BILL NUMBER: S1685
SPONSOR: SKOUFIS
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to allowing
additional or relocated motor vehicle dealers to be located within six
or ten miles of one another when separated by the Hudson River
 
PURPOSE:
To allow the minimum distance between car dealerships to be based on
driving mileage, rather than linear distance, when the dealerships are
on opposite sides of the Hudson River.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1: Amends section 462 of the vehicle and traffic law to change
the definition of the relevant market area to allow new or relocated
motor vehicle dealerships to open within less than 10 miles of an exist-
ing motor vehicle dealership if the dealerships are located on opposite
sides of the Hudson River and the shortest driving distance between the
existing and proposed dealership is at least 10 miles away.
Section 2: Sets effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Section 463 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law generally prevents new or
relocated dealerships from opening within the market area of an existing
dealership that sells cars with the same "line make." Currently, the
market area is defined as a six-mile radius in counties of 100,000
people or more and a 10-mile radius in counties of less than 100,000
people. In the Hudson Valley, dealerships located on one side of the
river sometimes prevent the location of a new dealership on the opposite
side of the river because it is within a 6-mile radius. However,
because of the relatively few bridges across the river, the driving
distance between a new and proposed dealership could be 15 or 20 miles.
A location that may be less than six miles "as the crow flies" from an
existing dealership but more than 10 miles away in driving distance
should not be considered part of the same market area.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
Senate
2020: S7893, Referred To Transportation
2021: S1850, Referred To Transportation
2022: S1850, Referred To Transportation
2023: S442, Referred To Transportation
2024: S442, Referred To Transportation
Assembly
2020: A10334Referred To Transportation
2021: A654,Referred ToTransportation
2022: A654,Referred ToTransportation
2023: A947,Referred ToTransportation
2024: A947,Referred ToTransportation
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

Statutes affected:
S1685: 462 vehicle and traffic law, 462(15) vehicle and traffic law