S7399-2011 Actions

• Jun 21, 2012: COMMITTED TO RULES
• Jun 4, 2012: AMENDED ON THIRD READING 7399A
• May 21, 2012: ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
• May 16, 2012: 2ND REPORT CAL.
• May 15, 2012: 1ST REPORT CAL.782
• May 8, 2012: REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION

S7399-2011 Meetings

S7399-2011 Calendars

S7399-2011 Votes

S7399-2011 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S7399

TITLE OF BILL:

An act
to amend the transportation law and the public authorities law, in
relation to the study and examination of the state's roadways and the
thruway in reducing certain motor vehicle risks

PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To improve the safety of the state's roadways and reduce the risk of
crashes.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

The bill would direct the Department of Transportation (DOT), and the
Thruway Authority (Authority), to study and examine the performance
of the state's roadways and the Thruway, respectively, in reducing
the departure of motor vehicles from travel lanes and subsequently
crashing. The study and examination would be required to include, but
not be limited to, high fatality roadway segments and those segments
with hazardous features such as steep slopes, embankments, cliffs,
drop-offs or deep bodies of water. The bill also would direct DOT and
the Authority to each submit annual reports to the governor and the
Legislature to include the number and type of travel lane departure
crashes, the extent to which DOT or the Authority has analyzed crash
data and identified and considered the safety needs of the roadways,
and the measures and strategies that have been undertaken, or plan to
be undertaken, to improve roadway performance and reduce the risk of
travel lane departures and crashes.

EXISTING LAW:

None.

JUSTIFICATION:

Motor vehicle crashes take a terrible human toll on people whether
they are vehicle passengers, motorcyclists, bicyclists, or
pedestrians, depriving individuals of their independence when crashes
cause serious physical injury, and depriving families of their loved
ones and society of valued members when the crashes are fatal. While
there are general downward trends in the number of motor vehicle
fatal crashes and the number of fatalities on New York State's
roadways, more can and should be done to further prevent them. This
bill presents an opportunity to focus on high-risk
sections of road across the State such as those with a high number of
fatal crashes, and those with hazardous features like steep slopes,
embankments, cliffs, drop-offs and deep bodies of water.
Strategies for reducing the risk of vehicles abruptly leaving their

lanes of travel and crashing can and should be identified in order to
reduce the risk of crashes at these high-risk locations to better
protect the safety of the traveling public and prevent future
tragedies.

PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

Minimal.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

This act shall take effect sixty days after it shall have become a law.

S7399-2011 Text

 S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 
 S. 7399                                                 A. 10125
 SENATE - ASSEMBLY
 May 8, 2012
 
 IN  SENATE -- Introduced by Sen. DIAZ -- read twice and ordered printed,
 and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
 IN ASSEMBLY -- Introduced by M. of A. CRESPO, GANTT  --  read  once  and
 referred to the Committee on Transportation
 AN  ACT  to amend the transportation law and the public authorities law,
 in relation to the study and examination of the state's  roadways  and
 the thruway in reducing certain motor vehicle risks
 

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

 

Section 1. 

Section 14 of the transportation law is amended by  adding
 a new subdivision 36 to read as follows:

