BILL NUMBER: S7246
SPONSOR: LANZA
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the state finance law, in relation to a state transpor-
tation plan
 
PURPOSE:
To require the commissioner of transportation to develop and present to
the governor and legislature a five-year capital plan, with defined
projects, that is subject to public review prior to the passage of the
state budget.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section I of the bill amends state finance law by adding new section
22-d to require the commissioner of transportation to develop and pres-
ent to the governor and legislature a twenty-year intermodal, long-range
state transportation plan and a five-year capital program.
The commissioner of transportation shall also annually develop and
submit to the governor and the legislature a list of scheduled projects
that includes estimated funding levels. The initial and all subsequent
twenty-year and five-year plans shall be aligned with the capital plan-
ning schedule of the metropolitan transportation authority.
Section II sets forth the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
New Yorkers deserve a transparent and accountable capital planning proc-
ess for the NYS Department of Transportation (DOT). Without financial
details, the public and the legislature's ability to participate in
decisions about spending on our state's road, bridge, bus and rail
infrastructure is significantly curtailed. Unlike the MTA, DOT is not
statutorily required to submit a capital plan. Although the Memo of
Understanding was approved in 2009, there is not currently a publical-
ly-reviewable 5-year or 20-year capital plan for DOT. Historically, the
DOT and MTA 5-year capital plans have been negotiated and approved
simultaneously; recently, that process has differed.
In order to ensure fiscally-responsible use of state tax dollars, this
process should be based on long-term needs assessments of the transpor-
tation system and include appropriate public, legislative and other
input. Without such details, transparency and accountability to the
public is not possible. The legislature and the public need to know what
transportation projects will advance in the upcoming years, on what
schedule, and at what funding levels.
This bill amends the Finance Law, adding a new Section 22-d that
requires the DOT to submit five-year and twenty-year intermodal trans-
portation plans by October 2016, and every fifth year thereafter. It
also requires the annual submittal of a list of projects, in October
prior to the State annual budget negotiations. These plans, project
lists and related items will be posted online, and subject to public
hearings and comment.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2024: S.6232 - Referred to Finance
2023: S.6232 - Referred to Finance
2022: S.4243 - Referred to Finance
2021: S.4293 - Referred to Finance
2020: S.399- Referred to Finance
2019: S.399 - Referred to Finance
2018: S.2618 - Third Reading Calendar/A.1234-B - Referred to Transporta-
tion
2017: S.2618 - Passed Senate/ A.1234-A - Referred to Transportation
2016: S.7608 - Passed Senate/ A.9872 - Referred to Transportation
 
FISCAL IMPACTS ON THE STATE:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately