S1547-2011 Actions

• Jan 4, 2012: REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION
• Jan 10, 2011: REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION

S1547-2011 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S1547

TITLE  OF BILL:  An act to amend the public authorities law, in relation
to prohibiting the consumption of food in New York city subways

PURPOSE OF THE BILL:  The purpose of this legislation is to mitigate the
growing rat infestation in the NYC subway system.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

� 1- Public authorities law is amended by adding a new section  1277  -b
which prohibits the consumption of food on subway trains.

Subdivision  2. Establishes fines and other punitive actions for a fail-
ure to adhere to the prohibition.

Subdivision 3. Requires all fines collected pursuant to subdivision 2 of
this section be deposited to the credit of the New York subway littering
prevention fund established pursuant to  section  97-uuu  of  the  state
finance law.

� 2- Effective Date.

JUSTIFICATION:    Most people have a visceral reaction to rats, but that
alone is not why we must make every effort to rid them from our subways.
Rats can carry and transmit diseases, some of which are fatal to humans,
dogs, and other animals. Rats can spread disease  through  their  urine,
feces and from bites. Leptospirosis, for example, is a rat borne illness
that  may cause kidney and liver damage, meningitis (inflammation of the
membrane around the brain and spinal cord)  and  respiratory  difficulty
can  result. Rats also carry parasites like fleas, worms and mites which
can spread diseases as well. The public health  crisis  underscores  the
potential  danger  posed by an out of control rat population. In partic-
ular, New York city's subway system, with its densely packed trains  and
enclosed spaces, provides an ideal environment for communicable diseases
to spread quickly.

New  Yorkers  think we have a serious rodent problem in our subways that
cart be resolved. This is the news that comes from a  district-wide  rat
survey  conducted by my office. Over 15,000 surveys were distributed, in
the mail, on-line and in-person at train stations.  People's passion for
this issue was evident wherever we handed out surveys.  Within  days  of
our  mailing, we received stacks of mail from constituents who had taken
the time to fill out, stamp and mail back our surveys. The response  was
overwhelming.

As the results came in, three things are clear: NYC residents overwhelm-
ingly  stated  they are facing a severe problem, and that the problem of
rats rampaging through the subway is partly due to inept pest-control by
the Metropolitan Transit Authority  and  most  feel  strongly  that  the
conduct of train customers, eating in stations, on trains, and careless-

ly discarding refuse on the tracks or platforms, plays an important role
in  compounding  the  problem. New York City is considered by many to be
the capital of the world. As one of the busiest cities  in  the  country
with  one  of  the  largest  transportation systems, we have to take the
problem of rats more seriously.

PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:  2012 (S.6312): Referred  to  Transportation;
Finance

FISCAL  IMPLICATIONS:   No cost to the state. In fact, the fines associ-
ated with this legislation creates an additional revenue stream for  the
New York subway littering prevention fund.

EFFECTIVE DATE:  This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it
shall have become a law.

S1547-2011 Text

 S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 
 
                                         1547
 2011-2012 Regular Sessions
 I N  SENATE
 January 10, 2011
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. SAMPSON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
 printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
 

AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in  relation  to  requiring
 all-way  stop signs erected at all intersections immediately surround
 ing a public or private school
 THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

Section  1.  The  vehicle  and  traffic law is amended by adding a new
 section 1229-e to read as follows:

 

S 1229-E. ALL-WAY STOP  SIGNS,  PUBLIC  OR  PRIVATE  SCHOOLS,  CERTAIN
 CITIES.    NOTWITHSTANDING  ANY  OTHER  LAW,  RULE  OR REGULATION TO THE
 CONTRARY, IN A CITY HAVING A POPULATION OF ONE MILLION  OR  MORE,  THERE
 SHALL  BE  ERECTED  AN ALL-WAY STOP SIGN AT EVERY INTERSECTION OR CORNER
 IMMEDIATELY SURROUNDING A PUBLIC OR PRIVATE SCHOOL, EXCEPT  WHERE  THERE
 IS A TRAFFIC SIGNAL ALREADY LOCATED AT SUCH INTERSECTION.
 

S  2.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
 have become a law. Provided that the commissioner of motor  vehicles  is
 immediately  authorized  and directed to promulgate, amend and/or repeal
 any rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of  this
 act on its effective date.
 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD06078-01-1

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