BILL NUMBER: S8045

SPONSOR: WALCZYK
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the highway law, in relation to minimum maintenance
roads

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

This chapter amendment includes technical changes to a chapter of the
Laws of 2023 authorizing the Town of Lorraine in Jefferson County to
designate certain town roads as low-volume roads and certain low-volume
roads as minimum maintenance roads.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends the highway law to clarify that nothing in the underly-
ing chapter shall be construed as limiting, diminishing or otherwise
affecting the powers of any municipality other than the Town of
Lorraine.

              

Section 2 includes the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

In 1990, the NYS Local Roads Research and Coordination Council was
established. The Council defined standards for low-volume road classi-
fication. The purpose in designating low-volume roads is to reduce costs
associated with bringing such roads to state or national design stand-
ards. Towns have been adopting local laws designating roads as low-vo-
lume according to the Council's standards.

The minimum maintenance designation would allow the Town of Lorraine to
more effectively utilize its limited resources by focusing maintenance
on roads that are fully utilized by residents.

Roads used to access farm operations, or that have a year-round resi-
dence at the time of designation, could not be designated minimum main-
tenance. This bill also establishes a formal process for any landowners
to petition to discontinue the minimum maintenance designation or to
modify maintenance standards.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2023: Underlying Bill (S.6249) passed Senate and Assembly.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

No negative fiscal implications anticipated.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Same as S.6249, which will take effect 180 days after having been signed
into law.