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a. Every four years, the department shall publish a manual of policies and design guidelines for the improvement of roads and sidewalks in the city of New York. The manual shall serve as a comprehensive resource for promoting higher quality street designs and more efficient project implementation. The manual shall cover a variety of topics related to street design, including but not limited to complete street design features, materials, street lighting, street furniture, and landscaping. For purposes of this section, "complete street design features" shall mean roadway design features that accommodate and facilitate convenient access and mobility by all users, including current and projected users, particularly pedestrians, bicyclists and individuals of all ages and abilities, and may include, but need not be limited to: sidewalks, paved shoulders suitable for use by bicyclists, lane striping, bicycle lanes, share the road signage, crosswalks, road diets, pedestrian control signalization, bus pull outs, curb cuts, raised crosswalks, ramps and traffic calming measures.
b. The manual of policies and design guidelines and any updates thereto shall be disseminated by electronic mail to other mayoral agencies, community boards, the speaker of the council and other city elected officials and posted on the department's official website by the thirtieth day of November, two thousand fifteen and every four years thereafter.
a. As used in this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
ADA accessibility. The term "ADA accessibility" means compliance with part 36 of title 28 of the code of federal regulations implementing the Americans with disabilities act of 1990.
Daylighting. The term "daylighting" means street design elements for enhancing visibility of cross traffic and pedestrians for motorists approaching an intersection.
Major transportation project. The term "major transportation project" has the same meaning as such term is defined in section 19-101.2.
Narrow vehicle lane. The term "narrow vehicle lane" means a vehicular lane that is not greater than 10 feet wide.
Pedestrian safety island. The term "pedestrian safety island" means an area located at a crosswalk that serves as pedestrian refuge separating traffic lanes or directions, particularly on wide roadways.
Protected bicycle lane. The term "protected bicycle lane" means a portion of a street or intersection intended for the preferential or exclusive use of bicycles separated from motorized vehicle traffic by vertical delineation or physical barriers in accordance with department design standards.
Wide sidewalk. The term "wide sidewalk" means a sidewalk that is at least eight feet wide.
b. Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of law or rule, the department shall develop a standard checklist of safety-enhancing street design elements for all major transportation projects. Such checklist shall include but need not be limited to the following elements: (i) ADA accessibility; (ii) protected bicycle lanes; (iii) dedicated mass transit facilities such as bus lanes and bus bulbs; (iv) dedicated vehicle loading and unloading zones; (v) narrow vehicle lanes; (vi) pedestrian safety islands; (vii) signal-protected pedestrian crossings; (viii) signal retiming; (ix) wide sidewalks; and (x) daylighting. The department may amend the standard checklist by rule to promote vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle safety.
c. The department shall post the standard checklist required by subdivision b of this section on its website. For each major transportation project to be implemented on or after November 1, 2019, the department shall post on its website, prior to implementation, a checklist for such project and, if any element on such checklist has not been included in the project, an explanation why such element was not applicable or otherwise not included.
d. If an agency other than the department implements a major transportation project, such agency shall consider, in consultation with the department, if safety-enhancing street design elements, including those on the checklist, should be included in such project.
(L.L. 2019/121, 6/29/2019, eff. 6/29/2019)
a. Definitions. For the purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
Serious vehicular crash. The term "serious vehicular crash" means any collision between a motor vehicle and a pedestrian, cyclist, motorist or any other person that results in significant injury to or the death of any person.
Significant injury. The term "significant injury" means any injury categorized as an "A" injury by the New York state department of motor vehicles, or any injury which requires hospitalization, or any other injury as determined by the department.
b. Powers and duties. No later than January 1, 2022, the department shall establish a crash investigation and analysis unit, which shall have the duty to analyze and report on serious vehicular crashes. In coordination with the police department, such unit shall have all powers necessary to investigate serious vehicular crashes or any other crash, including but not limited to, inspecting crash sites, documenting vehicle and party positions, measuring and collecting data, interviewing witnesses, and conducting collision reconstructions. The unit shall also have the primary responsibility for all public statements, press releases or any other public communications regarding serious vehicular crashes and related investigations. Nothing contained in this subdivision shall be construed to inhibit or interfere with the ability of the police department to pursue criminal investigations, or as otherwise conflicting with any obligation under the vehicle and traffic law regarding the investigation of vehicle crashes.
c. Review of street design. As part of any investigation undertaken pursuant to subdivision b of this section in which the department determines that street design or infrastructure contributed to a serious vehicular crash, the crash investigation and analysis unit shall review the existing street design, infrastructure and driver behavior at the location of each such crash, and as part of each such review, any available crash data or reports on locations with similar street design or infrastructure. In conducting the review, the unit may coordinate with the police department, the department of health and mental hygiene, the office of the chief medical examiner, or any other agency, office or organization deemed relevant by the department. Following each such review, the unit shall determine whether changes to street design or improvements to infrastructure could reduce the risk of subsequent serious vehicular crashes and make recommendations, if any, for safety maximizing changes to street design or infrastructure at the location of such crash, or citywide.
d. Reporting. No later than April 30, 2022, and every three months thereafter, the department shall post on its website and send to the speaker of the council and community boards a report with information on each investigation completed during the preceding three month period ending thirty days prior. Nothing contained in this subdivision shall be construed to inhibit or interfere with the ability of the police department to pursue criminal investigations, or as otherwise conflicting with any obligation under the vehicle and traffic law regarding the investigation of vehicle crashes. Furthermore, nothing required to be reported by this subdivision shall be reported in a manner that would reveal the identity of a person or persons involved in a serious vehicular crash. Each such report shall include, but need not be limited to, the following:
1. The total number of investigations completed;
2. All evidence and data collected pursuant to each investigation;
3. Determinations as to fault, including any potential criminal wrongdoing;
4. Any factors that may have contributed to each crash, or increased or mitigated the severity of each such crash; and
5. Whether changes to street design or improvements to infrastructure could reduce the risk of subsequent serious vehicular crashes, at each crash location or other similar locations, and a recommendation as to any such changes or improvements that should be made.
(L.L. 2021/049, 4/25/2021, eff. 4/25/2021; Am. L.L. 2023/065, 5/29/2023, eff. 5/29/2023)
a. For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
1. "School" shall mean any educational facility under the jurisdiction of the New York city department of education and any non-public school that provides educational instructions to students at or below the ninth grade level.
2. "Senior" shall mean any person sixty-five years or older.
3. "Traffic calming device" shall mean any device, not governed by the manual on uniform traffic control devices, including, but not limited to, speed humps, curb extensions, traffic diverters, median barriers and raised walkways, installed on a street and intended to slow, reduce or alter motor vehicle traffic to improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists.
4. "Traffic flow designation" shall mean the designation of a street as a one-way or two-way street.
b. The department shall establish guidelines governing the approval and placement of traffic calming devices. Such guidelines shall consider whether such traffic calming devices would be installed adjacent to a school or in a location where a high percentage of seniors use the streets, such as locations adjacent to senior centers and nursing homes, and any other locations as determined by the department. Such guidelines shall list the conditions under which installation of such traffic calming device may be appropriate. Such guidelines shall be distributed to any entity upon request and shall be published on the department's website.
c. The department shall establish and maintain on its website guidelines regarding traffic flow designations. Such guidelines shall include the criteria and considerations for assessing proposed changes to traffic flow designations and the process by which changes in traffic flow designations can be requested. The department shall post on its website by August 1, 2020, and every August 1 thereafter, the number of requests for changes in traffic flow designations received by the department during the 12 months ending on the preceding June 30, disaggregated by location and by the category of requesting party, and the status of such requests.
(Am. L.L. 2019/052, 3/16/2019, eff. 6/14/2019)
a. Definitions. For the purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
Senior pedestrian zone. The term "senior pedestrian zone" means a geographic area designated by the commissioner, in consultation with the department for the aging, based on a consideration of factors, including but not limited to, the number of injuries to senior pedestrians in such area each year and the number of older adults residing in such area.
Traffic calming device. The term "traffic calming device" means a device, including but not limited to street redesigns, speed humps, neckdowns, and raised crosswalks, installed on a street and intended to slow, reduce, or alter motor vehicle traffic to enhance safety for pedestrians and cyclists.
b. Each year, the commissioner shall evaluate each senior pedestrian zone for installation of traffic calming devices, install at least one traffic calming device in each senior pedestrian zone, and install no less than 50 traffic calming devices across all senior pedestrian zones.
c. Notwithstanding subdivision b of this section, the commissioner shall not be required to install a traffic calming device where such installation would, in the commissioner's judgment, endanger the safety of motorists, pedestrians, or cyclists, or otherwise not be in the public interest.
d. After at least 50 traffic calming devices have been installed in total across all senior pedestrian zones, the commissioner may cease installing traffic calming devices in any senior pedestrian zone where the commissioner determines such installation would not meaningfully contribute to the safety of motorists, pedestrians, or cyclists. The commissioner shall inform the speaker of the council in writing of such determination and the reasons therefore, and shall specify the senior pedestrian zone or zones where the installation of traffic calming devices has ceased; provided, however, that the commissioner may continue to install traffic calming devices in senior pedestrian zones after such determination, at the commissioner's discretion. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the department shall evaluate the need to install one or more traffic calming devices in any senior pedestrian zone newly established, or expanded after the date of any such determination.
e. On or before February 1, 2024, and annually thereafter, the commissioner shall submit to the speaker of the council a report detailing the locations where a traffic calming device has been installed pursuant to this section during the prior calendar year. The information required by such report may be submitted as part of the update required to be submitted by paragraph 2 of subdivision d of section 19-199.1 of this code. Notwithstanding the foregoing, such report shall not be required if the commissioner has determined to cease installation of traffic calming devices in all senior pedestrian zones pursuant to subdivision d of this section.
