Skip to content
S3856Senate2019-2020 SessionSame asA4911

Rename Staten Island Expressway

Official title

“Changes the official name of the Staten Island Expressway to the POW-MIA Memorial Highway”

Sponsor Andrew J. LanzaSD-24Affects Transportation
Status
In Assembly Committee
Transportation
Impact
1/10
Minimal
Passage
0%

Bill progress

Step 5 of 7

In Assembly · Transportation

What's happening

This bill renames the Staten Island Expressway as the "POW-MIA Memorial Highway" and updates all relevant legal references accordingly.

Why it matters

  1. Symbolic Recognition for Veterans. Renaming the Staten Island Expressway as the "POW-MIA Memorial Highway" elevates public awareness and honors the sacrifices of Prisoners of War and those Missing in Action, potentially fostering a deeper local and national sense of remembrance and respect for veterans.

  2. Legal and Administrative Consistency. The bill systematically updates numerous references across state and city laws, district boundaries, and transportation codes to ensure all legal documents and maps uniformly reflect the new highway name, reducing confusion and ensuring administrative clarity.

  3. Impacts on Navigation, Mapping, and Signage. The law mandates changes in highway signage and wayfinding systems, which will involve logistical efforts by the Department of Transportation and updates to digital and physical maps, potentially affecting residents, emergency services, and visitors navigating Staten Island.

  4. Community and Political Messaging. The renaming can be seen as a political and community statement, reflecting the values and priorities of local leadership and potentially inspiring similar commemorative efforts elsewhere, while also drawing attention to the ongoing issues faced by POW/MIA families.

The daily · weekday mornings

Albany, before your first meeting.

Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.

Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.

Who cares

  • Prisoners of war and families of service members missing in action

    The bill would make “POW-MIA Memorial Highway” the official name of the specified portions of the Staten Island and West Shore expressways.

  • New York State Department of Transportation

    The transportation commissioner would be required to provide for installation and maintenance of signs reflecting the highway designation.

  • Staten Island drivers

    The official renaming would cover Route 440 from Outerbridge Crossing to Route 278 and Route 278 from the Goethals Bridge to the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.

  • State and New York City officials

    The bill would replace Staten Island Expressway references in highway laws, district boundary descriptions and the city code’s Fox Hills area description.

Headline styles

Rename Staten Island Expressway

Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.

Sponsors

Primary sponsor
Andrew J. Lanza

Senator · Senate District 24

No co-sponsors yet.

History

  1. Referred to transportation
  2. Delivered to assembly
  3. Passed senateVote 62–0
  4. Ordered to third reading cal.680
  5. Reported and committed to rules
  6. Reported and committed to finance
  7. Referred to investigations and government operations
  8. Returned to senate
  9. Died in assembly
  10. Referred to transportation
  11. Delivered to assembly
  12. Passed senateVote 62–0
Show 5 earlier actions
  1. Advanced to third reading
  2. 2nd report cal.
  3. 1st report cal.858
  4. Reported and committed to finance
  5. Referred to investigations and government operations

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.

A4911Assembly

Rename Staten Island Expressway

In Assembly Committee · Transportation · Sponsor Michael Cusick

Impact 2 · Minimal0% to pass

Full text

8 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗

STATE OF NEW YORK

3856

2019-2020 Regular Sessions

IN SENATE

February 20, 2019

Introduced by Sen. LANZA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Investigations and Government Operations

AN ACT to amend the state law, the highway law and the administrative code of the city of New York in relation to renaming the Staten Island Expressway the "POW-MIA Memorial Highway"

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

Section 1. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the official name of all that portion of the state highway system located in Richmond county constituting route 440 from Outerbridge Crossing to route 278 (West Shore Expressway) and route 278 from the Goethals bridge to the Verrazano-Narrows bridge (Staten Island Expressway) shall be the "POW-MIA Memorial Highway", as such highway is designated in section 343-h of the highway law.

