What's happening
This bill allows property owners to exchange easements for access to state highways, making new access points public roads through a formal approval process.
Why it matters
Local governments gain new influence over highway access. By allowing exchanges of easements, municipalities can strategically manage where new public roads connect with state highways, potentially improving local traffic flow or supporting specific development projects.
Land use and traffic impacts must be formally assessed. The bill requires a traffic study and a land use plan before any easement exchange can occur, ensuring that new access points are justified by actual needs rather than arbitrary requests.
Expedited, transparent approval process. The commissioner of transportation is required to make a decision within sixty days after receiving all necessary documents, providing predictability and efficiency for property owners and local governments.
Potential for increased development and connectivity. Making new access points public roads could facilitate new construction, economic development, or improved emergency access, particularly in areas where highway access is currently limited.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Swap Road Easements Allowed
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Enacting clause stricken
- Referred to transportation
- Referred to transportation
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2680
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 24, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. GANTT -- read once and referred to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the transportation law, in relation to easement exchanges
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The transportation law is amended by adding a new section 14-n to read as follows:
§ 14-n. Easement exchange. 1. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, the commissioner shall have power to allow property owners to exchange easements with access to local roadways for easements with access to state highways, such that the point of access to state highways shall thereafter be owned by a local governmental entity, and become a public road.
2. The following process shall be utilized to approve such easement exchanges:
(a) The local government entity requesting an easement exchange shall conduct a traffic study establishing a need for a new point of access and forward that study to the commissioner;
(b) The local government entity requesting an easement exchange shall prepare a land use plan that establishes the need for a new point of access, prepare and vote in favor of a resolution supporting the land use plan, and forward both documents to the commissioner; and
(c) The commissioner shall review all required materials and render a judgment within sixty days.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00302-01-9
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.