Senate Bill S7608

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S7608

SPONSOR: COONEY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the transportation law, in relation to permitting the
reimbursement of operating expenses of small vehicles as part of specif-
ic bus or demand-responsive services under the statewide mass transpor-
tation operating assistance program

 
PURPOSE:

To allow microtransit services using smaller vehicles to be eligible for
funding under the Statewide Mass Transportation Operating Assistance
(STOA) program.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1: Adds new subdivision 13 to section 18-b of the Transportation
Law to allow transit authorities serving areas with a population of less
than 1 million operating a "microtransit service" to receive STOA fund-
ing for operating such service, regardless of vehicle size. The bill
              

defines "microtransit service" as "a technology-enabled on-demand
service with dynamically generated routing that uses a managed fleet of
multi-passenger vehicles dedicated to that service."

Section 2: Establishes the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

As New York looks to meet aggressive carbon reduction and climate goals,
public transit will play a major role in this effort.  Unfortunately, in
many parts of the State, traditional public transit is limited. However,
new technology is bridging this gap. Micro or on-demand transit is part
of this solution. Microtransit uses software applications to link riders
with destinations and established fixed routes using smaller vehicles
than traditional city buses. This provides transit authorities with the
tools to service riders in underserved areas and gives riders more
convenient options than traditional fixed route bus service.

Thanks to funding previously made available by New York State, Upstate
transit authorities are already piloting microtransit models with great
success. This legislation seeks to build on this success by allowing the
smaller vehicles often used in microtransit services to receive STOA
funding. Allowing microtransit systems to be eligible for STOA will help
encourage the growth of these systems and vastly improve the
availability/reliability of public transit in Upstate NY.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.