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--B
            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 -- again 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, the University at Buffalo may also test auton-
    18  omous vehicle technology in its parking lots, which  are  defined  sepa-

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD11862-04-9
        S. 6052--B                          2

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