Senate Bill S8670

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S8670A

SPONSOR: JACKSON
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to establishing
a central business district toll exemption for certain employees of the
fire department of the city of New York

 
PURPOSE:

To provide a central business district toll exemption for New York City-
Fire Department employees in the titles of firefighter, fire marshal,
marine engineer, pilot, wiper, emergency medical technician and advanced
emergency medical technician.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 of the bill would add a new subdivision 2-b to § 1704-a of the
Vehicle and Traffic Law to provide an exemption from the central busi-
ness district toll for any firefighter, fire marshal, marine engineer,
pilot, wiper, emergency medical technician or advanced emergency medical
              

technician, employed by the New York City Fire Department.

Section 2 provides that the bill shall take effect immediately.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The Central Business District Tolling Zone extends from 60th Street in
Manhattan to all of the roadways south of 60th Street, with exceptions.
Under the toll zone program, passenger vehicles entering or remaining in
the Central Business District would be charged a toll.

The existing statute provides an exemption for any qualifying authorized
emergency vehicle, which includes "fire vehicles" and "emergency ambu-
lance service vehicles". However, these fire and ambulance vehicles are
located and maintained at Firehouses and EMS stations throughout the
five boroughs of New York City, including within the congestion pricing
zone. Regardless of the assigned work location of a Firefighter or EMS
worker, the private vehicles of these employees have become a daily
extension of the Fire Department because any of these employees may be
detailed to a work location either inside or outside of the Central
Business District Tolling Zone. The detailed Firefighter or EMS worker
will learn of their detail assignment after arriving at their normal
work location. If a Firefighter or EMS worker is assigned to work in the
Central Business District, or elsewhere in New York City, and is
detailed to another work location in New York City, then such employee
will have first traveled from their residence to their assigned
location, and then will have to travel with their approximately seventy
(70) pound gear-bag containing carcinogenic gear to the detail location,
and then back to their assigned work location following the detail tour.

This bill would clarify that Firefighters and EMS workers who travel to
their assigned Manhattan Fire and EMS stations, or are detailed from
other areas of the City to work in any Manhattan Fire and EMS station,
for the purpose of fulfilling their duty of protecting the public, will
not incur a toll, which could otherwise result in these Firefighters and
EMS workers paying hundreds or thousands of dollars in tolls each year.

Failure to clarify that the exemption exists for Firefighters and EMS
workers traveling into the Central Business District Tolling Zone to
perform their duty, will lead to these employees using public transpor-
tation, which will create a dangerous physically demanding exercise when
these employees need to travel on foot using public transportation,
while carrying their full gear bag, which consists of bunker gear,
boots, helmet, gloves, personal tools, and a 2nd set of clothing with
personal shower/decontamination supplies (in the event a member must
decontaminate from a fire/incident). In addition, the use of public
transportation by these employees will needlessly expose the public to
this carcinogenic gear. Further, the additional toll costs will be a
disincentive for Firefighters and EMS workers to accept regular work
assignments in the toll zone.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

N/A

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.