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.
                                                                   LBD10969-03-9

        S. 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.
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