Assembly Bill A10399

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10399
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               March 3, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. ZINERMAN -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Transportation
 
 AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to enacting the
   "real accessible pedestrian signal act"
 
   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
 the "real accessible pedestrian signal act".
   § 2. Legislative findings. The legislature finds that DeafBlind pedes-
 trians  and  others  with  combined  sensory disabilities cannot rely on
 visual, audio, or unraised text instructions to safely cross streets. To
 ensure effective communication and  independent  navigation,  accessible
 pedestrian signals must include tactile features such as braille, raised
 lettering, and raised lines.
   §  3.  The  vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new section
 1118 to read as follows:
   § 1118. ACCESSIBLE PEDESTRIAN SIGNALS. (A) DEFINITIONS.  FOR  PURPOSES
 OF THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   1.  "PEDESTRIAN  SIGNAL"  MEANS  A  TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICE DESIGNED TO
 REGULATE PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC.
   2. "ACCESSIBLE PEDESTRIAN SIGNAL" MEANS A PEDESTRIAN  SIGNAL  DESIGNED
 TO  ASSIST  PEDESTRIANS  WITH  VISUAL,  AUDITORY,  PHYSICAL, OR COMBINED
 SENSORY DISABILITIES IN LOCATING AND ACTIVATING THE PEDESTRIAN PHASE.
   3. "TACTILE MAP" MEANS A TACTILE SIGN OR SURFACE AFFIXED TO  OR  INTE-
 GRATED  WITH  AN  ACCESSIBLE  PEDESTRIAN  SIGNAL  THAT UTILIZES BRAILLE,
 RAISED LETTERING, AND RAISED LINES TO CONVEY INFORMATION  NECESSARY  FOR
 SAFE PEDESTRIAN CROSSING.
   4.  "PUSHBUTTON  LOCATOR  TONES"  MEANS TONES EMITTED BY AN ACCESSIBLE
 PEDESTRIAN SIGNAL TO ASSIST  PEDESTRIANS  WITH  VISUAL  DISABILITIES  IN
 LOCATING THE PUSHBUTTON.
   (B)  REQUIREMENT  OF  ACCESSIBILITY  IN  PEDESTRIAN SIGNALS. 1. IN ANY
 TOWN, CITY,  OR  VILLAGE,  ALL  PEDESTRIAN  SIGNAL  UNITS  INSTALLED  OR
 CONSTRUCTED  ON  OR  AFTER  THE  EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE
 ACCESSIBLE PEDESTRIAN SIGNALS AND SHALL INCLUDE TACTILE MAPS.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD14865-01-6
 A. 10399                            2
 
   2. PEDESTRIAN SIGNAL UNITS INSTALLED PRIOR TO THE  EFFECTIVE  DATE  OF
 THIS  SECTION SHALL NOT BE REQUIRED TO BE RETROFITTED OR REPLACED SOLELY
 TO COMPLY WITH THIS SECTION, BUT SHALL BE BROUGHT INTO  COMPLIANCE  ONLY
 WHEN SUCH UNITS ARE REPLACED OR UPGRADED AS PART OF ROUTINE MAINTENANCE,
 REPAIR, MODERNIZATION, OR END-OF-LIFE REPLACEMENT.
   3. TACTILE MAPS SHALL INCLUDE, AT MINIMUM:
   A.  IDENTIFICATION  OF THE RELEVANT INTERSECTION AND CROSSING LOCATION
 (FOR EXAMPLE, "NORTHEAST CORNER OF 42ND STREET AND BROADWAY");
   B. INSTRUCTIONS FOR OPERATING THE SIGNAL, INCLUDING IDENTIFICATION  OF
 TACTILE, VIBRATORY, VISUAL, OR AUDIBLE FEATURES; AND
   C.  RAISED  AND  BRAILLE  TEXT  IDENTIFYING THE CROSSING DIRECTION AND
 ORIENTATION.
   (C) CLARIFICATION OF APPLICABILITY AND LIMITATIONS. 1. NOTHING IN THIS
 SECTION SHALL BE CONSTRUED TO REQUIRE ANY MUNICIPALITY,  THE  DEPARTMENT
 OF  TRANSPORTATION,  THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION OF THE CITY OF NEW
 YORK OR ANY MUNICIPAL DEPARTMENT RESPONSIBLE FOR  THE  INSTALLATION  AND
 MAINTENANCE  OF  PEDESTRIAN  SIGNALS  TO  ACCELERATE PLANNED REPLACEMENT
 SCHEDULES OR INCUR COSTS BEYOND ORDINARY CAPITAL REPLACEMENT CYCLES.
   2. THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, THE DEPARTMENT OF  TRANSPORTATION
 OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK AND ANY MUNICIPAL DEPARTMENT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE
 INSTALLATION  AND  MAINTENANCE  OF  PEDESTRIAN  SIGNALS  MAY CONTINUE TO
 INSTALL AND DEPLOY ACCESSIBLE PEDESTRIAN SIGNAL UNITS OWNED OR  HELD  IN
 INVENTORY PRIOR TO THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION, UNTIL SUCH INVEN-
 TORY IS EXHAUSTED.
   (D)  MAINTENANCE OF PUSHBUTTON LOCATOR TONES. PUSHBUTTON LOCATOR TONES
 SHALL BE MAINTAINED IN WORKING CONDITION  AND  SHALL  REMAIN  REASONABLY
 CAPABLE  OF DIRECTING PEDESTRIANS WITH VISUAL DISABILITIES TO THE ACCES-
 SIBLE PEDESTRIAN SIGNAL UNIT.
   (E) PRIORITY OF INSTALLATION OF ACCESSIBLE PEDESTRIAN SIGNALS. NOTHING
 IN THIS SECTION SHALL BE CONSTRUED TO DELAY, POSTPONE, OR  DIMINISH  ANY
 EXISTING  OBLIGATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, THE DEPARTMENT
 OF TRANSPORTATION OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK OR  ANY  MUNICIPAL  DEPARTMENT
 RESPONSIBLE  FOR  THE INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE OF PEDESTRIAN SIGNALS
 TO INSTALL ACCESSIBLE PEDESTRIAN SIGNALS, REPLACE NON-ACCESSIBLE  PEDES-
 TRIAN  SIGNALS,  REPAIR  MALFUNCTIONING  UNITS, OR COMPLY WITH ANY COURT
 ORDER OR SETTLEMENT CURRENTLY IN EFFECT IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
   (F) RESPONSIBILITY. THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION,  THE  DEPARTMENT
 OF  TRANSPORTATION  OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK AND ANY MUNICIPAL DEPARTMENT
 RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE OF  PEDESTRIAN  SIGNALS
 SHALL  BE RESPONSIBLE FOR COMPLIANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION
 RELATIVE TO ANY  ACCESSIBLE  PEDESTRIAN  SIGNAL  UNIT  OVER  WHICH  SUCH
 DEPARTMENT HAS JURISDICTION.
   §  4.  This  act  shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
 have become a law.