 36.  TO  STUDY  AND EXAMINE THE PERFORMANCE OF THE STATE'S ROADWAYS IN
 REDUCING THE RISK OF MOTOR VEHICLES DEPARTING THE TRAVEL LANE AND  OVER
 TURNING, OR COLLIDING WITH FIXED OBJECTS, OR COLLIDING WITH MOTORIZED OR
 NON-MOTORIZED  VEHICLES  OR  PEDESTRIANS,  OR  LEAVING THE ROADWAY. SUCH
 STUDY AND EXAMINATION SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, SEGMENTS  OF
 THE  STATE'S  ROADWAYS WITH A HIGH NUMBER OF FATAL CRASHES, AND SEGMENTS
 OF ROADWAY WITH HAZARDOUS FEATURES SUCH AS  STEEP  SLOPES,  EMBANKMENTS,
 CLIFFS, DROP-OFFS OR DEEP BODIES OF WATER. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL SUBMIT
 A   REPORT   ON   LANE   DEPARTURES,  BEGINNING  NO  LATER  THAN  AUGUST
 THIRTY-FIRST, TWO THOUSAND THIRTEEN  AND  ANNUALLY  THEREAFTER,  TO  THE
 GOVERNOR AND THE LEGISLATURE WHICH REPORT SHALL INCLUDE BUT SHALL NOT BE
 LIMITED  TO: (A) THE NUMBER AND TYPE OF TRAVEL LANE DEPARTURE CRASHES ON
 THE STATE'S ROADWAYS INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, FIXED OBJECT,  HEAD
 ON,  CROSS-OVER, ROLLOVER AND SIDESWIPE CRASHES, ROADWAY DEPARTURES, AND
 THOSE INVOLVING NON-MOTORIZED VEHICLES AND PEDESTRIANS; (B)  THE  EXTENT
 TO  WHICH  THE  DEPARTMENT  HAS  ANALYZED  CRASH DATA AND IDENTIFIED AND
 CONSIDERED THE SAFETY NEEDS OF THE STATE'S ROADWAYS  INCLUDING  BUT  NOT
 LIMITED  TO  HIGH-FATALITY SEGMENTS AND SEGMENTS WITH HAZARDOUS FEATURES
 SUCH AS STEEP SLOPES, EMBANKMENTS, CLIFFS, DROP-OFFS OR DEEP  BODIES  OF
 WATER;  AND  (C)  THE  MEASURES  AND  STRATEGIES THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAS
 UNDERTAKEN, OR PLANS TO UNDERTAKE, TO IMPROVE  ROADWAY  PERFORMANCE  AND
 REDUCE THE RISK OF MOTOR VEHICLE TRAVEL LANE DEPARTURES AND CRASHES.
 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD15761-01-2
 
       S. 7399                             2                           A. 10125
 

S  2.

Section 361 of the public authorities law is amended by adding a
 new subdivision 3 to read as follows:

 3.  THE AUTHORITY SHALL STUDY AND EXAMINE THE PERFORMANCE OF THE THRU
 WAY IN REDUCING THE RISK OF MOTOR VEHICLES DEPARTING THE TRAVEL LANE AND
 OVERTURNING, OR COLLIDING WITH FIXED OBJECTS, OR COLLIDING  WITH  MOTOR
 IZED  OR  NON-MOTORIZED VEHICLES OR PEDESTRIANS, OR LEAVING THE THRUWAY.
 SUCH STUDY AND  EXAMINATION  SHALL  INCLUDE,  BUT  NOT  BE  LIMITED  TO,
 SEGMENTS  OF  THE  THRUWAY  WITH  A  HIGH  NUMBER  OF FATAL CRASHES, AND
 SEGMENTS WITH HAZARDOUS FEATURES  SUCH  AS  STEEP  SLOPES,  EMBANKMENTS,
 CLIFFS,  DROP-OFFS OR DEEP BODIES OF WATER. THE AUTHORITY SHALL SUBMIT A
 REPORT ON LANE DEPARTURES, BEGINNING NO LATER THAN AUGUST  THIRTY-FIRST,
 TWO  THOUSAND  THIRTEEN AND ANNUALLY THEREAFTER, TO THE GOVERNOR AND THE
 LEGISLATURE WHICH REPORT SHALL INCLUDE BUT SHALL NOT BE LIMITED TO:  (A)
 THE  NUMBER  AND  TYPE  OF  TRAVEL LANE DEPARTURE CRASHES ON THE THRUWAY
 INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, FIXED OBJECT, HEAD-ON, CROSS-OVER,  ROLL
 OVER  AND  SIDESWIPE  CRASHES,  ROADWAY  DEPARTURES, AND THOSE INVOLVING
 NON-MOTORIZED VEHICLES AND PEDESTRIANS; (B)  THE  EXTENT  TO  WHICH  THE
 AUTHORITY  HAS  ANALYZED  CRASH  DATA  AND IDENTIFIED AND CONSIDERED THE
 SAFETY NEEDS OF THE THRUWAY INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED  TO  HIGH-FATALITY
 SEGMENTS  AND  SEGMENTS  WITH  HAZARDOUS  FEATURES SUCH AS STEEP SLOPES,
 EMBANKMENTS, CLIFFS, DROP-OFFS OR DEEP BODIES  OF  WATER;  AND  (C)  THE
 MEASURES  AND  STRATEGIES THAT THE AUTHORITY HAS UNDERTAKEN, OR PLANS TO
 UNDERTAKE, TO IMPROVE THRUWAY PERFORMANCE AND REDUCE THE RISK  OF  MOTOR
 VEHICLE TRAVEL LANE DEPARTURES AND CRASHES.
 

S  3.  This  act  shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
 have become a law.

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