Senate Bill S3599

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

                                  3599

                       2009-2010 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                             March 25, 2009
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sens.  KRUEGER,  HASSELL-THOMPSON,  HUNTLEY, MONSERRATE,
  PERKINS -- read twice and ordered printed,  and  when  printed  to  be
  committed to the Committee on Transportation

AN  ACT  to  amend the transportation law, in relation to establishing a
  bus rapid  transit  demonstration  project;  making  an  appropriation
  therefor  and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expira-
  tion thereof

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

  Section 1. Legislative intent.  The legislature recognizes that trans-
portation  and community-planning officials all over the world are exam-
ining improved public transportation solutions to mobility issues.  Such
renewed  interest  in  transit  reflects  the understanding that current
methods of bus transit are inadequate to address increases in  ridership
and  the  continuing  decline  of  bus speeds throughout the city of New
York. Such concerns have led to a  re-examination  of  existing  transit
technologies  and the embrace of new, creative ways of providing transit
service and performance. The legislature finds bus rapid transit can  be
an  extremely cost-effective way of providing high-quality, high-perfor-
mance transit.  Bus rapid transit, while inexpensive to implement,  will
address  current problems such as long journey and board times and serve
as a catalyst towards further increases in  ridership.  The  legislature
further  finds  that  bus rapid transit will not only increase ridership
but also create a new and more diverse class of bus riders  in  prepara-
tion for the opening of the second avenue subway.
  Therefore,  this legislature intends to authorize the establishment of
a bus rapid transit demonstration project in New York city and to  moni-
tor such project's statewide expansion possibilities.
  S 2. The transportation law is amended by adding a new section 31-b to
read as follows:

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD10078-01-9

              

S. 3599                             2

  S  31-B.  BUS RAPID TRANSIT DEMONSTRATION PROJECT. 1. THE COMMISSIONER
SHALL UNDERTAKE A BUS RAPID TRANSIT DEMONSTRATION  PROJECT  PURSUANT  TO
SECTION  THIRTY-ONE  OF  THIS ARTICLE, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE NEW YORK
CITY TRANSIT AUTHORITY AND THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT  OF  TRANSPORTA-
TION,  ALONG BUS ROUTES ON FIRST AND SECOND AVENUES IN THE COUNTY OF NEW
YORK.
  2. THE FEATURES OF THE BRT PROJECT SHALL INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
  A. DEDICATED RUNNING WAYS,
  B. STATIONS AND BUS STOPS,
  C. DISTINCTIVE EASY-TO-BOARD VEHICLES,
  D. EXPEDITED FARE COLLECTION, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO OFF-VEHICLE
FARE COLLECTION, AND
  E. FREQUENT ALL-DAY SERVICE.
  3. A.  RUNNING WAYS FOR THE BRT PROJECT SHALL  INCLUDE  MIXED  TRAFFIC
LANES,  CURB BUS LANES, AND MEDIAN BUSWAYS ON CITY STREETS.  THE COMMIS-
SIONER, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT AUTHORITY AND THE
NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION,  SHALL  IDENTIFY,  PLAN  AND
DESIGN RECOMMENDED CORRIDORS FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BRT PROJECT ALONG
BUS ROUTES ON FIRST AND SECOND AVENUES IN THE COUNTY OF NEW YORK.
  B.  VEHICLES  FOR THE BRT PROJECT SHALL INCLUDE STANDARD AND/OR ARTIC-
ULATED DIESEL BUSES. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL CONSIDER THE USE OF LOW-SUL-
FUR DIESEL FUEL  BUSES,  DIESEL-ELECTRIC  HYBRID  BUSES  AND  COMPRESSED
NATURAL GAS BUSES.  ALL BUSES ON THESE ROUTES SHALL ALSO BE "LOW-FLOOR",
"ONE-STEP" BUSES.
  C.  NEW FARE COLLECTION TECHNIQUES SHALL BE STUDIED AND IMPLEMENTED IN
ORDER TO DECREASE PASSENGER BOARDING TIMES. EXAMPLES INCLUDE THE  ELIMI-
NATION  OF  CASH-FARES  DURING  PEAK HOURS, THE INSTALLMENT OF DUAL-FARE
BOXES, COLLECTING FARES AT BUS STATIONS, A "PROOF-OF-PAYMENT" SYSTEM  OR
THE  DEVELOPMENT  OF  "SMART-CARDS" WHICH ALLOW PASSENGERS TO WAVE THEIR
BUS PASSES AT A READER AND ELIMINATES THE NEED FOR RIDERS TO  DIP  THEIR
METROCARD.
  D.    INTELLIGENT  TRAFFIC  AND  VEHICLE  MANAGEMENT  SYSTEMS SHALL BE
STUDIED AND IMPLEMENTED AS A MEANS TO COMBAT BUS BUNCHING.  EXAMPLES  OF
SUCH  MEASURES  INCLUDE  AUTOMATED VEHICLE LOCATION SYSTEMS (AVLS) WHICH
DETECT THE LOCATION OF BUSES AND THEIR SPEED, AUTOMATIC PASSENGER COUNT-
ERS (APC) WHICH RELAY  INFORMATION  ON  BUS  AND  BUS  STATION  COUNTING
COMBINED WITH REAL TIME DISPATCHERS WHICH UTILIZE AVLS AND APC TECHNOLO-
GY  TO  ORDER  DRIVERS  TO SLOW DOWN OR SPEED UP, AND THE INTEGRATION OF
AVLS AND APC TECHNOLOGY WHICH WOULD ALLOW BUS DRIVERS TO  HOLD  A  GREEN
LIGHT FOR TEN PERCENT LONGER IF NECESSARY.
  E.   THE NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT AUTHORITY AND THE NEW YORK CITY DEPART-
MENT OF TRANSPORTATION SHALL EXECUTE  A  PUBLIC  RELATIONS  CAMPAIGN  TO
RAISE THE AWARENESS OF BRT SYSTEMS AND REINFORCE A POSITIVE IMAGE OF BRT
WITH  THE  PASSENGERS  IT  SERVES.  SUCH INNOVATIONS COMBINED WITH OTHER
COMPONENTS OF BRT SHALL BE ANALYZED TO INCREASE RIDERSHIP.  EXAMPLES  OF
SUCH  OTHER  INNOVATIONS  SHALL  INCLUDE  THE  USE  OF DISTINCTIVE COLOR
SCHEMES AND SYMBOLS  OR  "BRANDING,"  THE  CONSTRUCTION  OF  UNIQUE  BUS
STATIONS  WITH WELL-LIT SHELTERS, SEATING AND PARTIAL WEATHER PROTECTION
AS WELL AS TICKET VENDING MACHINES, BUS MAPS AT EVERY STATION  AND  REAL
TIME  INFORMATION  WHICH  INFORMS  PASSENGERS WHEN THE NEXT EXPECTED BUS
WILL ARRIVE.
  4. THE COMMISSIONER, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE NEW  YORK  CITY  TRANSIT
AUTHORITY  AND  THE  NEW  YORK  CITY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, SHALL
DEVELOP PHASES OF THE BRT PROJECT. THE FIRST PHASE SHALL  INCLUDE  IDEN-
TIFICATION OF CORRIDORS, SUB-CORRIDORS AND SUB-AREAS OF THE BRT PROJECT.

