On April 20, N.Y. Speaker Carl Heastie and Transportation Committee Chair William Magnarelli revealed significant capital aid allocations in the Enacted State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2024-25 budget, with a special focus on enhancing street and highway infrastructure across New York.
A total of $1.3 billion has been earmarked for various initiatives, including funding restorations for critical programs, provisions to combat toll evasion, and measures to increase stretch limousine safety.
The Limousine, Bus, Taxi, Operators of Upstate New York (LBTOUNY) issued a statement regarding the limousine legislation that appears in the budget:
“Your LBTOUNY legislative committee has been working really hard for the last six years to prevent these laws from happening. We have been successful in getting them shot down year after year, and we have been able to work with our elected and appointed officials to get many other bills removed that affected our industry. But the following bill set to be put into the Governor’s budget [includes] the items they are not budging too much on. I know this may affect some of you and we wish we had better news. If this affects you, call your representatives and call the Governor’s office. We will continue the fight until the last moment—and are still working on getting some exceptions.”
Drafted in the wake of the 2018 Schoharie accident, the Stretch Limousine Passenger Safety Act is designed to implement limousine safety recommendations made by the Stretch Limousine Passenger Safety Task Force. This bill would amend sections of the Transportation Law and Vehicle and Traffic Law and add new sections to the Vehicle and Traffic Law as part of a comprehensive limousine safety package based upon recommendations from the Stretch Limousine Passenger Safety Task Force, which include:
- Requiring that the state’s limousine safety website be updated to include publicly available information in accordance with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Safety and Fitness Electronic Records (SAFER) website;
- Requiring a minimum fine of $10,000 for operation of a stretch limousine that is under suspension;
- Authorizing the Commissioner of Transportation to seize the license plates of certain passenger carrying vehicles that have failed an inspection and been placed out-of-service;
- Requiring that stretch limousines be equipped with enhanced safety features including window break tools, fire extinguishers, improved emergency egress, and roll-over protection;
- Prohibiting the operation of a stretch limousine that is over 10 years old or has milage exceeding 350,000 miles, whichever occurs first; and
- Mandating that all stretch limousine passengers be given a pre-trip safety briefing.
This bill would take effect immediately, with certain provisions taking effect 180 days, one year, or two years after becoming law.
Visit lbtouny.com for more information.
[04.23.24]