S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
2101
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
January 15, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. ORTT -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the canal law, in relation to maintaining bridges in a
manner to not impede commercial motor vehicles
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 62 of the canal law, as amended by chapter 335 of
the laws of 2001, is amended to read as follows:
§ 62. Maintenance by state of certain bridges over the canal system.
All highway or pedestrian, lift or movable bridges over the canal system
other than highway bridges connecting parts of a state highway hereto-
fore constructed as a part of the barge canal improvement shall be
reconstructed, improved, maintained and repaired at the expense of the
state, [if in the opinion of the commissioner of transportation, the
public convenience requires such bridges to be maintained where no
alternate crossing has been provided] IN A MANNER SO AS NOT TO IMPEDE
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLES AS DEFINED IN SUBDIVISION FOUR-A OF SECTION
TWO OF THE TRANSPORTATION LAW. In the event the commissioner of trans-
portation determines that any such bridge is no longer required for the
convenience of the public, [he] SUCH COMMISSIONER shall have THE power
to close, remove or relocate such bridge, PROVIDED AT LEAST ONE PUBLIC
HEARING SHALL BE CONDUCTED IN THE COMMUNITY OR COMMUNITIES WHERE THE
BRIDGE TO BE CLOSED OR REMOVED IS LOCATED. The commissioner of trans-
portation shall have the supervision and direction of such recon-
struction, improvement, maintenance, repair, closing, removing or relo-
cation. All bridges over the canal system other than lift, movable,
pedestrian or state highway bridges heretofore constructed as part of
the barge canal improvement shall be reconstructed, improved, maintained
and repaired at the expense of the state under the supervision and
direction of the commissioner of transportation, if, in [his] THE
COMMISSIONER'S opinion, the public convenience requires that each such
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01645-01-5
S. 2101 2
bridge shall be continued as a bridge for highway traffic. In the event
the commissioner of transportation is requested by any municipality to
reconstruct or improve any such bridge, [he] SUCH COMMISSIONER is hereby
empowered to do so, provided, however, that prior to such reconstruction
or improvement the municipality enters into a written agreement that
such bridge thereafter shall become a part of the highway system or
systems which it may connect and the maintenance, repair, improvement,
replacement or closing of any such bridge shall be governed by the
provisions of the highway law, except that any such bridges situate in a
city shall be maintained, repaired, improved, replaced or closed in the
same manner and subject to the provisions of any special law which may
apply or to the same provisions of law as apply to other streets and
bridges in such city or in the case of such bridges situate in a
village, such bridges shall be maintained, repaired, improved, replaced
or closed in the same manner and subject to the same provisions of law
as apply to other streets and bridges in such village. Any bridge over
the New York state canal system or abandoned part thereof which joins
parts of a state highway shall be under the jurisdiction of the commis-
sioner of transportation and deemed to be part of the state highway
system and such bridges shall be constructed, reconstructed, improved,
maintained, repaired, closed or relocated pursuant to the provisions of
the highway law and the cost of such work shall be paid from moneys
available for construction, reconstruction, improvement, maintenance or
repair of state highways.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.