(L.L. 2023/063, 5/29/2023, eff. 5/29/2023)
a. The department shall develop an interagency plan to improve roadway safety, which shall be designed to, among other things, reduce the incidents of traffic violations, crashes, injuries and fatalities.
b. Such plan shall identify key agencies and groups that the department shall meet with at least monthly to work on improving roadway safety and shall include, but not be limited to:
i. Proposed programs and initiatives to reduce traffic violations and to encourage traffic calming and safety measures;
ii. Suggestions for behavioral modification to reduce crashes in the city, such as education and strategic traffic enforcement;
iii. A plan to increase collaboration between the department and the police department on roadway safety; and
iv. A schedule for implementing the proposals contained in such plan.
c. The department shall issue such plan to the mayor and council ninety days after the date on which the local law that added this section takes effect. Such report shall include, but not be limited to, the strategies for improving roadway safety, whether any strategies were implemented, and the status of such implementation.
d. Such plan shall be updated every five years and the first such updated plan shall be presented to the mayor and council no later than May 31, 2016 and on or before the same date every five years thereafter. Such updated plan shall include but not be limited to actions that have been taken to implement the prior plans submitted pursuant to this section, and the reasons that any actions that had been recommended by such prior plans but not implemented were not taken.
The department shall include with any determination denying a request by a community board or council member for a traffic control device regulated by the manual on uniform traffic control devices, a summary of the traffic control device warrants, along with the date and time that the department performed its traffic analysis and the time period of any crash data considered by the department for such warrants. Such denial shall also include the following language: "A summary of the studies and reports that led to this determination will be provided upon request." Upon such request by the community board or council member after receiving the denial the department shall provide a summary of the traffic studies and/or reports performed by the department.
a. Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
All-way stop control intersection. The term “all-way stop control intersection” means an intersection where each roadway approaching such intersection has a stop sign.
Case number. The term “case number” means a unique series of numbers or letters that is used to identify a request for a speed reducer or traffic-control device.
Speed cushion. The term “speed cushion” means any raised area in the roadway pavement surface extending transversely across the travel way that: (i) is composed of asphalt or another paving material; (ii) is installed and designed for the purpose of slowing vehicular traffic; and (iii) has cutouts for wheels to allow a large vehicle to pass such raised area without reducing the speed of such vehicle.
Speed hump. The term “speed hump” means any raised area in the roadway pavement surface extending transversely across the travel way that: (i) is composed of asphalt or another paving material; and (ii) is installed and designed for the purpose of slowing vehicular traffic, provided such term does not include a speed cushion.
Speed reducer. The term “speed reducer” means a speed cushion or a speed hump.
Traffic-control device. The term “traffic-control device” means an all-way stop control intersection or a traffic-control signal.
Traffic-control signal. The term “traffic-control signal” has the same meaning as set forth in section 154 of the vehicle and traffic law.
b. No later than January 1, 2027, the commissioner shall make available on a website of the department information regarding requests for traffic-control devices and speed reducers. Such information shall be searchable by case number and by address of the location where such traffic-control device or speed reducer is requested to be installed.
c. The information required in subdivision b shall include, but need not be limited to, for each request for a traffic-control device or speed reducer:
1. Case number;
2. Subject of the request, including whether the request is for a speed reducer or a traffic-control device;
3. Status, including whether the request is open or has been resolved;
4. For a request that has been resolved, whether a traffic-control device or speed reducer has been installed or is planned to be installed in response to such request;
5. For a request that has been approved, the date that such traffic-control device or speed reducer was installed, or the time period during which such traffic-control device or speed reducer is anticipated to be installed; and
6. For a request that has been denied, the reason for denial.
d. The commissioner shall also provide on such website a data dictionary that defines any term used to describe a traffic-control device or speed reducer, and a summary of the steps that are required to install a traffic-control device or speed reducer.
e. The commissioner shall update the information provided pursuant to subdivisions b and c as soon as practicable following any update or change to a request for a traffic-control device or speed reducer.
(L.L. 2024/113, 11/22/2024, eff. 11/22/2024)
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