What's happening
This bill prevents local authorities from unreasonably restricting or overcharging for organized bicycle and running events on public roads.
Why it matters
Reduces Barriers for Community Events. By stopping local authorities from arbitrarily denying permits or setting high fees, the bill makes it easier for communities and organizations to hold races, charity rides, and other fitness events—potentially boosting local engagement, tourism, and fundraising efforts.
Promotes Consistent Access and Fairness. The bill prevents patchwork regulations by requiring clear, demonstrable reasons (like “unreasonable hardship”) for rejecting or limiting events, ensuring fairer and more predictable treatment for event organizers across New York.
Shifts Burden of Proof to Authorities. Local governments must now justify both event denials and the fees they charge, making it harder for them to use vague or pretextual reasons to block events or impose excessive costs, which can promote greater transparency and accountability.
Encourages Active Lifestyles and Public Health. By making organized biking and running events more accessible, the bill may help promote healthier, more active communities and broaden access to outdoor recreation, especially in areas where previous restrictions deterred such events.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Protect Bike and Run Events
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
4 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to transportation
- Referred to transportation
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2584
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 24, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. LAVINE, FAHY, D'URSO, COOK -- read once and referred to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the highway law and the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to organized bicycle and running events on public highways
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 316 of the highway law, as amended by chapter 655 of the laws of 1978, is amended to read as follows:
§ 316. Entitled to free use of highways. The authorities having charge or control of any highway, public street, park, parkway, driveway, or place, shall have no power or authority to pass, enforce or maintain any ordinance, rule or regulation by which any person using a bicycle or tricycle shall be excluded or prohibited from the free use of any highway, public street, avenue, roadway, driveway, parkway, park, or place, at any time when the same is open to the free use of persons having and using other pleasure carriages, except upon such driveway, speedway or road as has been or may be expressly set apart by law for the exclusive use of horses and light carriages. But nothing herein shall prevent the passage, enforcement or maintenance of any regulation, ordinance or rule, regulating the use of bicycles or tricycles in highways, public streets, driveways, parks, parkways, and places, or the regulation of the speed of carriages, vehicles or engines, in public parks and upon parkways and driveways in the city of New York, under the exclusive jurisdiction and control of the department of parks and recreation of said city, nor prevent any such authorities in any other city from regulating the speed of any vehicles herein described in such manner as to limit and determine the proper rate of speed with which such vehicle may be propelled nor in such manner as to require, direct or prohibit the use of bells, lamps and other appurtenances nor to prohibit the use of any vehicle upon that part of the highway, street, park, or parkway, commonly known as the footpath or sidewalk. No regulation, ordinance or
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04604-01-9
A. 2584 2
rule regulating the use of bicycles, tricycles or runners may deny any organized bicycle or running events, or any organized events that combine bicycle and running from any highway, public street, park, parkway, driveway or place unless said authority can demonstrate an unreasonable hardship to its infrastructure or its residents. Further, no such regulation, ordinance or rule shall impose an unreasonable fee for such use of any highway, public street, park, parkway, driveway or place. The burden of proving that any such fee is reasonable shall be on the pertinent authorities.
§ 2. Section 1640 of the vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new subdivision (f) to read as follows:
(f) No legislative body of a city or village shall enact any law or regulation that prohibits the use of its roads to bicycles or runners engaged in organized events that combine bicycle and running, from any highway, public street, park, parkway, driveway or place unless said city or village can demonstrate an unreasonable hardship to its infrastructure or its residents. Further, no city of village shall impose an unreasonable fee for such use of its roads. The burden of proving that any such fee is reasonable shall be on the city or village.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.