A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to pedestrian countdown displays at intersections adjacent to schools and parks

Int. No. 671-A

By Council Members Vallone, Eugene, Wills, Van Bramer, Richards, Ferreras-Copeland, Dromm, Gibson, Williams, Koslowitz, Crowley, Cumbo, Cabrera, Vacca, Constantinides, Torres, Cohen, Deutsch, Rose, Gentile, Mendez, Menchaca, Cornegy, Rosenthal, Rodriguez, Chin, Perkins, Kallos and Ulrich

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to pedestrian countdown displays at intersections adjacent to schools and parks

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

            Section 1. Subchapter 3 of chapter 1 of title 19 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 19-197 to read as follows:

§ 19-197 Pedestrian countdown displays near schools and parks. a. Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms have the following meanings:

Park. The term “park” means any park under the jurisdiction of the department of parks and recreation that is equal to or greater than one acre, and includes a playground or active recreational or athletic amenity.

Pedestrian countdown display. The term “pedestrian countdown display” means any automated digital reading used in a crosswalk that displays, at the beginning of the flashing upraised hand signal, the number of seconds remaining until the termination of such signal.

School. The term “school” means any buildings, grounds, facilities, property, or portion thereof in which educational instruction is provided on a full-time basis to at least 250 students at or below the twelfth grade level.

Traffic control signal. The term “traffic control signal” has the same meaning as in section 154 of the vehicle and traffic law or any successor provision.

                     b.  No later than three years after the effective date of the local law that added this section, the department shall survey all intersections with traffic control signals that are adjacent to a school or park and do not currently have pedestrian countdown displays for the purpose of determining whether pedestrian countdown displays should be installed at such intersections.

                     c. The department shall install pedestrian countdown displays at each intersection that the department deems necessary within two years of the completion of the survey required by subdivision b of this section. The department shall inform the speaker of the council in writing upon completion of all such installations.

                     d. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the department may determine that the installation of a pedestrian countdown display in any one or more intersection is not appropriate because such installation would endanger the safety of motorists or pedestrians, divert resources from installations at other locations that the department has identified as safety priorities, or be inconsistent with the department's guidelines regarding the installation of pedestrian countdown displays.

e. Upon completion of the survey required by subdivision b, the department shall submit to the speaker of the council a report on the results of such survey, including, but not limited to, a list of the intersections where the department has determined that it is not appropriate to install a pedestrian countdown display and the reasons therefor; provided, however, that the department shall annually assess the need to install pedestrian countdown displays adjacent to any new schools or parks created after such survey.

§ 2.  This local law takes effect immediately and is deemed repealed after completion of the installations required by subdivision c of section 19-197 of the administrative code of the city of New York, as added by section 1 of this local law.

GZ/KET/FM

LS #3094

7/12/17 11:42 AM