S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    639
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  MAY,  BRISPORT,  BROUK, CLEARE, COONEY, GIANARIS,
   GONZALEZ, GOUNARDES, HARCKHAM, HINCHEY, JACKSON, KAVANAGH, LIU, MARTI-
   NEZ, PALUMBO, RAMOS, SALAZAR, SEPULVEDA  --  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  the  opera-
   tion of bicycles at stop signs and traffic-control signals
 
   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 1231-a to read as follows:
   §  1231-A.  SPECIAL  PROVISIONS  FOR  BICYCLES. 1. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY
 OTHER PROVISION OF LAW, A PERSON OPERATING A BICYCLE APPROACHING A  STOP
 SIGN  SHALL,  BEFORE  ENTERING  THE  INTERSECTION, EITHER SLOW DOWN TO A
 SPEED REASONABLE FOR EXISTING CONDITIONS, OR SHALL STOP IF REQUIRED  FOR
 SAFETY  AT  A  CLEARLY  MARKED  STOP  LINE, BUT IF NONE, THEN SHALL STOP
 BEFORE ENTERING THE CROSSWALK ON THE NEAR SIDE OF THE  INTERSECTION,  OR
 IN  THE EVENT THERE IS NO CROSSWALK, AT THE POINT NEAREST THE INTERSECT-
 ING HIGHWAY WHERE SUCH PERSON OPERATING A BICYCLE  HAS  A  VIEW  OF  THE
 APPROACHING  TRAFFIC ON THE INTERSECTING HIGHWAY.  SUCH PERSON OPERATING
 A BICYCLE SHALL YIELD THE RIGHT OF WAY TO ANY PEDESTRIAN LEGALLY  CROSS-
 ING  THE  HIGHWAY  ON  WHICH  THEY ARE OPERATING THE BICYCLE, AND TO ANY
 VEHICLE IN THE INTERSECTION OR APPROACHING ON ANOTHER HIGHWAY SO CLOSELY
 AS TO CONSTITUTE AN IMMEDIATE HAZARD DURING THE TIME SUCH PERSON OPERAT-
 ING A BICYCLE IS MOVING ACROSS OR WITHIN THE  INTERSECTION.    PROVIDED,
 HOWEVER, THAT IF SUCH PERSON OPERATING A BICYCLE IS INVOLVED IN A COLLI-
 SION  WITH  A PEDESTRIAN IN A CROSSWALK OR A VEHICLE IN THE INTERSECTION
 AFTER OPERATING A BICYCLE PAST A STOP SIGN WITHOUT STOPPING, SUCH COLLI-
 SION SHALL BE DEEMED PRIMA FACIE EVIDENCE OF THEIR FAILURE TO YIELD  THE
 RIGHT OF WAY.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD01920-01-5
 S. 639                              2
 
   2. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW, EXCEPT WHEN DIRECTED TO
 PROCEED  BY A POLICE OFFICER, EVERY PERSON OPERATING A BICYCLE APPROACH-
 ING A STEADY CIRCULAR RED SIGNAL OR RED ARROW SIGNAL OF  A  TRAFFIC-CON-
 TROL  SIGNAL SHALL STOP AT A CLEARLY MARKED STOP LINE, BUT IF NONE, THEN
 SHALL STOP BEFORE ENTERING THE CROSSWALK ON THE NEAR SIDE OF THE  INTER-
 SECTION, OR IN THE EVENT THERE IS NO CROSSWALK, AT THE POINT NEAREST THE
 INTERSECTING  HIGHWAY  WHERE  SUCH  PERSON HAS A VIEW OF THE APPROACHING
 TRAFFIC ON THE  INTERSECTING  HIGHWAY  AND,  AFTER  HAVING  STOPPED  MAY
 CAUTIOUSLY    ENTER THE INTERSECTION TO PROCEED STRAIGHT THROUGH OR TURN
 LEFT OR RIGHT UNLESS A SIGN AT SUCH PLACE PROHIBITS  EITHER  SUCH  TURN.
 SUCH  PERSON  OPERATING A BICYCLE SHALL YIELD THE RIGHT OF WAY TO PEDES-
 TRIANS WITHIN A MARKED OR UNMARKED CROSSWALK  AT  THE  INTERSECTION  AND
 SHALL  YIELD  TO  ANY  VEHICLE  WHICH  HAS ENTERED THE INTERSECTION FROM
 ANOTHER HIGHWAY OR WHICH IS APPROACHING SO CLOSELY ON SAID HIGHWAY AS TO
 CONSTITUTE AN IMMEDIATE HAZARD DURING THE TIME WHEN SUCH PERSON  OPERAT-
 ING A BICYCLE IS MOVING ACROSS OR WITHIN THE INTERSECTION.
   §  2.  This  act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
 have become a law.