Bill Text: NY S06052 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Authorizes the commissioner of transportation to conduct a comprehensive study on designation of private roads on the University at Buffalo North Campus and public roads in the town of Amherst for the purposes of autonomous vehicle technology testing.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-12-28 - COMMITTED TO RULES [S06052 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S06052-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          6052

                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                      May 16, 2019
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen. KENNEDY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation

        AN ACT authorizing the  commissioner  of  transportation  to  conduct  a
          comprehensive  study on designation of private roads on the University
          at Buffalo North Campus for the purposes of autonomous  vehicle  tech-
          nology testing

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Legislative intent. The  legislature  recognizes  that  the
     2  safety  and  mobility of all citizens is of utmost concern to the State.
     3  That autonomous vehicle technology possesses the capability of  increas-
     4  ing  pedestrian  and passenger safety, reduce traffic and congestion and
     5  improve the movement of goods and services across the  state.  That  the
     6  majority  of  motor  vehicle accidents are due to human error and auton-
     7  omous vehicle technology may possess the ability to  eliminate  some  of
     8  these  motor  vehicle  accidents.  That autonomous vehicle technology is
     9  unproven and requires greater testing and the State of  New  York  is  a
    10  testbed  for innovation that balances the safety and needs of its public
    11  against the need for technological advancement.
    12    The legislature also recognizes that the University at Buffalo has the
    13  legal authority to test autonomous vehicle technology on  certain  roads
    14  that  have  been  determined  to  be private and therefore not under the
    15  jurisdiction of the New York State  Department  of  Motor  Vehicles  for
    16  autonomous  vehicle  technology testing approval. In addition to testing
    17  on these private roads, University at Buffalo may also  test  autonomous
    18  vehicle  technology in its parking lots, which are defined separately in
    19  the law, and also are outside of New  York  State  Department  of  Motor
    20  Vehicles jurisdiction.
    21    In order to increase the routes available on the University at Buffalo
    22  North  Campus  for  autonomous  vehicle  technology testing the New York
    23  State Department of Transportation has the knowledge  and  expertise  to

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD11862-01-9
        S. 6052                             2

     1  review  traffic  flow  on  the roadways within the University at Buffalo
     2  North Campus to identify roads that  could  be  deemed  private  without
     3  impacting  existing  traffic  conditions in and around the University at
     4  Buffalo North Campus.
     5    §  2. For the purposes of this act, the term "autonomous vehicle tech-
     6  nology" shall mean the hardware and software that are collectively capa-
     7  ble of performing part or all of the dynamic driving task on a sustained
     8  basis, and the term "dynamic driving task" shall mean all of  the  real-
     9  time operational and tactical functions required to operate a vehicle in
    10  on-road traffic, excluding the strategic functions such as trip schedul-
    11  ing and selection of destinations and waypoints.
    12    §  3. The department of transportation shall undertake a comprehensive
    13  study on designation of private roads on the University at Buffalo North
    14  Campus for the purposes of autonomous vehicle  technology  testing.  The
    15  scope of this study shall include:
    16    1. Review of existing traffic patterns in and around the University at
    17  Buffalo North Campus;
    18    2.  Determination  of  the mobility needs of the University at Buffalo
    19  students, faculty and staff;
    20    3. Recommendations for which roads within the  University  at  Buffalo
    21  North  Campus  would  provide the greatest benefit to autonomous vehicle
    22  technology testing and  cause  the  least  effect  on  existing  traffic
    23  patterns in and around the University at Buffalo North Campus; and
    24    4. Methodology to transfer recommended roads to private roads.
    25    §  4.  The  department  of  transportation  shall make a report to the
    26  governor and the legislature of its findings, conclusions and  recommen-
    27  dations  no later than one year after the effective date of this act and
    28  shall submit with this report such legislative  proposals  as  it  deems
    29  necessary to implement its recommendations.
    30    § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.