§ 2. Subdivisions 63 and 64 of section 121 of the state law, as added by chapter 16 of the laws of 2012, are amended to read as follows:

63. Sixty-third district. In the county of Richmond, that part of the borough of Staten Island bounded by a line described as follows: Beginning at the point where the New York/New Jersey border intersects with a line extended northwesterly from Harbor Road, thence southeasterly along said line to Harbor Road, thence southerly along said road to Forest Avenue, thence easterly along said avenue to Summerfield Place, thence southerly along said place to Francesca Lane, thence southerly along said lane to Ludwig Lane, thence easterly along said lane to a line extended westerly from Baron Hirch Cemetery Pathway, thence easterly along said line to said pathway, thence southeasterly along said pathway to Richmond Avenue, thence southwesterly along said avenue to the [Staten Island Expressway] POW-MIA Memorial Highway, thence southeasterly along said [expressway] highway to Victory Boulevard, thence northeasterly along said boulevard to Woolley Avenue, thence northerly

EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

[ ] is old law to be omitted.

LBD00288-01-9

S. 3856 2

along said avenue to Delmore Street, thence easterly along said street a line extended westerly from Livermore Avenue, thence easterly along said line extended to Livermore Avenue, thence northerly along said avenue to Waters Avenue, thence westerly along said avenue to Woolley Avenue, thence northerly along said avenue to Leonard Avenue, thence easterly along said avenue to Livermore Avenue, thence northerly along said avenue to Lathrop Avenue, thence easterly along said avenue to Dickie Avenue, thence northerly along said avenue to College Avenue, thence easterly along said avenue to Wardwell Avenue, thence southerly along said avenue to The Blvd, thence southeasterly along said boulevard to Jewett Avenue, thence northerly along said avenue to Constant Avenue, thence easterly along said avenue to Virginia Place, thence northerly along said place to Maine Avenue, thence westerly along said avenue to Ohio Place, thence northerly along said place to College Avenue, thence westerly along said avenue to Brookside Avenue, thence southeasterly along said avenue to Martling Avenue, thence northeasterly along said avenue to Clove Road, thence southeasterly along said road to Bard Avenue, thence northeasterly along said avenue to Croton Avenue, thence easterly along said avenue to the border of Silver Lake Golf Course, thence northeasterly along said border to Lakewood Road, thence northerly along said road to Revere Street, thence northeasterly along said street to University Place, thence northerly along said place to a point on a line extended westerly from Greenwood Avenue, thence easterly along said line to Greenwood Avenue, thence northerly along said avenue to Forrest Avenue, thence easterly along said avenue to Victory Boulevard, thence southwesterly along said boulevard to Theresa Place, thence easterly along said place to Duncan Road, thence southerly along said road to Greta Place, thence easterly along said place to Howard Avenue, thence southerly along said avenue to Arlo Road, thence southwesterly along said road to Highland Avenue, thence southerly along said avenue to Howard Avenue, thence northeasterly along said avenue to Signal Hill Road on Wagner College Campus, thence southeasterly along said road to a point where it meets a line extended northwesterly from Cedar Terrace to Signal Hill Road, thence southeasterly along said line to said terrace, thence southeasterly along said terrace to Longview Road, thence southeasterly along said road to a line extended northeasterly from Concord Place, thence southwesterly along said line to Concord Place, thence southeasterly along said place to Richmond Road, thence southerly along said road to Dekalb Street, thence southeasterly along said street to Rhine Avenue, thence northeasterly along said avenue to Pierce Street, thence southeasterly along said street to Targee Street, thence southwesterly along said street to Interstate 278, thence northwesterly along said expressway to Richmond Road, thence southwesterly along said road to Clove Road, thence southeasterly along said road to Targee Street, thence southwesterly along said street to Baltic Avenue, thence southeasterly along said avenue to a line extended northwesterly from West Fingerboard Road between Stonegate Drive and North Railroad Avenue, thence southeasterly along said line extended to West Fingerboard Road, thence southwesterly along said road to Targee Street, thence northerly along said street to Columbus Avenue, thence westerly along said avenue to Richmond Road, thence southeasterly along said road to Old Town Road, thence southeasterly along said road to Savin Court, thence southwesterly along said court to Whitaker Place, thence southeasterly along said place to Wilson Street, thence southwesterly along said street to Newberry Street, thence southeasterly along said street to Remsen Street, thence southwesterly along said street to Burgher Avenue, thence

