NY State Senate Bill 2025-S915

Senate Bill S915

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Enables safe access to public roads for all users by utilizing complete street design principles

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Transportation Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 08, 2025	referred to transportation

2025-S915 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A1077
Current Committee:: Senate Transportation
Law Section:: Highway Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §331, Hway L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2013-2014: S6340
2015-2016: S764
2017-2018: S1801
2019-2020: S1549
2021-2022: S5130, A7782
2023-2024: S2714, S9718, A1280

2025-S915 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Enables safe access to public roads for all users by utilizing complete street design principles.

2025-S915 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S915

SPONSOR: RYAN S
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the highway law, in relation to enabling safe access to
public roads for all users by utilizing complete street design princi-
ples

 
PURPOSE:

To include, when possible, complete street design features in resurfac-
ing, maintenance and pavement recycling projects and further enable safe
access to public roads for all users, if the service life of such resur-
facing, maintenance, or pavement recycling project is at least ten
years.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1: amends subdivision (a) of section 331 of the highway law to
include complete streets design features in resurfacing, maintenance and
pavement recycling projects that are subject to the department of trans-

portation's oversight and which have a service life of at least ten
years.

Section 2: amends subdivision (c) of section 313 of highway law to
address demonstrated lack of need.

Section 3: sets the effective date for this act.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

New York State's Complete Streets Law, which requires the Department of
Transportation to consider the convenient access and mobility on the
road network by all users of all ages, including motorists, pedestrians,
bicyclists, and public transportation users with complete street design
features, only applies to projects classified as construction, recon-
struction or rehabilitation. The law specifically excludes projects
classified as resurfacing, maintenance and pavement recycling, which
dramatically decreases the projects in which complete streets design
features are used.

As a result of the state Department of Transportation's Preservation
First policy, nearly 80 percent of transportation funding and numerous
road projects exclude pedestrian and bicycling infrastructure, according
to the Tri-State Transportation Campaign.  This exclusion of a key
component of complete-streets design runs contrary to the original
intent of the state's Complete Streets law, and this bill would address
the issue and strengthen the law.

By reforming our state's Complete Streets law, this legislation would
make dangerous intersections and roadways safer for pedestrians and
bicyclists. It would ensure our children have safer routes to school and
provide local families with more opportunities to walk and bike safely.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2023-2024: S.9718/A.1280 Passed Senate

2021-2022: A. A7782 Referred to Transportation

2019-20: S.1549A

2017-18: S.1801 Referred to Transportation

2015-16: S.764 Referred to Transportation 2013-14: S6340 Referred to
Transportation

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

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

2025-S915 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    915
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. S. RYAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
 
 AN ACT to amend the highway law, in relation to enabling safe access  to
   public roads for all users by utilizing complete street design princi-
   ples

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subdivision (a) of section 331 of the highway law, as added
 by chapter 398 of the laws of 2011, is amended to read as follows:
   (a) For all state, county and local transportation projects  that  are
 undertaken  by  the department or receive both federal and state funding
 and are subject to department of transportation oversight,  the  depart-
 ment  or  agency with jurisdiction over such projects shall consider the
 convenient access and mobility on the road network by all users  of  all
 ages, including motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists, and public transpor-
 tation  users  through the use of complete street design features (I) in
 the planning, design, construction, reconstruction and  rehabilitation[,
 but  not  including  resurfacing, maintenance, or pavement recycling] of
 such projects; AND (II) IN THE  RESURFACING,  MAINTENANCE  AND  PAVEMENT
 RECYCLING  OF  SUCH  PROJECTS  IF  THE SERVICE LIFE OF SUCH RESURFACING,
 MAINTENANCE OR PAVEMENT RECYCLING PROJECT IS AT LEAST TEN YEARS.
   § 2. Paragraph (iii) of subdivision (c) of section 331 of the  highway
 law,  as added by chapter 398 of the laws of 2011, is amended to read as
 follows:
   (iii) demonstrated lack of need as determined by  factors,  including,
 but  not  limited  to,  land use, current and projected traffic volumes,
 including population density, or  [demonstrates]  DEMONSTRATED  lack  of
 community support; or
   § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it  shall  have become a law, provided that it shall not apply to trans-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD00665-01-5
 S. 915                              2
 
 portation projects undertaken or approved prior to  the  date  on  which
 this  act shall have become a law.  Effective immediately, the addition,
 amendment and/or repeal of any rule  or  regulation  necessary  for  the
 implementation  of  this  act on its effective date are authorized to be
 made and completed on or before such effective date.

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