S. 3599                             3

THE  SECOND  PHASE  SHALL  INCLUDE PRELIMINARY DESIGN AND STRATEGIES FOR
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BRT PROJECT.
  5.  ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER THIRTY-FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TEN, AND ANNUALLY
THEREAFTER, THE COMMISSIONER, IN CONSULTATION WITH  THE  NEW  YORK  CITY
TRANSIT  AUTHORITY  AND  THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION,
SHALL REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR, THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, THE
MINORITY LEADER OF THE SENATE, THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, THE MINORITY
LEADER OF THE ASSEMBLY, THE MAYOR OF THE CITY  OF  NEW  YORK,  THE  CITY
COUNCIL  OF  THE  CITY  OF NEW YORK, AND THE METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION
AUTHORITY. EACH SUCH REPORT SHALL:
  A. DESCRIBE THE PROGRESS THAT HAS BEEN MADE DEVELOPING AND  IMPLEMENT-
ING  THE  BRT  PROJECT, INCLUDING COSTS AND USAGE ESTIMATES ATTRIBUTABLE
THERETO, IN RELATION TO ACHIEVING AN  INTEGRATED  ACCESSIBLE  BUS  RAPID
TRANSIT SYSTEM IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK.
  B.  ASSESS  THE  NEED  FOR  CHANGES IN THE CURRENT MASS TRANSPORTATION
SYSTEM AND THE BRT PROJECT BASED ON  TECHNOLOGICAL  ADVANCES  AND  OTHER
CHANGING CONDITIONS AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR COORDINATION AND EXPAN-
SION OF THE BRT PROJECT WITH OTHER PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AND SPECIALIZED
TRANSPORTATION SERVICES IN THE REGION AND THE STATE; AND
  C.  INCLUDE SUCH OTHER ELEMENTS AS MAY BE DEEMED NECESSARY TO EVALUATE
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE BRT PROJECT.
  6. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION:
  A.  "BUS  RAPID  TRANSIT"  IS  A  FLEXIBLE,  RUBBER-TIRED   LIGHT-RAIL
RAPID-TRANSIT  MODE  THAT COMBINES STATIONS, VEHICLES, SERVICES, RUNNING
WAYS, AND INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM ELEMENTS INTO AN  INTEGRATED
SYSTEM. BUS RAPID TRANSIT APPLICATIONS ARE DESIGNED TO BE APPROPRIATE TO
THE  MARKET SUCH TRANSIT SERVES AND SUCH TRANSIT'S PHYSICAL SURROUNDING.
BUS RAPID TRANSIT IS AN INTEGRATED SYSTEM OF FACILITIES,  SERVICES,  AND
AMENITIES THAT COLLECTIVELY IMPROVES THE SPEED, RELIABILITY, AND IDENTI-
TY OF BUS TRANSIT.
  B. "THE BRT PROJECT" MEANS THE BUS RAPID TRANSIT DEMONSTRATION PROJECT
CREATED BY THIS SECTION.
  S  3. The sum of five million dollars ($5,000,000), or so much thereof
as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the department of  trans-
portation out of any moneys in the state treasury in the general fund to
the  credit of the local assistance account, not otherwise appropriated,
and made immediately available, for the purpose of carrying  out  phases
one and two of the bus rapid transit demonstration project as identified
by  the commissioner of transportation, as provided by the provisions of
this act. Such moneys shall be payable on the audit and warrant  of  the
comptroller  on  vouchers  certified  or approved by the commissioner of
transportation in the manner prescribed by law.
  S 4. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire March 31,
2020 when upon such date the provisions of  this  act  shall  be  deemed
repealed.