BILL NUMBER: S8810
SPONSOR: COMRIE
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to providing a
defense from liability for certain MTA vehicles standing, stopped, or
parked in violation of certain bus lane restrictions in New York city
 
PURPOSE:
This bill makes clarifying chapter amendments to MTA employee defense
from liability for certain standing, stopping, and parking violations
statute.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1: Amends subdivision (o) of section 1111-c of the Vehicle and
Traffic Law to clarify that the defense applies to a notice of liability
issued to the owner of a Metropolitan Transportation Authority vehicle
for standing, stopping, or parking in a bus lane in violation of appli-
cable New York City bus lane rules, where the vehicle was operated by an
MTA employee performing authorized duties.
Section 2: Amends section 1111-c-1 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law by
adding a new subdivision (q) to establish a parallel defense to a notice
of liability issued under the bus lane camera demonstration program,
where the violation involves standing, stopping, or parking in a bus
lane and the vehicle was operated by an MTA employee performing author-
ized duties.
Section 3: Sets the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Metropolitan transportation authority (MTA) employees have been receiv-
ing parking fines for conducting lawful business in New York city bus
lanes. Taking off work to address these fines has been onerous to
employees and the authority. This bill will provide employees an affir-
mative defense to address the fines without being present in court. As
such, employees who cannot state they were conducting business for the
agency in a bus lane would still be found liable for violating the
City's parking code (ie. grabbing coffee, etc etc.). This bill will
further ensure that MTA employees can do their job without the undue
burden of parking fines in the scope of their assigned duties.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill
2025: Underlying bill (S6815/Comrie) passed both houses.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect in the same time and manner as the underlying
bill, which takes effect on the 180th day after becoming a law.

Statutes affected:
S8810: 1111-c-1 vehicle and traffic law