NY State Senate Bill 2015-S1505

Archive: Last 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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Date of Action	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 06, 2016	referred to transportation
Jan 13, 2015	referred to transportation

2015-S1505 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Transportation
Law Section:: Transportation Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §22, Transp L; add §215-a, Exec L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2011-2012: S5350
2013-2014: S379
2017-2018: S1826
2019-2020: S648
2021-2022: S3950
2023-2024: S6311, S9479

2015-S1505 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires state police presence at certain work zones.

2015-S1505 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                BILL NUMBER:S1505

TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the transportation law and the
executive law, in relation to work requiring members of the state
police at certain work zones

PURPOSE:

This bill requires that a state police officer and car be present at
certain work zones to increase safety.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 defines this bill as DJ's law.

Section 2 amends section 22 subsection (a) of the transportation law,
as added by chapter 223 of the laws of 2005, to add the requirement of
police presence in certain work zones with daily traffic that exceeds
5,000 vehicles per day and has a regularly posted speed in excess of
45mph.

Section 2 also adds a second section to section 22 of the
transportation law, as added by chapter 223 of the laws of 2005, that
requires the department of transportation include the costs associated
with policing in the overall project cost.

Section 3 amends the executive law by adding a new section (215-a)
that lays out the procedure by which off-duty officers will be
selected and compensated for the time they spend in the work zone.

Section 4 is the enacting clause.

JUSTIFICATION:

DJ's law is named for David "DJ" Baldi of Hamburg, NY who was
tragically killed on Tuesday November 16, 2010 while working on a
construction project on Interstate 190-S in Buffalo.

DJ was working on Interstate 190-S, and was following all state and
federal safety regulations when a propane tanker truck swerved across
3 lanes and struck the platform DJ was working on in the right hand
lane. DJ tragically and instantly lost his life. Unfortunately, DJ's
story is not unique. In 2009 there were 667 fatalities as a result of
automobile crashes in work zones across the country.

This bill will help save lives and keep people safe by adding an
additional precaution to get people to slow down and be more aware as
they enter work zones on high-traffic/high-speed roads.

A study conducted by the Transportation Research Board found that in
the long term using a police car with lights flashing and active radar
was successful in reducing speeds by 8.4 mph in one lane closures and
6.4 mph in two lane closures. A similar study found that a stationary
patrol car was able to reduce mean speeds in work zones by between
4-12 mph.


Currently many states including Rhode Island and Arizona, as well as
the city of Boston use uniform police officers in all work zones. In
addition, even more states, including: Alabama, California,
Connecticut, Louisiana, Minnesota, Montana, North Carolina,
Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Wyoming have
responded to surveys saying police presence in work zones has been the
most effective method of ensuring work zone safety. Many states use
some form of policing in some work zones. A survey of state highway
agencies, state law enforcement agencies, contractors, and suppliers
conducted by the Federal Highway Administration found that 72% of
states use highway construction funds to cover the costs associated
with the increased policing.

New York State does have a current program that provides some limited
police presence in work zones. Operation Hard Hat is a program
utilized by DOT and the NYS Thruway Authority that includes NYS
Troopers located inconspicuously in construction zones. This officer
then radios to a chase car further down the road to stop anyone
violating the speed limit. While this program is successful in
punishing those who are speeding it does not necessarily serve as a
warning signal for drivers to slow down as they approach the work
zone. As a result it is not as effective in improving public safety.
Furthermore, Operation Hard Hat is not used in all "high speed, high
traffic" work zones.

An officer stationed in a car at the beginning of any high speed/high
traffic work zone would be a more effective way of protecting those
people who are working on the road.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2013-14: S.379 Referred to Transportation
2011-12: 5.5350 Referred to Transportation

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None as the cost associated with policing would come out of the
Department of Transportation and the New York State Thruway
Authorities existing budget.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

This act shall take effect on the 120th day after it shall have become
a law.

2015-S1505 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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

                                  1505

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                            January 13, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen. KENNEDY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation

AN ACT to amend  the  transportation  law  and  the  executive  law,  in
  relation to work requiring members of the state police at certain work
  zones

  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
"DJ's Law".
  S  2. Section 22 of the transportation law, as added by chapter 223 of
the laws of 2005, is amended to read as follows:
  S 22. Work zone safety and enforcement. 1. The  department  shall,  in
cooperation with the superintendent of state police, the commissioner of
motor  vehicles,  the  chairman of the New York state thruway authority,
local law enforcement agencies and representatives for  contractors  and
laborers,  develop and implement rules and regulations for the increased
safety of work zones. Such rules  and  regulations  shall  include,  but
shall not be limited to[,]:
  (A)  REQUIRING  a  police  presence  at all major active work zones as
defined  by  rules  and  regulations  set  forth  by  the  commissioner,
PROVIDED,  HOWEVER,  THAT  ANY  CONSTRUCTION,  REPAIR  OR STRIPING ON OR
AROUND ANY EXPRESSWAY ON WHICH AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC EXCEEDS FIVE  THOU-
SAND  VEHICLES  PER  DAY  AND  THE  REGULARLY POSTED SPEED LIMIT EXCEEDS
FORTY-FIVE MILES PER HOUR SHALL HAVE A NEW YORK  STATE  TROOPER  PRESENT
WITH  A  RADAR  DETECTOR  AND RED AND BLUE FLASHING LIGHTS TURNED ON ANY
TIME A WORK CREW IS PRESENT;
  (B) the use of radar speed display signs  at  all  major  active  work
zones  as  defined by rules and regulations set forth by the commission-
er[,]; and
  (C) a system for reviewing work zone safety and design  for  all  work
zones under the jurisdiction of the department.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD03209-01-5

S. 1505                             2

  2.  THE  DEPARTMENT  SHALL  INCLUDE THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH POLICING
PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH (A) OF SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION AS PART  OF
THE  OVERALL  PROJECT  COST  THEREBY  INCLUDING SUCH COST IN THE BIDDING
PROCESS.  THE COSTS SHALL BE INCLUDED AND ITEMIZED UNDER THAT PORTION OF
THE BID LABELED MAINTENANCE AND PROTECTION OF TRAFFIC.
  S  3.  The  executive  law is amended by adding a new section 215-a to
read as follows:
  S 215-A. STATE POLICE AT CERTAIN WORK ZONES.  1.  ANY  MEMBER  OF  THE
STATE  POLICE MAY VOLUNTEER TO WORK FOR THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION, PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH (A) OF SUBDIVISION ONE OF  SECTION
TWENTY-TWO OF THE TRANSPORTATION LAW.
  2.  PAYMENT FOR SUCH WORK SHALL BE AT SUCH MEMBER'S CURRENT PAY SCALE,
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF  TRANSPORTATION
SHALL PAY SUCH MEMBERS.
  S 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
it  shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
tation of this act on its effective date is authorized to be made on  or
before such effective date.

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Senate Bill S1505

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Transportation Committee

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2015-S1505 (ACTIVE) - Details

2015-S1505 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2015-S1505 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2015-S1505 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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Sponsored By

Timothy M. Kennedy

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Transportation Committee

Actions

2015-S1505 (ACTIVE) - Details

2015-S1505 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2015-S1505 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2015-S1505 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments