New York Senate Bill S08709 Latest Draft

   
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 8709  IN SENATE March 4, 2024 ___________ Introduced by Sen. SCARCELLA-SPANTON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law and the public authorities law, in relation to limiting the number of tolls charged on trucks and limiting the Triborough bridge and tunnel authority's power to raise its toll schedule The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 1704-a of the vehicle and traffic 2 law, as added by section 1 of subpart A of part ZZZ of chapter 59 of the 3 laws of 2019, is amended to read as follows: 4 1. Consistent with the goals of reducing traffic congestion within the 5 central business district and funding capital projects the Triborough 6 bridge and tunnel authority shall have the power, subject to agreements 7 with its bondholders, and applicable federal law to establish and charge 8 variable tolls and fees for vehicles entering or remaining in the 9 central business district at any time and shall have the power, subject 10 to agreements with bondholders, and applicable federal law to make rules 11 and regulations for the establishment and collection of central business 12 district tolls, fees, and other charges. For purposes of establishing a 13 central business district toll or tolls the board shall, at minimum, 14 ensure annual revenues and fees collected under such program, less costs 15 of operation of the same, provide for sufficient revenues into the 16 central business district tolling capital lockbox fund, established 17 pursuant to section five hundred fifty-three-j of the public authorities 18 law necessary to fund fifteen billion dollars for capital projects for 19 the 2020 to 2024 MTA capital program, and any additional revenues above 20 that amount to be available for any successor programs. Additionally, no 21 toll may be established and charged on passenger vehicles registered 22 pursuant to subdivision six of section four hundred one of this chapter 23 and trucks as defined in section one hundred fifty-eight of this chapter 24 more than once per day for purposes of entering the central business 25 district. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD14676-01-4 
 S. 8709 2 1 § 2. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new section 2 1704-b to read as follows: 3 § 1704-b. Limitation on toll increases in relation to the central 4 business tolling program. The toll schedule authorized for entry into 5 or remaining in the central business district pursuant to section seven- 6 teen hundred four-a of this article shall not be increased after the 7 receipts of all tolls total one billion dollars. 8 § 3. Subdivision 4 of section 1630 of the vehicle and traffic law, as 9 amended by section 2 of subpart A of part ZZZ of chapter 59 of the laws 10 of 2019, is amended to read as follows: 11 4. Charging of tolls, taxes, fees, licenses or permits for the use of 12 the highway or any of its parts or entry into or remaining within the 13 central business district established by article forty-four-C of this 14 chapter, where the imposition thereof is authorized by law. Such toll 15 schedule shall not be increased after the receipt of all tolls total one 16 billion dollars. 17 § 4. Subdivision 12-a of section 553 of the public authorities law, as 18 added by section 4 of subpart A of part ZZZ of chapter 59 of the laws of 19 2019, is amended to read as follows: 20 12-a. To establish and charge variable tolls, fees and other charges 21 for vehicles entering or remaining within the central business district 22 and to make rules and regulations for the collection of such tolls, fees 23 and other charges, subject to and in accordance with such agreement with 24 bondholders and applicable federal law as may be made as hereinafter 25 provided. Subject to agreements with bondholders and applicable federal 26 law, all tolls, fees and other revenues derived from the central busi- 27 ness district tolling program shall be applied to the payment of operat- 28 ing, administration, and other necessary expenses of the authority prop- 29 erly allocable to such program, including the capital costs of such 30 program, and to the payment of interest or principal of bonds, notes or 31 other obligations of the authority or the metropolitan transportation 32 authority issued for transit and commuter projects as provided in 33 section five hundred fifty-three-j of this title, and shall not be 34 subject to distribution under section five hundred sixty-nine-c of this 35 title or section twelve hundred nineteen-a of this chapter. The 36 provisions of section twenty-eight hundred four of this chapter shall 37 not be applicable to the tolls and fees established by the authority 38 pursuant to this subdivision. Any such fares, tolls, and other charges 39 shall be established and changed only if approved by resolution of the 40 authority adopted by not less than a majority vote of the whole number 41 of members of the authority then in office, with the chairman having one 42 additional vote in the event of a tie vote, and only after a public 43 hearing. Such toll schedule authorized pursuant to this subdivision 44 shall not be increased after the receipts of all tolls total one billion 45 dollars. 46 § 5. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall 47 have become a law.