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Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Print number 6774a
- Amend (t) and recommit to local government
- Referred to local government
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Authorizes an advisory, non-binding referendum in certain towns in Suffolk county on the creation of the Peconic Bay Regional Transportation Authority to replace the MTA
In Assembly Committee · Corporations, Authorities And Commissions · Sponsor Fred Thiele
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act authorizing an advisory, non-binding referendum in the towns of Brookhaven, East Hampton, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Southampton and Southold in the county of Suffolk on the creation of the Peconic Bay Regional Transportation Authority to replace the Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Purpose or general idea of bill
Authorizes an advisory, non-binding referendum in the towns of Brookhaven, East Hampton, Shelter Island, Southampton and Southold on the creation of the Peconic Bay Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) to replace the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1. Legislative Findings Section 2. Authorizes an advisory, non-binding referendum in the towns of Brookhaven, East Hampton, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Southampton and Southold which is to be held at least 60 days after this act's effective date on the question of the creation of the Peconic Bay Regional Transportation Authority Section 3. Conduct of referendum by the Suffolk County Board of Elections Section 4. Question shall be in the following form: "Shall the State of New York create a new transportation authority to be known as the Peconic Bay Regional Transportation Authority from the towns of Brookhaven, East Hampton, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Southampton and Southold in Suffolk county to provide expanded public transit services and shall said towns be removed from the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority?" Section 5. Severability clause Section 6. Immediate effective date
Read the full memo (625 words)
Justification
The Peconic Bay region consists of six towns located on the East End of Long Island: Town of Brookhaven, Town of East Hampton; Town of Riverhead; Town of Shelter Island; Town of Southampton and the Town of Southold. Traffic congestion experienced in this region has been one of the primary adverse impacts from overdevelopment resulting in deteriorating traffic safety with increased traffic accidents and fatalities. In addition, traffic congestion causes increased trip delays, declining air quality, adverse impacts to historic and rural resources in the region's villages and hamlets, parking problem, and adverse impacts to residential communities and neighborhoods resulting from the diversion of traffic from major highways and arteries to rural residential streets and roads.
The region's tourists and second home industries, the cornerstone of its prosperity, are threatened if the adverse consequences of traffic congestion are not adequately addressed in a timely manner. This problem will only worsen in the foreseeable future due to continued growth in the year-round and seasonal population.
Due to the unique geography of the Peconic Bay region, the construction of new highways to accommodate increased motor vehicle traffic is not a feasible option. The narrow forks limit the augmentation of future highway capacity in an east-west direction. Therefore, the development new public transit opportunities for the Peconic Bay region is necessary to provide a viable alternative to address the region's growing traffic congestion and other transportation problems. The Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, U.S. Department of Transportation, completed a study in the fall of 2009 validating the feasibility of an integrated rail-bus system to increase public transportation on Long Island's East End to relieve this area's growing traffic congestion.
This legislation would authorize the towns of the Peconic Bay region to conduct an advisory referendum at the next general election held after the effective date of this act on the creation of a Peconic Bay Regional Transportation Authority that would be responsible for public transportation services in the six East End towns of Brookhaven, East Hampton, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Southampton and Southold and replace the MTA's current governance of public transportation in this region. Such public referendum would be advisory and would still require final approval by an act of the Legislature.
Prior legislative history
New bill.
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.