New York S 1375: Requiring the office of parks, recreation and historic preservation establish design standards and manage applications for greenway trails

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S01375 Summary:

BILL NOS01375 

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SAME ASSAME AS A07736

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SPONSORSERRANO

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COSPNSR

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MLTSPNSR

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Amd §§3.09 & 1.03, Pks & Rec L

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Requires the office of parks, recreation and historic preservation to establish design standards for greenway trails and to manage applications for greenway trails.

Go to top S01375 Actions:

BILL NOS01375 

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01/09/2025REFERRED TO CULTURAL AFFAIRS, TOURISM, PARKS AND RECREATION

01/07/2026REFERRED TO CULTURAL AFFAIRS, TOURISM, PARKS AND RECREATION

Go to topS01375 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS01375 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topS01375 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 1375

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN SENATE

 January 9, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by Sen. SERRANO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
 printed to be committed to the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism,
 Parks and Recreation

 AN ACT to amend the parks, recreation and historic preservation law, in
 relation to directing the office of parks, recreation and historic
 preservation to promulgate uniform design standards and manage appli-
 cations for greenway trails

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

 1 Section 1. Subdivision 7-a of section 3.09 of the parks, recreation
 2 and historic preservation law, as added by chapter 999 of the laws of
 3 1973, is amended to read as follows:
 4 7-a. (a) Promulgate a comprehensive plan for the establishment of a
 5 state-wide trails system. For the purposes of this subdivision "trails"
 6 shall include footpaths, bike ways, snowmobile trails, horse trails,
 7 cross country ski trails, roads and other rights-of-way suitable for
 8 hiking, strolling, cycling, horseback riding, skiing and other means of
 9 motorized and non-motorized travel for recreational purposes and shall
 10 include combinations and systems of trails, including connecting and
 11 side trails, and trails leading to scenic and recreational areas. The
 12 commissioner, with the approval of the director of the budget, may,
 13 within the appropriations made available by the legislature, purchase
 14 such abandoned railroad rights-of-way as can be used in the comprehen-
 15 sive plan, and make improvements where necessary, in order to make them
 16 suitable and available for use as trails.
 17 (b) Promulgate rules and regulations establishing design standards for
 18 greenway trails. Such design standards shall identify best practices
 19 for, including but not limited to, trail design specifications, road
 20 crossing treatments, and bicycle and pedestrian facilities. Such design
 21 standards shall be used to the greatest extent possible to guide design
 22 for any multiple use bicycle and pedestrian facilities, rail trails,

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD03339-01-5

 S. 1375 2

 1 canalway trails, or other greenway trails, as shall be determined by the
 2 office, which is established or improved on state land or using state or
 3 federal funding.
 4 (c) Be empowered to deny new greenway trail applications under the
 5 jurisdiction of the office, for failing to conform with the standards
 6 established under paragraph (a) of this subdivision and state the
 7 reasons for such denial to be enumerated with a written justification
 8 which shall be posted publicly online.
 9 (d) Be empowered to deny applications for the expansion or modifica-
 10 tion of greenway trails under the jurisdiction of the office, for fail-
 11 ing to conform with the standards established under paragraph (a) of
 12 this subdivision and state the reasons for such denial to be enumerated
 13 with a written justification which shall be posted publicly online.
 14 (e) Be empowered to determine that, for any new trail established
 15 under the jurisdiction of the office or for any expansion or modifica-
 16 tion of existing trails under the jurisdiction of the office, conformity
 17 to the standards established under this section is inappropriate, for
 18 reasons which shall be enumerated in a written justification to be post-
 19 ed publicly online.
 20 (f) Desi