Bill Text: NY A08274 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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

---

Bill Title: Requires the office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation to establish standards for the closing of segments of trails on the Empire state trail, and provide notice of such closings to the public.

Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 14-1)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-05-30 - substituted by s7807a [A08274 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A08274-Introduced.html

---

                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          8274

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    November 27, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M. of A. FAHY -- read once and referred to the Committee
          on Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development

        AN ACT to amend the parks, recreation and historic preservation law,  in
          relation  to  establishing  standards for trail closures on the Empire
          state trail

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

     1    Section  1.  The  parks,  recreation  and historic preservation law is
     2  amended by adding a new section 3.27 to read as follows:
     3    § 3.27 Empire state trail. 1. Definitions. For the  purposes  of  this
     4  section, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
     5    (a)  "Empire  state  trail" shall mean the Empire state trail network,
     6  including the Hudson river valley greenway,  Erie  canalway  trail,  and
     7  Champlain  valley  trail,  marked  with  signage  and  identified on the
     8  office's website, as well as any future corridors to be included in  the
     9  Empire state trail network; and
    10    (b)  "Multi-use  trail"  shall  mean  a  trail established pursuant to
    11  section 11-0329 of the environmental conservation law by the  department
    12  of  environmental conservation or established by an affiliate or subsid-
    13  iary of the department, or a county, city,  town,  village,  or  private
    14  entity for recreation and transportation use by pedestrians, bicyclists,
    15  and/or others utilizing non-motorized transport.
    16    2.  Trail  closures.  (a)  The  owner  of any segment of non-motorized
    17  multi-use trail designated as a portion of the Empire state trail  shall
    18  ensure  that such segment of trail remains open when practicable for use
    19  by pedestrians, persons operating  a  bicycle,  skating  or  gliding  on
    20  in-line  skates, or other trail users as allowed by state, local law, or
    21  regulation.
    22    (b) If any segment of the Empire state trail requires closure  due  to
    23  construction  or to ensure public safety, it shall be the responsibility
    24  of the public or private landowner of such segment of trail to:

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD13561-01-3
        A. 8274                             2

     1    (i) Submit to the commissioner  or  their  designee,  notice  of  such
     2  closure, the duration of such closure, and the planned detour route; and
     3    (ii)  Ensure  that signage is prominently posted to direct trail users
     4  along the detour route.
     5    (c) The commissioner or their designee shall,  upon  receiving  notice
     6  pursuant  to  this section, ensure such trail closure and planned detour
     7  route is posted on the office's website.
     8    § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
     9  it shall have become a law.