S 915: Enables safe access to public roads for all users by utilizing complete street design principles.
The proposed law aims to enhance safe access to public roads for all users, including motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists, and public transportation users. It requires state, county, and local transportation projects to consider convenient access and mobility for all users through the use of complete street design features. The law applies to projects with both federal and state funding and is subject to Department of Transportation oversight. The projects must consider the convenience and mobility of users of all ages, including those of all ages, in the planning, design, construction, and rehabilitation phases. The law also requires consideration of community support and demonstrated need for transportation projects. The proposed law takes effect 180 days after it becomes a law, but does not apply to transportation projects approved or undertaken prior to that date.
| Jun. 09, 2025 | referred to ways and means |
| Jun. 09, 2025 | DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY |
| Jun. 09, 2025 | PASSED SENATE |
| Jun. 09, 2025 | ORDERED TO THIRD READING CAL.1677 |
| Jun. 09, 2025 | COMMITTEE DISCHARGED AND COMMITTED TO RULES |
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 915 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN SENATE (Prefiled) January 8, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. S. RYAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed 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 (i) in 10 the planning, design, construction, reconstruction and rehabilitation[,11but not including resurfacing, maintenance, or pavement recycling] of 12 such projects; and (ii) in the resurfacing, maintenance and pavement 13 recycling of such projects if the service life of such resurfacing, 14 maintenance or pavement recycling project is at least ten years. 15 § 2. Paragraph (iii) of subdivision (c) of section 331 of the highway 16 law, as added by chapter 398 of the laws of 2011, is amended to read as 17 follows: 18 (iii) demonstrated lack of need as determined by factors, including, 19 but not limited to, land use, current and projected traffic volumes, 20 including population density, or [demonstrates] demonstrated lack of 21 community support; or 22 § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 23 it shall have become a law, provided that it shall not apply to trans- EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD00665-01-5S. 915 2 1 portation projects undertaken or approved prior to the date on which 2 this act shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, 3 amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the 4 implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be 5 made and completed on or before such effective date.