What's happening
This bill creates a pilot program to test and evaluate technology that detects the number of occupants in vehicles using high-occupancy vehicle lanes.
Why it matters
Could affect traffic congestion and enforcement. By testing technology that accurately counts vehicle occupants in HOV lanes, the pilot could reduce illegal use of these lanes, potentially improving traffic flow and fairness for carpoolers.
Raises privacy and surveillance considerations. Deploying occupant-detection technology may spark debate about how personal data and images are collected, stored, and used by law enforcement or government agencies.
Influences future transportation policy. The results of this pilot, especially if the technology is shown to be highly accurate, could lead to broader adoption of automated compliance measures, changing how HOV lanes are enforced statewide.
Enables New York to participate in federal innovation efforts. The bill explicitly authorizes the state to join federal pilot programs, potentially unlocking federal funding and ensuring New York remains at the forefront of transportation technology evaluation.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Test HOV Lane Monitoring
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to transportation
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.
Test HOV Lane Cameras
In Assembly Committee · Transportation · Sponsor Michael Cusick
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
7658
IN SENATE
February 4, 2020
Introduced by Sen. GOUNARDES -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the transportation law, in relation to establishing a pilot program for high-occupancy vehicle compliance monitoring technology
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 23 to read as follows:
§ 23. Pilot program for high-occupancy vehicle compliance monitoring technology. 1. For purposes of this section "high-occupancy vehicle compliance monitoring technology" means technology that detects the number of occupants in a vehicle.
2. The department shall, in cooperation with the superintendent of state police, the commissioner of motor vehicles, the chairman of the New York state thruway authority and local law enforcement agencies, develop and implement rules and regulations for the creation of a pilot program for high-occupancy vehicle compliance monitoring technology.
3. Within twelve months of the commencement of the pilot program, the department shall submit a report to the temporary president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly and the governor. Such report shall include information regarding the efficiency of high-occupancy vehicle compliance monitoring technology and the impact of the uses of such technology on the number of high-occupancy vehicle lane violations. Such report shall include the efficiency rates of such technology and, when such efficiency rates are above the ninetieth percentile, recommendations on how such technology can be implemented statewide.
4. The department is authorized to enroll, or to apply for enrollment, in any federal pilot program or project for the collection and study of data related to the use of high-occupancy vehicle compliance monitoring technology.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04264-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the transportation law, in relation to establishing a pilot program for high-occupancy vehicle compliance monitoring technolo- gy
Purpose or general idea of bill
Establishes a pilot program for high - occupancy vehicle compliance monitoring technology.
Summary of provisions
Section 1. A new section 23 is added to the transportation law to imple- ment rules and regulations for the creation of a pilot program for high- occupancy vehicle compliance monitoring technology.
Section 2. Establishes an immediate effective date.
Justification
The intent of this legislation is to establish a pilot program to study the efficiency of high-occupancy vehicle compliance monitoring technolo- gy. By launching this pilot program such technology would be used to test its reliability while gathering data on the number of high-occupan- cy vehicle lane violations. The legislation further calls for the State Transportation Department to issue its report twelve months following implementation regarding the efficiency rates of the technology and how this technology may be implemented statewide. If such report finds the technology would prove to accomplish the desired result, and upon imple- mentation, it is widely expected that this alternative enforcement would greatly impact commuter traffic flow and serve as a detriment to viola- tors.
Prior legislative history
New bill.
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
Immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.