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Memo

BILL NUMBER:S255

TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to marking parking spaces reserved for handicapped persons as tow-away zones

PURPOSE: To Amend the vehicle and traffic law to clearly identify parking spots for use by handicapped persons and to mark them as tow-away zones.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS: Section 1: Paragraph (a) of subdivision 2 of section 1203-c of the vehicle and traffic law, as amended by chapter 199 of the laws of 2005, is amended stating that parking spaces designated for the handicapped will also include a separate sign attached below existing above grade signs marking such spaces as tow-away zones.

JUSTIFICATION: Individuals with disabilities require the access of a handicapped parking space to visit a medical center, hospital, physician's office, retail store, supermarket, government building, or educational facility. Such parking spaces should be clearly identified for use by handicapped persons with conspicuous and permanently installed above grade signs displaying the international symbol of access that are positioned a distance from the parking space that may also include blue painted lines or markings on the pavement.

Despite such clear markings, however, many motorists illegally park in the spaces preventing those persons who are handicapped to park in their rightful spaces. Many health care professionals and advocates for the disabled have advocated for the additional sign labeling the spaces as tow-away zones to further deter people from parking in these spaces.

BILL HISTORY: S.7173-A/A.10353 of 2006; Referred to Transportation. S.1610 of 2007/2008; Referred to Transportation. S.3222 of 2009/2010; Referred to Transportation.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: To be determined.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become law.

Text

STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________

255

2011-2012 Regular Sessions

IN SENATE

(PREFILED)

January 5, 2011
___________

Introduced  by  Sens.  MAZIARZ, GRIFFO, LARKIN -- read twice and ordered
  printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee  on  Trans-
  portation

AN  ACT  to  amend  the  vehicle and traffic law, in relation to marking
  parking spaces reserved for handicapped persons as tow-away zones

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1.  Paragraph  (a)  of subdivision 2 of section 1203-c of the
vehicle and traffic law, as amended by chapter 199 of the laws of  2005,
is amended to read as follows:
  (a)  The  parking spaces designated pursuant to the provisions of this
section shall be clearly identified for use by handicapped persons which
designation shall include conspicuous and  permanently  installed  above
grade  signs  which display the international symbol of access and which
shall be positioned from the parking space surface at a  height  of  not
less  than five feet nor more than seven feet and may include the use of
blue painted lines or markings. Such parking spaces also [may] SHALL  be
marked as tow-away zones.
  S  2. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a
law.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD01675-01-1