Senate Bill S10623

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10623
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               June 1, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  BYNOE  -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
 
 AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to establishing
   a highway safety corridor on the Southern State Parkway
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section  1.    The  vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new
 article 34-E to read as follows:
                                ARTICLE 34-E
              SOUTHERN STATE PARKWAY HIGHWAY SAFETY CORRIDOR
 SECTION 1300.  LEGISLATIVE INTENT.
         1301. DEFINITIONS.
         1302. SOUTHERN STATE PARKWAY HIGHWAY SAFETY CORRIDOR.
         1303. TRAFFIC CONTROL SIGNS.
         1304. ENHANCED TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT.
         1305. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
   § 1300. LEGISLATIVE INTENT. THE LEGISLATURE HEREBY FINDS AND  DECLARES
 THAT  THE SOUTHERN STATE PARKWAY HAS EXPERIENCED A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF
 SPEEDING-RELATED CRASHES AND RECKLESS DRIVING INCIDENTS,  INJURIES,  AND
 FATALITIES,  CREATING  SUBSTANTIAL  RISKS  TO  MOTORISTS AND THE GENERAL
 PUBLIC. THE LEGISLATURE FURTHER FINDS THAT THE  NEW  YORK  STATE  POLICE
 HAVE  UNDERTAKEN  TARGETED TRAFFIC SAFETY INITIATIVES, INCLUDING "OPERA-
 TION SOUTHERN SHIELD," TO  INCREASE  ENFORCEMENT  AND  REDUCE  DANGEROUS
 DRIVING  BEHAVIOR  ALONG  THE  SOUTHERN  STATE  PARKWAY. THE LEGISLATURE
 THEREFORE DECLARES THAT DESIGNATING A HIGHWAY SAFETY  CORRIDOR  ALONG  A
 PORTION  OF  THE SOUTHERN STATE PARKWAY, TOGETHER WITH ENHANCED ENFORCE-
 MENT, TRAFFIC SAFETY MONITORING, AND PUBLIC  NOTIFICATION  MEASURES,  IS
 NECESSARY TO PROTECT THE HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WELFARE OF THE PUBLIC.
   § 1301. DEFINITIONS. AS USED IN THIS ARTICLE:
   1.  "COMMISSIONER"  SHALL  MEAN  THE COMMISSIONER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF
 TRANSPORTATION.
   2. "SOUTHERN STATE PARKWAY HIGHWAY SAFETY  CORRIDOR"  SHALL  MEAN  THE
 PORTION  OF  THE  SOUTHERN STATE PARKWAY BETWEEN EXIT SEVENTEEN AND EXIT
 THIRTY-ONE.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD07012-05-6
 S. 10623                            2
 
