BILL NUMBER: S8665
SPONSOR: SALAZAR
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to owner
liability for failure of an operator to comply with traffic control
indicators; to amend the public officers law, in relation to access to
records prepared pursuant to traffic control indicators; and providing
for the repeal of certain provisions upon expiration thereof
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This bill will authorize the City of New York to establish an automated
camera-based curb enforcement program to capture all types of parking
violations with stationary or mobile cameras. This program will deter
parking and curb violations such as idling in crosswalks, parking in
loading zones, and stopping in restricted areas by implementing an esca-
lating fine structure. The program will increase driver and pedestrian
safety, as well as reduce traffic.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends the vehicle and traffic law by adding a new 2 section
1111-i
Section 2 amends subdivision 1 of section 235 of the vehicle and traffic
law
Section 3 amends subdivision 1 of section 236 of the vehicle and traffic
law
Section 4 amends paragraph f of subdivision 1 of section 239 of the
vehicle and traffic law
Section 5 amends subdivisions 1, 1-a and the opening paragraph of para-
graph (a) of subdivision 1-b of section 240 of the vehicle and traffic
law
Section 6 amends paragraphs a and g of subdivision 2 of section 240 of
the vehicle and traffic law
Section 7 amends subdivisions 1 and 2 of section 241 of the vehicle and
traffic
Section 8 amends subparagraph (i) of paragraph a of subdivision 5-a of
section 401 of the vehicle and traffic law
Section 9 amends subdivision 1-a of section 1809 of the vehicle and
traffic law,
Section 10 amends subdivision 1 of section 1809-a of the vehicle and
traffic law
Section 10 amends subdivision 1 of section 1809-aa of the vehicle and
traffic law
Section 12 amends paragraph a of subdivision 1 of section 1809-e of the
vehicle and traffic law
Section 13 amends subdivision 2 of section 87 of the public officers law
Section 14 states the purchase or lease of equipment for a demonstration
program shall be subject to the provisions of the general municipal law
Section 15 establishes the effective date
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Curb violations pose a major risk to both drivers and pedestrians. Bad
actors who block road lanes force drivers to drive into oncoming traf-
fic, putting driver and passenger lives at risk. Idling and illegal
parking also causes major traffic delays, and as a result, increases
polluting emissions. Additionally, such violations can block crosswalks,
bike lanes, and curb cuts - posing a major risk to pedestrian safety and
detrimentally harming our disabled residents.
Currently, violations in the curb are not adequately enforced. Research
has shown that there has been a "systemic,failure" to make our curbs
safer. Over the span of five days in April, 558 reports of illegal park-
ing were made. In 52% of these instances, the illegal parking persisted
even after the case was closed. And of these 5.58 reports, just 2.87% of
those resulted in a ticket - despite the overall ticketing rate for 311
complaints being 11.21%.
There is substantial proof that automated enforcement works. The red
light camera and speed camera programs in NYC have shown massive bene-
fits to safety on our streets. The average number of daily violations at
red light camera locations declined by 73% since the program began in
1994, and violations dropped an average of 30% at speed camera locations
after 24/7 enforcement began in 2022. The newly created ACE program
(formerly known as the ABLE program) has likewise been a success.
Routes with automated enforcement saw bus speeds increase 5%, collisions
reduce by 20%, and up to a 10% reduction in emissions.
Implementing an automated camera-based curb enforcement will improve
driver and pedestrian safety, as well as ensure our disabled residents
always have an accessible passage able to cross.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New legislation.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a law;
provided, however, that sections one, thirteen and fourteen of this act
shall expire six years after it shall have become a law, when upon such
date the provisions of such sections shall be deemed repealed; provided
further, however, that:(a) the amendments to subdivision 1 of section
1809-a of the vehicle and traffic law made by section ten of this act
shall not affect the repeal of such section and shall be deemed repealed
therewith; and(b) effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of
section one of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made
and completed on or before such effective date.

Statutes affected:
S8665: 235 vehicle and traffic law, 235(1) vehicle and traffic law, 236 vehicle and traffic law, 236(1) vehicle and traffic law, 239 vehicle and traffic law, 239(1) vehicle and traffic law, 401 vehicle and traffic law, 401(5-a) vehicle and traffic law, 1809 vehicle and traffic law, 1809(1-a) vehicle and traffic law, 1809-a vehicle and traffic law, 1809-a(1) vehicle and traffic law, 1809-aa vehicle and traffic law, 1809-aa(1) vehicle and traffic law, 1809-e vehicle and traffic law, 1809-e(1) vehicle and traffic law, 87 public officers law, 87(2) public officers law