pedestrian access on bridges.
35 2. Within one year of the effective date of this section, the authori-
36 ty shall submit a written report to the governor, the temporary presi-
37 dent of the senate, and the speaker of the assembly, detailing the
38 pedestrian bridge access feasibility study conducted pursuant to this
39 section. Such report shall be made available to the public on the
40 authority's website.
41 § 4. The public authorities law is amended by adding a new section 718
42 to read as follows:
43 § 718. Pedestrian bridge feasibility study. 1. The authority shall
44 develop a pedestrian bridge access feasibility study to improve bicycle
45 and pedestrian access on roadway bridges under its jurisdiction. Such
46 plan shall include but not be limited to:
47 (a) identification of bridges within the authority's jurisdiction that
48 are suitable for safe bicycle and pedestrian access;
49 (b) potential capital projects that would allow for and/or expand
50 bicycle and pedestrian access on bridges; and
51 (c) a review of the authority's capital program plans in effect on and
52 after January first, two thousand twenty-four, to determine the impact
53 of such projects on bicycle and pedestrian access and propose amendments
54 and modifications to such capital program plans that would allow for
55 and/or expand bicycle and pedestrian access on bridges.
S. 5178 3
1 2. Within one year of the effective date of this section, the authori-
2 ty shall submit a written report to the governor, the temporary presi-
3 dent of the senate, and the speaker of the assembly, detailing the
4 pedestrian bridge access feasibility study conducted pursuant to this
5 section. Such report shall be made available to the public on the
6 authority's website.
7 § 5. The public authorities law is amended by adding a new section 390
8 to read as follows:
9 § 390. Pedestrian bridge access feasibility study. 1. The authority
10 shall develop a pedestrian bridge access feasibility study to improve
11 bicycle and pedestrian access on roadway bridges under its jurisdiction.
12 Such plan shall include but not be limited to:
13 (a) identification of bridges within the authority's jurisdiction that
14 are suitable for safe bicycle and pedestrian access;
15 (b) potential capital projects that would allow for and/or expand
16 bicycle and pedestrian access on bridges; and
17 (c) a review of the authority's capital program plans in effect on and
18 after January first, two thousand twenty-four, to determine the impact
19 of such projects on bicycle and pedestrian access and propose amendments
20 and modifications to such capital program plans that would allow for
21 and/or expand bicycle and pedestrian access on bridges.
22 2. Within one year of the effective date of this section, the authori-
23 ty shall submit a written report to the governor, the temporary presi-
24 dent of the senate, and the speaker of the assembly, detailing the
25 pedestrian bridge access feasibility study conducted pursuant to this
26 section. Such report shall be made available to the public on the
27 authority's website.
28 § 6. This act shall take effect immediately.
