The New York State Senate

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

                                  5235

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                            February 13, 2015
                               ___________

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

AN  ACT to direct the department of transportation to conduct a study of
  level grade rail crossings

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

  Section  1. The department of transportation, in consultation with the
metropolitan transportation authority,  the  governor's  traffic  safety
committee,  local government stakeholders, and any other agency or group
the department of transportation deems necessary to enlist the  aid  of,
shall  conduct a statewide study of level grade rail crossings to deter-
mine whether adequate safety measures exist to prevent collisions.  Such
study shall include, but not be limited to, design and safety  of  level
grade  crossings  and  the feasibility of implementing design changes to
increase safety and to reduce the likelihood of  obstruction  at  cross-
ings;  adequacy of traffic and pedestrian warning signals; Federal fund-
ing available for rail safety improvement projects; and the  feasibility
of  equipping  passenger and commuter trains with technology to increase
safety. The department of transportation is authorized  to  conduct  any
necessary  hearings.  Furthermore, the study shall include data on level
grade rail crossings considered to be the  most  dangerous  through  the
state as defined by the participants in the study.
  S  2.  The  commissioner of transportation shall issue a report to the
governor and the legislature with detailed recommendations and  findings
on or before April 1, 2016.
  S 3. This act shall take effect immediately.


 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD09024-02-5

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

                                 5235--A

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                            February 13, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced by M. of A. ABINANTI -- read once and referred to the Commit-
  tee  on  Transportation -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
  reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

AN ACT to direct the department of transportation to conduct a study  of
  level grade rail crossings

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

  Section 1. The department of  transportation  shall,  in  consultation
with  the metropolitan transportation authority, the department of motor
vehicles, the division of state police, the  governor's  traffic  safety
committee, local governments, and any other department, division, board,
bureau, commission, agency or public authority of the state or any poli-
tical subdivision thereof deemed necessary by the commissioner of trans-
portation, conduct a statewide study of highway-railroad grade crossings
to  determine  whether  adequate safety measures exist to prevent colli-
sions between trains and motor vehicles. Such study shall  include,  but
not  be  limited  to,  the  design  and safety of highway-railroad grade
crossings and the feasibility of implementing design changes to increase
safety and to reduce the likelihood of obstruction at such grade  cross-
ings; adequacy of traffic and pedestrian warning signals; the availabil-
ity  of  federal funding for highway-railroad grade crossing improvement
projects; and the feasibility of equipping passenger and commuter trains
with technology to increase safety. Furthermore, the study shall include
data on highway-railroad grade crossing  accidents  and  incidents  that
have  occurred  within  the  state on an annual basis over the past five
years. The commissioner of transportation shall, on or before  April  1,
2016,  submit a report of such study, including detailed recommendations
and findings, to the governor, the temporary president  of  the  senate,
the  speaker  of  the  assembly,  the chair of the senate transportation
committee, the chair of the assembly transportation  committee  and  the
chair  of the assembly corporations, authorities and commissions commit-
tee.
  S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD09024-03-5