NYS Complete Streets bill passes unanimously
"After years of advocacy and months of intense pressure on our state officials, the New York State Complete Streets bill has passed," reports Vision Long Island in its e-newsletter, Smart Talk.
The Senate bill, S.5411A passed unanimously on June 20, the smart growth advocacy group, based in Northport, New York, says. The bill was reintroduced in late May by Senator Fuschillo.
The Assembly bill, A.8366 passed shortly thereafter, also unanimously. The organization describes the legislation:
Complete Streets is a policy that designs and builds roads for all users, including bicyclists, public transportation vehicles and passengers, motorists, and pedestrians of all ages and abilities. The New York State bill amends the state highway law and applies to the planning, design, construction, reconstruction and rehabilitation of roadways that receive federal or state funding, mandating that Complete Street design guidelines are at least considered. Design features include sidewalks, bicycle lanes, lane striping, share the road signage, crosswalks, bus pull outs, curb cuts, traffic calming and more.
To date, over 15 municipalities in New York State have passed local Complete Streets laws, including five towns on Long Island (Babylon, Brookhaven, Islip, North Hempstead and Southampton). These policies only apply to local roads, which necessitated a broader state policy as many of the most dangerous roads are state roadways, such as Sunrise Highway and Hempstead Turnpike. At least 25 other states have also implemented Complete Streets policies.
