Bill Text: NY A08460 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Authorizes the commissioner of transportation to conduct a comprehensive study on designation of private roads on the University at Buffalo North Campus and public roads in the town of Amherst for the purposes of autonomous vehicle technology testing.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-06-03 - print number 8460a [A08460 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A08460-Introduced.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          8460

                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                      July 8, 2019
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by M. of A. McMAHON -- read once and referred to the Commit-
          tee on Transportation

        AN ACT authorizing the  commissioner  of  transportation  to  conduct  a
          comprehensive  study on designation of private roads on the University
          at Buffalo North Campus and public roads in the town  of  Amherst  for
          the purposes of autonomous vehicle technology testing

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Legislative intent. The  legislature  recognizes  that  the
     2  safety  and  mobility of all citizens is of utmost concern to the state;
     3  that autonomous vehicle technology possesses the capability of  increas-
     4  ing  pedestrian  and passenger safety, reduce traffic and congestion and
     5  improve the movement of goods and services across the  state;  that  the
     6  majority  of  motor  vehicle accidents are due to human error and auton-
     7  omous vehicle technology may possess the ability to  eliminate  some  of
     8  these  motor  vehicle  accidents;  that autonomous vehicle technology is
     9  unproven and requires greater testing and the State of  New  York  is  a
    10  testbed  for innovation that balances the safety and needs of its public
    11  against the need for technological advancement.
    12    The legislature also recognizes that the University at Buffalo has the
    13  legal authority to test autonomous vehicle technology on  certain  roads
    14  that  have  been  determined  to  be private and therefore not under the
    15  jurisdiction of the New York State  Department  of  Motor  Vehicles  for
    16  autonomous  vehicle  technology testing approval. In addition to testing
    17  on these private roads, the University at Buffalo may also  test  auton-
    18  omous  vehicle  technology  in its parking lots, which are defined sepa-
    19  rately in the law, and are outside of New York State Department of Motor
    20  Vehicles jurisdiction.
    21    In order to increase the routes available on the University at Buffalo
    22  North Campus for autonomous vehicle technology testing, the  legislature
    23  recognizes  that the New York State Department of Transportation has the

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD11862-05-9

        A. 8460                             2

     1  knowledge and expertise to review traffic flow on  the  roadways  within
     2  the University at Buffalo North Campus, and to identify roads that could
     3  be  deemed  private without impacting existing traffic conditions in and
     4  around the University at Buffalo North Campus.
     5    §  2. For the purposes of this act, the term "autonomous vehicle tech-
     6  nology" shall mean the hardware and software that are collectively capa-
     7  ble of performing part or all of the dynamic driving task on a sustained
     8  basis, and the term "dynamic driving task" shall mean all of  the  real-
     9  time operational and tactical functions required to operate a vehicle in
    10  on-road traffic, excluding the strategic functions such as trip schedul-
    11  ing and selection of destinations and waypoints.
    12    §  3. The department of transportation shall undertake a comprehensive
    13  study on designation of roads on the University at Buffalo North  Campus
    14  and  in the town of Amherst for the purposes of autonomous vehicle tech-
    15  nology testing. The study shall include:
    16    1. The creation of three testing zones in the town of  Amherst,  about
    17  which  the  department shall publish regulations relating to testing and
    18  safety:
    19    (a) Zone one--Flint Road between Service Center Road  and  John  James
    20  Audubon  Parkway;  John  James  Audubon  Parkway  between Flint Road and
    21  Service Center Road on the University at Buffalo Campus;
    22    (b) Zone two--Flint Road Loop;  Augsberger  Road  between  Putnam  Way
    23  North,  and  Hadley Road; Putnam Way North between Hadley Road and Augs-
    24  berger Road; Hadley Road between Augsberger Road and Putnam Way North;
    25    (c) Zone three--John James Audubon Parkway  Northbound  between  Flint
    26  Road  and  Lee  Road; John James Audubon Parkway Southbound, between Lee
    27  Road and Flint Road; Lee Road between John  James  Audubon  Parkway  and
    28  White  Drive; White Drive between Lee Road and Hamilton Road; and Hamil-
    29  ton Road from John James Audubon Parkway to Putnam Road North;
    30    2.   The installation of smart  sensors  or  other  technology  deemed
    31  necessary  for the implementation of autonomous vehicle technology test-
    32  ing; and
    33    3. Compliance with the insurance requirements for fleets during  test-
    34  ing  in  line  with  current  requirements prescribed in the vehicle and
    35  traffic law.
    36    § 4. The Erie County Sheriff, University at Buffalo Campus Police, and
    37  Town of Amherst Police shall have the authority to supervise  autonomous
    38  vehicle technology testing as described in section three of this act.
    39    §  5.  The  department  of  transportation  shall make a report to the
    40  governor and the legislature of its findings, conclusions and  recommen-
    41  dations  no  later  than six months after the effective date of this act
    42  and shall promulgate the necessary regulations relating to section three
    43  of this act no later than ninety days after delivering its report.
    44    § 6. This act shall take effect immediately.
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