File #: Int 0746-2024    Version: Name: Improvement and maintenance of medians through the planting of vegetation or use in stormwater management.
Type: Introduction Status: Enacted
Committee: Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
On agenda: 4/11/2024
Enactment date: 10/12/2024 Law number: 2024/094
Title: A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to the improvement and maintenance of medians through the planting of vegetation or use in stormwater management
Sponsors: Oswald Feliz, Shekar Krishnan, Alexa Avilés, Sandy Nurse, Chris Banks, Lincoln Restler, Sandra Ung, Lynn C. Schulman, Robert F. Holden, Crystal Hudson, Kalman Yeger , Farah N. Louis, Jennifer Gutiérrez, Julie Won, Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, Darlene Mealy
Council Member Sponsors: 16
Summary: This proposed bill would require the Commissioner of Transportation, in collaboration with the Commissioner of Parks and Recreation and the Commissioner of Environmental Protection to improve at least 1 mile of paved medians every 2 years until 2046. These improvements must include adding planted medians, tree beds, or stormwater infrastructure. The Commissioner of Transportation will prioritize these improvements in high priority investment areas. The Department of Transportation (“Department”) will be required to report on their progress annually. The Department will also be responsible for the cleaning and maintenance of these medians, unless the Mayor designates another agency or office to be responsible. The Department will maintain a website that identifies each of these improved medians as well as the agency or office responsible for their cleaning and maintenance.
Indexes: Report Required
Attachments: 1. Summary of Int. No. 746-A, 2. Summary of Int. No. 746, 3. Int. No. 746, 4. April 11, 2024 - Stated Meeting Agenda, 5. Hearing Transcript - Stated Meeting 4-11-24, 6. Minutes of the Stated Meeting - April 11, 2024, 7. Committee Report 6/25/24, 8. Hearing Testimony 6/25/24, 9. Hearing Transcript 6/25/24, 10. Int. No. 746-A - 9/6/24, 11. Committee Report 9/10/24, 12. Hearing Transcript 9/10/24, 13. Committee Report - Stated Meeting, 14. September 12, 2024 - Stated Meeting Agenda, 15. Hearing Transcript - Stated Meeting 9-12-24, 16. Int. No. 746-A (FINAL), 17. Fiscal Impact Statement, 18. Legislative Documents - Letter to the Mayor, 19. Local Law 94
Date Ver.Prime SponsorAction ByActionResultAction DetailsMeeting DetailsMultimedia
10/15/2024AOswald Feliz City Council Returned Unsigned by Mayor  Action details Meeting details Not available
10/12/2024AOswald Feliz Administration City Charter Rule Adopted  Action details Meeting details Not available
9/12/2024AOswald Feliz City Council Sent to Mayor by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available
9/12/2024AOswald Feliz City Council Approved by CouncilPass Action details Meeting details Not available
9/10/2024*Oswald Feliz Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Hearing Held by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
9/10/2024*Oswald Feliz Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Amendment Proposed by Comm  Action details Meeting details Not available
9/10/2024*Oswald Feliz Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Amended by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
9/10/2024AOswald Feliz Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Approved by CommitteePass Action details Meeting details Not available
6/25/2024*Oswald Feliz Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Hearing Held by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
6/25/2024*Oswald Feliz Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Laid Over by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
4/11/2024*Oswald Feliz City Council Referred to Comm by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available
4/11/2024*Oswald Feliz City Council Introduced by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available

Int. No. 746-A

 

By Council Members Feliz, Krishnan, Avilés, Nurse, Banks, Restler, Ung, Schulman, Holden, Hudson, Yeger, Louis, Gutiérrez, Won, Brooks-Powers and Mealy

 

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to the improvement and maintenance of medians through the planting of vegetation or use in stormwater management

 

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

 

Section 1. Subchapter 1 of chapter 1 of title 19 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 19-159.8 to read as follows:

§ 19-159.8 Improvement of paved medians. a. Definitions. For the purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:

High priority investment area. The term “high priority investment area” means an area of the city determined by the department to have a greater need for infrastructure investment based on a relatively low amount of prior investment, a relatively high population of low income residents, and any other factors considered by the commissioner to be relevant.

Paved median. The term "paved median" means a portion of a median under the jurisdiction of the department which is between 2 intersecting streets and does not include planted vegetation or stormwater management infrastructure.

b. The commissioner, in collaboration with the commissioner of parks and recreation and the commissioner of environmental protection, shall improve at least 1 linear mile of paved medians every 2 years until 2046. Improvements pursuant to this subdivision shall be made where feasible and appropriate as part of a street reconstruction project or projects impacting consecutive blocks of a street for which funds have been appropriated in the capital budget, and shall be made in each of the 5 boroughs. When determining where such improvements shall be made, the commissioner shall prioritize improvements in high priority investment areas. Such improvements shall include adding planted medians, tree beds, or stormwater management infrastructure.

c. Beginning February 1, 2026, and every February 1 thereafter until February 1, 2046, the commissioner shall submit a report to the mayor and the speaker of the council detailing the length and location of any paved median improved pursuant to this section in the preceding calendar year, the cost of making such improvement, and whether such improvement was made in a high priority investment area. Such report may be included in the update required by paragraph 2 of subdivision d of section 19-199.1.

d. The department shall be responsible for the cleaning and maintenance of all medians improved pursuant to this section, except that the mayor may designate any other agency or office to be responsible for the cleaning and maintenance of any median improved pursuant to this section. This section does not interfere with the commissioner of parks and recreation’s jurisdiction or responsibilities over trees and vegetation pursuant to section 18-104. The department shall post on its website a list or map that identifies each median improved pursuant to this section, and identifies the agency or office responsible for the cleaning and maintenance of that median.

§ 2. This local law takes effect 90 days after it becomes law. RL/MC

LS #15415

9/4/2024 11:40pm