S. 3856 3

northwesterly along said avenue to Bear Street, thence southwesterly along said street to Alter Avenue, thence northwesterly along said avenue to Jefferson Street, thence southwesterly along said street to Seaver Avenue, thence northwesterly along said avenue to Richmond Road, thence northeasterly along said road to Four Corners Road, thence westerly along said road to Romer Road, thence northerly along said road to Saint George Drive, thence northwesterly along said drive to Benedict Road, thence northwesterly along said road to Saint James Place, thence southwesterly along said place to Buttonwood Road, thence northwesterly along said road to Circle Road, thence southwesterly along said road to Todt Hill Road, thence northwesterly along said road to Ocean Terrace, thence westerly along said terrace to Manor Road, thence southerly along said road to Portage Avenue, thence westerly along said avenue to Fanning Street, thence southerly along said street to Manor Road, thence southwesterly along said road to a line extended northwesterly from Sloane Avenue, thence southeasterly along said line to Sloane Avenue, thence southeasterly along said avenue to Nevada Avenue, thence southeasterly along said avenue to Rockland Avenue, thence southeasterly along said avenue to Saint George Road, thence southwesterly along said road to Lawn Avenue, thence northerly along said avenue to Nugent Street, thence southwesterly along said street to a line extended easterly from Nugent Street, thence westerly along said line to Nugent Street, thence westerly along said street to a line extended easterly from Lighthouse Avenue, thence westerly along said line to Lighthouse Avenue, thence westerly to a line extended easterly from the end of Manor Court, thence westerly along said line to Manor Court, thence westerly along said court to a footpath extended southerly from Edinboro Road to Manor Court, thence westerly along said road through the northerly side of the traffic circle to Richmond Hill Road, thence southeasterly along said road to Arthur Kill Road, thence southwesterly along said road to Revere Lane, thence northwesterly along said lane to Franklin Lane, thence northerly along said lane to a line extended southwesterly from the Richmond Creek to said lane, thence northeasterly along said line to said creek, thence southwesterly along said creek to a point where it meets a line extended northeasterly from the intersection of Arthur Kill Road and Ridgewood Avenue, thence southwesterly along said line to Arthur Kill Road, thence northwesterly along said road to Ladd Avenue, thence westerly along said avenue to Crossfield Avenue, thence northerly along said avenue to Token Street, thence westerly along said street to Futurity Place, thence northerly along said place to Arthur Kill Road, thence northwesterly along said road to Annadale Road, thence southerly along said road to Drumgoole Road, thence southwesterly along said road to Smyrna Avenue, thence westerly along said avenue to Woehrle Avenue, thence southerly along said avenue to Grantwood Avenue, thence northwesterly along said avenue to Woodrow Road, thence southwesterly along said road to Regina Lane, thence northwesterly along said lane to Halpin Avenue, thence northerly along said avenue to Legate Avenue, thence southwesterly along said avenue to Carlton Boulevard, thence southeasterly along said boulevard to Halpin Avenue, thence southwesterly along said avenue to Arden Avenue, thence southeasterly along said avenue to Woodrow Road, thence southwesterly along said road to Almond Street, thence northeasterly along said street to Vespa Avenue, thence northeasterly along said avenue to Arden Avenue, thence northwesterly along said avenue to a line extended northeasterly from Geyser Drive, thence southwesterly along said line to Geyser Drive, thence westerly along said drive to Russek Drive, thence southerly along

S. 3856 4

said drive to Avon Green, thence westerly along said green to Huguenot Avenue, thence northerly along said avenue to Arthur Kill Road, thence westerly along said road to a line extending southerly from the Arthur Kill shoreline to Saint Lukes Avenue, thence northerly along said line to said shoreline, thence northeasterly along said shoreline to a line extended easterly from the New York/New Jersey state border to an inlet, thence westerly along said line to said border, thence northeasterly along said border to a line extended northwesterly from the end of Harbor Road, the point and place of beginning.