   3. "HIGHWAY SAFETY CORRIDOR", OR "CORRIDOR", SHALL MEAN A SECTION OF A
 HIGHWAY WHICH HAS A DANGEROUS TRAFFIC AND ACCIDENT HISTORY NECESSITATING
 INCREASED PENALTIES AND ENHANCED ENFORCEMENT TO  MITIGATE  FUTURE  INCI-
 DENTS.
   §  1302.  SOUTHERN  STATE PARKWAY HIGHWAY SAFETY CORRIDOR. THE AREA OF
 THE SOUTHERN STATE PARKWAY BETWEEN EXIT SEVENTEEN AND EXIT THIRTY-ONE IS
 HEREBY DESIGNATED A HIGHWAY SAFETY CORRIDOR FOR  THE  PURPOSES  OF  THIS
 ARTICLE.
   §  1303.  TRAFFIC CONTROL SIGNS. 1. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL INSTALL AND
 MAINTAIN SIGNAGE IDENTIFYING THE BEGINNING AND THE END OF  THE  SOUTHERN
 STATE PARKWAY HIGHWAY SAFETY CORRIDOR, PURSUANT TO THIS ARTICLE.
   2.  A  SIGN READING "HIGHWAY SAFETY CORRIDOR - FINES DOUBLED" SHALL BE
 INSTALLED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CORRIDOR AND  AFTER  EACH  INTERCHANGE
 ALONG SUCH CORRIDOR, PURSUANT TO THIS ARTICLE.
   3.  A  SIGN  READING  "END HIGHWAY SAFETY CORRIDOR" SHALL BE INSTALLED
 IMMEDIATELY AT THE END OF THE CORRIDOR.
   4. ALL SIGNAGE PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL CONFORM TO THE MANUAL ON
 TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES MAINTAINED PURSUANT TO SECTION ONE THOUSAND  SIX
 HUNDRED EIGHTY OF THIS CHAPTER.
   §  1304.  ENHANCED  TRAFFIC  ENFORCEMENT.  THE SUPERINTENDENT OF STATE
 POLICE, IN CONSULTATION WITH  THE  COMMISSIONER,  MAY  PROVIDE  ENHANCED
 ENFORCEMENT  ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE SOUTHERN STATE PARKWAY HIGHWAY SAFETY
 CORRIDOR, INCLUDING ENFORCEMENT INITIATIVES CONSISTENT WITH  THE  OBJEC-
 TIVES OF THE STATE POLICE "OPERATION SOUTHERN SHIELD" INITIATIVE.
   §  1305.  REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. 1. THE COMMISSIONER, IN CONSULTATION
 WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE STATE POLICE, SHALL PREPARE  AND  PUBLISH
 AN  ANNUAL  REPORT  REGARDING  THE SOUTHERN STATE PARKWAY HIGHWAY SAFETY
 CORRIDOR. UPON COMPLETION, SUCH REPORT SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO  RELE-
 VANT STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE NASSAU COUNTY POLICE
 DEPARTMENT,  LOCAL  POLICE  DEPARTMENTS,  AND  LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL
 TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITIES.
   2. SUCH REPORT SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
   (A) THE NUMBER OF CRASHES, INCLUDING  THE  SEVERITY  OF  SUCH  CRASHES
 OCCURRING WITHIN THE CORRIDOR;
   (B)  THE NUMBER OF INJURIES AND FATALITIES OCCURRING WITHIN THE CORRI-
 DOR;
   (C) THE NUMBER AND TYPE OF TRAFFIC CITATIONS ISSUED WITHIN THE  CORRI-
 DOR;
   (D) TRAFFIC VOLUME AND SPEED DATA, WHERE AVAILABLE;
   (E) ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED WITHIN THE CORRIDOR;
   (F) GENERAL TRENDS OBSERVED PERTAINING TO THE AFOREMENTIONED COLLECTED
 DATA; AND
   (G) RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ROADWAY SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS, WHERE APPLICABLE.
   §  2.  Subdivision (f) of section 1180 of the vehicle and traffic law,
 as amended by chapter 432 of the laws of 1997, is  amended  to  read  as
 follows:
   (f)  Except  as provided in subdivision (g) of this section and except
 when a special hazard exists that requires lower  speed  for  compliance
 with  subdivision  (a)  or  (e)  of this section or when a lower maximum
 speed limit has been  established,  no  person  shall  drive  a  vehicle
 through  a  highway  construction or maintenance work area at a speed in
 excess of the posted work area speed limit OR THROUGH A  HIGHWAY  SAFETY
 CORRIDOR  IN  EXCESS  OF THE POSTED HIGHWAY SAFETY CORRIDOR SPEED LIMIT.
 The agency having jurisdiction over the affected street or  highway  may
 establish work area speed limits OR HIGHWAY SAFETY CORRIDOR SPEED LIMITS
 which are less than the normally posted speed limits; provided, however,
 S. 10623                            3
 
 that  such  normally  posted  speed limit may exceed the work area speed
 limit OR HIGHWAY SAFETY CORRIDOR SPEED LIMIT  by  no  more  than  twenty
 miles  per hour; and provided further that no such work area speed limit
 OR  HIGHWAY  SAFETY CORRIDOR SPEED LIMIT may be established at less than
 twenty-five miles per hour.
   § 3. Subdivision 1 of section 1809-d of the vehicle and  traffic  law,
 as  added  by  chapter  223  of  the laws of 2005, is amended to read as
 follows:
   1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, whenever proceedings in
 an administrative tribunal or court result in a finding of liability  or
 conviction for a violation of paragraph two of subdivision (d) or subdi-
 vision  (f) of section eleven hundred eighty OR ARTICLE THIRTY-FOUR-E of
 this chapter or any other statute, local law, ordinance or rule  involv-
 ing the maximum speed limits in highway construction [or] AREAS, mainte-
 nance  work  areas, OR HIGHWAY SAFETY CORRIDORS, there shall be levied a
 mandatory surcharge in addition to any other sentence, fine  or  penalty
 otherwise  permitted  or  required, in the amount of fifty dollars. Such
 surcharge shall not be deemed a monetary penalty  for  the  purposes  of
 section  two  hundred  thirty-seven of this chapter or section 19-203 of
 the administrative code of the city of New York.
   § 4. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
 repeal  of  any  rule  or regulation necessary for the implementation of
 this act on its effective date are authorized to be made  and  completed
 on or before such date.