Bill Text: NY S06150 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires capital program plans of the MTA to include specific, detailed steps to be taken to increase station accessibility until such time as one hundred percent accessibility of stations is achieved; sets out certain goals and targets for improvements.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION [S06150 Detail]
Download: New_York-2019-S06150-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ S. 6150 A. 7753 2019-2020 Regular Sessions SENATE - ASSEMBLY May 20, 2019 ___________ IN SENATE -- Introduced by Sens. GOUNARDES, RAMOS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation IN ASSEMBLY -- Introduced by M. of A. DINOWITZ, L. ROSENTHAL, CARROLL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions AN ACT to amend the transportation law and the public authorities law, in relation to full mass transit accessibility for facilities operated by the metropolitan transportation authority The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The transportation law is amended by adding a new section 2 15-d to read as follows: 3 § 15-d. Accessible transportation. 1. The New York city accessible 4 transportation system shall include access by individuals with disabili- 5 ties to rapid transit services through the renovation of an additional 6 fifty subway stations operated by the metropolitan transportation 7 authority (the "authority"), beyond the number of stations currently 8 accessible within five years as part of the authority's two thousand 9 twenty - two thousand twenty-four capital program, and one hundred thir- 10 ty new accessible stations as part of the two thousand twenty-five - two 11 thousand twenty-nine capital program, as provided for in this section. 12 2. The authority shall develop criteria to determine how to best 13 prioritize subway stations for accessibility improvements. The criteria 14 shall include, but not be limited to: citywide geographic coverage; 15 transit transfer options; annual ridership volume; census tract data for 16 senior and disabled populations and percentage of those populations in 17 poverty; residential density of surrounding neighborhoods; and proximity 18 to medical centers, schools, parks, business districts, cultural hubs 19 and senior centers. Such criteria shall be made publicly available as EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD10969-03-9S. 6150 2 A. 7753 1 well as the methodology used to establish the criteria. Maximum possi- 2 ble accessibility shall be achieved by end of the two thousand thirty - 3 two thousand thirty-four capital program. 4 3. By December thirty-first, two thousand nineteen, enhanced elevator 5 outage and alternate station routing information for all elevators that 6 permit entrance into or egress from subway stations, whether owned by 7 the metropolitan transportation authority or privately owned, shall be 8 made available in real time, updated as necessary to provide current, 9 accurate information on the system's website and kiosks and distributed 10 through email, mobile app, and text alerts and other electronic communi- 11 cation systems. In addition, the authority shall create an Application 12 Programming Interface (API) to allow third party smartphone applications 13 to access data on elevator performance and outages and station accessi- 14 bility that is available in the data of the authority. 15 4. The two thousand twenty - two thousand twenty-four capital program 16 plan shall accelerate installation of consistent accessibility features 17 including, but not limited to, taking reasonable steps to eliminate any 18 gaps between station platforms and vehicle floors that are in excess of 19 the amount permitted by applicable regulations, maintaining audio and 20 visual announcement equipment in audible and operable condition suffi- 21 cient to enable passengers with visual or hearing impairments and other 22 disabilities to be oriented to their location, and fare gates that are 23 fully accessible to people with disabilities. Such accessibility 24 features shall be installed at every subway station operated by the 25 authority no later then December thirty-first, two thousand twenty-four. 26 5. All future station enhancement plans or long-term station closures 27 or renovations of six months or longer shall include full accessibility 28 as a key element of such plans. 29 6. The authority shall revise maintenance practices to improve reli- 30 ability of elevators and wheelchair lifts at all rapid transit stations. 31 7. The authority shall design, fund and implement an elevator and 32 wheelchair lift management plan to provide continuous, uninterrupted 33 elevator service during all passenger service hours, subject only to 34 temporary and isolated elevator outages for repairs, maintenance and 35 inspections. 36 8. For stations undergoing renovation, elevators shall be designed and 37 sited so that riders who need stair-free access have similar 38 access/egress time and ease of use as those who do not need stair-free 39 access. 40 § 2. Section 1269-b of the public authorities law is amended by adding 41 a new subdivision 10 to read as follows: 42 10. Capital program plans submitted in accordance with this section 43 shall include specific, detailed steps to be taken to increase station 44 accessibility in accordance with section fifteen-d of the transportation 45 law until such time as one hundred percent accessibility of stations is 46 achieved. 47 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.