64. Sixty-fourth district. In the county of Kings, that part of the borough of Brooklyn bounded by a line described as follows: Beginning at a point on the Kings County/New Jersey State Line to a line extended northwesterly from the northern right-of-way of the Belt Parkway, thence southeasterly along said line extended to a point at the end of Colonial Road at Wakeman Place, thence southwesterly along said road to 68th Street, thence southeasterly along said street to Ridge Boulevard, thence southwesterly along said boulevard to 71st Street, thence southeasterly along said street to 3rd Avenue, thence southwesterly along said avenue to 72nd Street, thence southeasterly along said street to Ridge Court, thence northeasterly along said court until its end, thence to a line extended southwesterly from Ovington Avenue to the end of said court, thence northeasterly along said line extended to Ovington Avenue, thence southeasterly along said avenue to 4th Avenue, thence northeasterly along said avenue to 69th Street, thence southeasterly along said street to 6th Avenue, thence northerly along said avenue to Erik Place, thence southeasterly on said place to 7th Avenue, thence southerly along said avenue to a line extended from the northern end of Stewart Avenue northeasterly to 7th Avenue, thence southwesterly along said line extended to the northern end of Stewart Avenue, thence southwesterly along said avenue to Ovington Avenue, thence southeasterly along said avenue to 7th Avenue, thence southerly along said avenue to 79th street, thence westerly along said street to 3rd Avenue, thence northerly along said avenue to 78th Street, thence northwesterly along said street to Ridge Boulevard, thence southwesterly along said boulevard to 80th Street, thence northwesterly along said street to Colonial Road, thence southwesterly along said road to 81st Street, thence northwesterly along said street to Narrows Avenue, thence southwesterly along said avenue to 83rd Street, thence westerly along said street to Shore Road, thence southwesterly along said road to the intersection of Belt Parkway and Interstate 278, thence southwesterly along said interstate to the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, thence southwesterly along said bridge to the Kings/Richmond county line, thence northerly along said line to the Kings County/New Jersey State line, the point and place of beginning; Furthermore, in the county of Richmond, that part of the borough of Staten Island bounded by a line described as follows: Beginning at a point where the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge meets the Kings/Richmond county line, thence southerly along the Richmond county line to a point where said line meets the New York/New Jersey State border, thence southwesterly along said border, thence to a point intersecting a line extended southeasterly from Armstrong Avenue, thence northwesterly along said line to the intersection of said line and a line extended southerly from Point Street, thence northerly along said line to its intersection with a line extended southeasterly from the end of Robinson Avenue, thence northwesterly along said line to Thornycroft Avenue, thence northwesterly along said avenue to Tennyson Drive, thence northeasterly along said drive to Littlefield Avenue, thence northwesterly along said avenue to

S. 3856 5

Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.

Sponsor's memo

Title of bill

An act to amend the state law, the highway law and the administrative code of the city of New York in relation to renaming the Staten Island Expressway the "POW-MIA Memorial Highway"

Purpose or general idea of bill

This bill would change the official name of the Staten Island Expressway to the POW-MIA Highway.

Justification

In 1997 the Staten Island Expressway was ceremoniously named the MIA-POW Memorial Highway in honor of those who served our country, many of whom never came home. This bill would make this name official to pay tribute to those men and women who, in service to their country during times of conflict, were Prisoners of War or listed as Missing in Action.

Prior legislative history

2018: S.4629 - Refereed to Investigations and Government Operations/A.6209 - Referred to Transportation 2017: S.4629 - Passed Senate/A.6209 - Referred to Transportation 2016: S.2681 - Referred to Investigations and Government Operations/A.4377 - Referred to Transportation 2015: S.2681 - Referred to Investigations and Government Operations/A.4377 - Referred to Transportation 2014: S.4971 - Referred to Investigations and Government Operations/A.3745 - Referred to Transportation 2013: S.4971 - Third Reading Calendar/A.3745 - Referred to Transporta- tion

Fiscal implications

Undetermined.

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.