S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  5281

                       2009-2010 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                            February 11, 2009
                               ___________

Introduced by M. of A. GIANARIS -- read once and referred to the Commit-
  tee on Cities

AN  ACT  to  amend  the  administrative code of the city of New York, in
  relation to the establishment of specific criteria for the  evaluation
  and placement of traffic control signals

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may  be  cited  as
"Stefan's law".
  S  2.  The  administrative  code of the city of New York is amended by
adding a new section 19-180.1 to read as follows:
  S 19-180.1 TRAFFIC CONTROL SIGNALS. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL  ESTABLISH  A
PROCESS BY WHICH IT EVALUATES THE NEED FOR TRAFFIC CONTROL SIGNALS TO BE
PLACED AT INTERSECTIONS WITHIN THE CITY. CRITERIA TO BE INCLUDED IN SUCH
PROCESS  SHALL  INCLUDE,  BUT SHALL NOT BE LIMITED TO, MOTOR VEHICLE AND
PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC VOLUMES, VISIBILITY FOR BOTH MOTOR VEHICLE  OPERATORS
AND  PEDESTRIANS, ANY UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS RELEVANT TO THE LOCATION IN
QUESTION, PROXIMITY OF EXISTING TRAFFIC CONTROL SIGNALS TO THE  LOCATION
IN  QUESTION, AVERAGE VEHICULAR SPEEDS, THE FREQUENCY AND TYPES OF ACCI-
DENTS INVOLVING MOTOR VEHICLES  AND  PEDESTRIANS,  INCLUDING  DAMAGE  TO
PROPERTY,  AT  SPECIFIC INTERSECTIONS BASED UPON INFORMATION AND STATIS-
TICS PROVIDED BY THE POLICE  DEPARTMENT  AND  INSURANCE  COMPANIES,  THE
LIKELY  PRESENCE  OF  SCHOOL  CHILDREN AND BICYCLISTS AND THE ABILITY TO
APPROPRIATELY CONTROL TRAFFIC FLOW BY IMPLEMENTING OTHER TRAFFIC CONTROL
TECHNIQUES, SUCH AS SPEED BUMPS OR SPEED  LIMIT  SIGNS.    WHENEVER  THE
DEPARTMENT  UNDERTAKES SUCH EVALUATION FOLLOWING THE REQUEST OF AN INDI-
VIDUAL, GROUP OR ORGANIZATION FOR THE INSTALLATION OF A TRAFFIC  CONTROL
SIGNAL AT A PARTICULAR INTERSECTION AND SUCH REQUEST IS DENIED AFTER THE
COMPLETION  OF  SUCH  EVALUATION, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PROVIDE A WRITTEN
FINDING TO SUCH INDIVIDUAL, GROUP OR ORGANIZATION UPON REQUEST DETAILING
THE RESULTS OF THE EVALUATION UPON WHICH ITS  DETERMINATION  WAS  BASED.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD05715-01-9
              

A. 5281                             2

SUCH  WRITTEN FINDING SHALL BE PROVIDED WITHIN TEN BUSINESS DAYS OF SUCH
REQUEST, WITH COPIES SENT TO THE MEMBER OF THE STATE ASSEMBLY AND  STATE
SENATOR IN WHOSE DISTRICTS SUCH EVALUATED INTERSECTION IS LOCATED.
  S  3.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
have become a law, provided that any administrative  actions,  including
the promulgation of rules, necessary to implement the provisions of this
act  on  its  effective date are authorized and directed to be taken and
completed on or before such effective date.