BILL NUMBER: S7890B
SPONSOR: HARCKHAM
 
TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the highway law, in relation to
consolidated local highway assistance payments ("CHIPS")
 
PURPOSE::
Adds bicycle lane and Greenway trail mileage to the CHIPS formula and
allows CHIPS funds to go towards bicycle lane and Greenway trail
construction and maintenance.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS::
Section 1 amends the highway law to allow CHIPS funds to be put towards
the construction, operation, and/or maintenance of bicycle lanes, Green-
way trails, and other trails for non-motorized use.
Section 2 amends the highway law to count the mileage of bicycle lanes,
Greenway trails, and other trails for non-motorized use in the formula
for distribution of CHIPS funds.
Section 3 states the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION::
The Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS)
provides essential funds for New York's municipalities to build and
maintain roads and bridges. However, the formula for distributing CHIPS
funds disincentivizes the creation of bicycle lanes and trails for non-
motorized use. The formula distributes the funds proportionally to the
lane mileage within each jurisdiction, but bicycle lanes and non-motor-
ized use trails are not counted in the mileage calculation. Localities
are also prohibited from using CHIPS funds on bicycle lanes or non-mo-
torized-use trails.
As a result, localities are discouraged from investing in bicycle lanes
and non-motorized use trails, including Greenway trails, because they
would lose out on additional CHIPS funding that could be procured if
they built vehicular lanes instead. This formula, and the inability of
localities to put CHIPS funds toward non-motorized-use lanes, prevents
New York localities from prioritizing bicycle lanes in their jurisdic-
tions. Given that bicycling is an affordable, low-carbon mode of trans-
portation, this legislation is needed to ensure that New York State is
encouraging investment in safe, accessible bicycle lanes.
This legislation would incentivize investment in bicycle lanes and
Greenway trails by (i) updating the CHIPS formula to count non-motor-
ized-use lanes towards a locality's mileage, and (ii) permitting locali-
ties to spend CHIPS funds on the construction, operation, or maintenance
of non-motorized-use trails. Allowing localities to invest in bicycle
lanes and non-motorized-use trails would provide New Yorkers with
increased opportunities for recreation and low-carbon transportation.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY::
This is a new bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS::
Minimal.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE::
This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it
shall have become a law.

Statutes affected:
S7890: 10-c highway law, 10-c(1) highway law, 10-c(3) highway law
S7890A: 10-c highway law, 10-c(1) highway law
S7890B: 10-c highway law, 10-c(1) highway law