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

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-Amended.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         6052--A
            Cal. No. 1083

                               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 -- reported
          favorably from said committee, ordered to  first  and  second  report,
          ordered  to  a third reading, amended and ordered reprinted, retaining
          its place in the order of third reading

        AN ACT authorizing 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

          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.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD11862-02-9
        S. 6052--A                          2

     1    In order to increase the routes available on the University at Buffalo
     2  North  Campus  for  autonomous  vehicle  technology testing the New York
     3  State Department of Transportation has the knowledge  and  expertise  to
     4  review  traffic  flow  on  the roadways within the University at Buffalo
     5  North  Campus  to  identify  roads  that could be deemed private without
     6  impacting existing traffic conditions in and around  the  University  at
     7  Buffalo North Campus.
     8    §  2. For the purposes of this act, the term "autonomous vehicle tech-
     9  nology" shall mean the hardware and software that are collectively capa-
    10  ble of performing part or all of the dynamic driving task on a sustained
    11  basis, and the term "dynamic driving task" shall mean all of  the  real-
    12  time operational and tactical functions required to operate a vehicle in
    13  on-road traffic, excluding the strategic functions such as trip schedul-
    14  ing and selection of destinations and waypoints.
    15    §  3. The department of transportation shall undertake a comprehensive
    16  study on designation of roads on the University at Buffalo North  Campus
    17  and  in the town of Amherst for the purposes of autonomous vehicle tech-
    18  nology testing. The scope of this study shall include:
    19    1. The creation of three testing zones in  the  town  of  Amherst,  in
    20  which  the  department shall publish regulations relating to testing and
    21  safety:
    22    (a) Zone one--Flint Road between Service Center Road  and  John  James
    23  Audubon  Parkway;  John  James  Audubon  Parkway  between Flint Road and
    24  Service Center Road on the University at Buffalo Campus;
    25    (b) Zone two--Flint Road Loop;  Augsberger  Road  between  Putnam  Way
    26  North,  and  Hadley Road; Putnam Way North between Hadley Road and Augs-
    27  berger Road; Hadley Road between Augsberger Road and Putnam Way North;
    28    (c) Zone three--John James Audubon Parkway  Northbound  between  Flint
    29  Road  and  Lee  Road; John James Audubon Parkway Southbound, between Lee
    30  Road and Flint Road; Lee Road between John  James  Audubon  Parkway  and
    31  White  Drive; White Drive between Lee Road and Hamilton Road; and Hamil-
    32  ton Road from John James Audubon Parkway to Putnam Road North;
    33    2. Authority of the Erie County Sheriff, University at Buffalo  Campus
    34  Police, and Town of Amherst Police to supervise autonomous vehicle tech-
    35  nology testing;
    36    3. Allowing for installation of smart sensors and necessary technology
    37  to implement autonomous vehicle technology testing; and
    38    4.  Determining  insurance  requirements  for fleets during testing in
    39  line with current requirements prescribed in  the  vehicle  and  traffic
    40  law.
    41    §  4.  The  department  of  transportation  shall make a report to the
    42  governor and the legislature of its findings, conclusions and  recommen-
    43  dations  no  later  than six months after the effective date of this act
    44  and shall promulgate the necessary regulations relating to section three
    45  of this act no later than ninety days after delivering its report.
    46    § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.