Directs CHIPS funds to be used for the purpose of constructing or maintaining bicycle paths, Greenway trails, and other multi-use trails.
Summary
This bill amends New York’s Highway Law to expand the Consolidated Local Highway Assistance Program (CHIPS) so that state aid may be used not only for county, city, town, and village highways, bridges, and highway-railroad crossings, but also for bicycle paths, Greenway trails, and other paved trails for non-motorized use. The bill specifies that these trail projects must be located within, begin at, terminate at, bisect, or transect a highway right-of-way that is not part of the state highway system and is not under state maintenance or operational control.
The bill also adds definitions for “bicycle path” and “Greenway trail.” A Greenway trail is defined to include trails developed under the Environmental Conservation Law or other shared-use paths, including those on former railroad rights-of-way, utility corridors, or canal towpaths, so long as they are separated from vehicle traffic and suitable for non-motorized transportation and recreation. The act would take effect 180 days after becoming law.
Impact
The bill would broaden the permissible uses of CHIPS funding under Highway Law section 10-c, allowing local governments to apply state highway assistance dollars to certain non-motorized trail infrastructure in addition to traditional road and bridge work. It would not alter the state highway system itself, but it would expand the scope of eligible local transportation projects and require the commissioner to administer the program accordingly through rules and regulations.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and available context, the measure appears generally supportive of active transportation and local trail development, with no recorded votes or committee transcript indicating opposition or debate. The caption and statutory changes suggest a policy goal of improving bicycle and pedestrian connectivity by giving municipalities another funding source for trail construction and maintenance.
Contention
The main policy issue is the expansion of CHIPS from core roadway and bridge uses to bicycle and trail projects, which could raise questions about whether highway aid should be diverted from traditional infrastructure needs. The bill narrows eligibility by requiring the trails to be tied to a highway right-of-way outside state jurisdiction, which may reflect an effort to limit the scope of the expansion and address concerns about funding unrelated recreation projects. No specific objections or supporters are documented in the available materials.
Authorizes the use of class one bicycles with electric assist on certain preserves, parks, and other state lands that the department of environmental conservation has authorized the use of bicycles without electric assist; provides that such class one e-bikes be authorized for such use in the same locations and manner as such bicycles without electric assist are authorized to be used.
Requires bicycles advertised for sale or resale in New York state to have an identifying serial number in legible boldfaced figures in one of certain specified areas on the bicycle; requires advertisements for bicycles to clearly and conspicuously include a photograph of such bicycles; exempts online marketplaces from placing identifying serial numbers on bicycles.
Requires slow-moving traffic, trucks, buses, and other certain vehicles use the right two lanes of a multilane roadway and requires all lanes other than the right most two lanes on a multilane highway to be marked with "NO TRUCKS OR BUSES".
Provides for increased fines for overnight parking of tractor-trailer combinations, tractors, truck trailers and semi-trailers on residential streets in the city of New York.
Authorizes the town of Hurley to alienate certain lands used as parklands for the purpose of constructing a new highway garage for the town and to dedicate certain other lands as parklands.