New York State Law
Vehicle and Traffic Law
Consolidated Laws of New York's VTL code
Article 41 - NY Vehicle and Traffic Law
REGULATION OF TRAFFIC BY TOWNS
| Section | Description |
|---|---|
| 1660 | Traffic regulation in all towns. |
| 1660-a | Traffic regulations at parking areas and driveways of hospitals, shopping centers, office buildings and office building complexes, places of public assembly, private apartment complexes, fire stations, private condominium complexes, mobile home parks, manufactured home parks, industrial parks and industrial complexes. |
| 1662 | Additional traffic regulations in towns in the county of Suffolk. |
| 1662-a | Speed limits in certain towns. |
| 1662-b | Residential parking system in the town of Eastchester in the county of Westchester. |
| 1662-c | Residential parking system in the town of Harrison. |
| 1662-d | Residential parking system in the town of Mamaroneck. |
| 1662-e | Residential parking system in the town of Hempstead. |
| 1663 | Special speed limits on bridges and other elevated structures. |
| 1664 | Application of article. |
S 1660. Traffic regulation in all towns. (a) The town board of any town with respect to highways outside of villages in any such town, but not including state highways maintained by the state except with respect to subdivisions six, eight, nine and ten, subject to the limitations imposed by section sixteen hundred eighty-four may by ordinance, order, rule or regulation: 1. Designate county roads and town highways as through highways and order stop signs, flashing signals or yield signs erected on county roads or town highways at specified entrances to such through highways or designate any intersection except those where one or more entering highways is a state highway maintained by the state as a stop intersection or a yield intersection and order like signs or signals at one or more entrances to such intersections. 2. Upon a roadway which is divided into three lanes, allocate the center lane exclusively for traffic moving in a specified direction. 3. Order signs erected directing slow-moving traffic, trucks, buses or specified types of vehicles to use a designated lane, or with signs, signals or markings designate those lanes to be used by traffic moving in a particular direction regardless of the center of the roadway. 4. Determine those highways or portions of highways which shall be marked to indicate where overtaking and passing or driving to the left of or crossing such markings would be especially hazardous in accordance with the standards, minimum warrants and sign or marking specifications established by the department of transportation. 5. Regulate traffic by means of traffic-control signals. 6. (i) License, regulate or prohibit speed contests, races, exhibitions of speed, processions, assemblages, or parades. Whenever such a speed contest, race, exhibition of speed, procession, assemblage or parade authorized by a local authority will block the movement of traffic on a state highway maintained by the state, or on a highway which connects two state highways maintained by the state to make a through route, for a period in excess of ten minutes, such authority must, prior to such blocking, provide and designate with conspicuous signs a detour adequate to prevent unreasonable delay in the movement of traffic on said state highway maintained by the state. (ii) Prohibit vehicles engaged in retail sales of frozen desserts as that term is defined in subdivision thirty-seven of section three hundred seventy-five of this chapter directly to pedestrians from stopping for the purpose of such sales on any highway within such town or on all such highways. Nothing herein shall be construed to prohibit the operator of such vehicle from stopping such vehicle off of such highway, in a safe manner, for the sole purpose of delivering such retail product directly to the residence of a consumer or to the business address of a customer of such retailer. 7. Prohibit or regulate the operation and the stopping, standing or parking of vehicles in cemeteries and in public parks. 8. Provide for the removal and storage of vehicles parked or abandoned on highways during snowstorms, floods, fires or other public emergencies, or found unattended where they constitute an obstruction to traffic or any place where stopping, standing or parking is prohibited and for the payment of reasonable charges for such removal and storage by the owner or operator of any such vehicle. 9. Provide for the installation, operation, maintenance, policing and supervision of parking meters, establish parking time limits at such meters, designate hours of operation of such meters, and, except as provided in section twelve hundred three-h of this chapter, fix and require the payment of a fee applicable to parking where such meters are in operation. The town board of any town may exercise these powers on behalf and at the expense of a public parking district with respect to highways outside of villages but within such public parking district, in which event the fees from such parking meters shall belong to such district, and the cost of operation and maintenance thereof shall thereafter be borne by such public parking district. 10. Establish a system of truck routes upon which all trucks, tractors, and tractor-trailer combinations having a total gross weight in excess of ten thousand pounds are permitted to travel and operate and excluding such vehicles and combinations from all highways except those which constitute such truck route system. Such exclusion shall not be construed to prevent the delivery or pickup of merchandise or other property along the highways from which such vehicles and combinations are otherwise excluded. Any such system of truck routes shall provide suitable connection with all state routes entering or leaving such town. 11. Temporarily exclude from any portion of any town highway any vehicle with a gross weight of over four or more tons or any vehicle with a gross weight in excess of any designated weight on any wheel, axle, any number of axles, or per inch width of tire when in its opinion such highway would be materially injured by the operation of any such vehicle thereon. Such exclusion shall take effect upon the erection of signs on the section of highway from which such vehicles are excluded, and a notice that such vehicles are excluded shall be published in a newspaper in the county where the highway is situated. The exclusion shall remain in effect until the removal of the signs as directed by the town board. Upon written application by any operator of a vehicle subject to this section, the town board may issue a permit providing appropriate exemption to such vehicle, if it is deemed that said vehicle is performing essential local pickup or delivery service and that a failure to grant such permit would create hardship. Every such permit may designate the route to be traversed and contain other reasonable restrictions or conditions deemed necessary. Every such permit shall be carried on the vehicle to which it refers and shall be open to inspection of any peace officer, acting pursuant to his special duties, or police officer. Such permits shall be for the duration of the restriction imposed under this section. 12. Prohibit, restrict or regulate the operation of vehicles on any controlled-access highway or the use of any controlled-access highway by any vehicle, device moved by human power or pedestrian. 13. Prohibit or regulate the turning of vehicles or specified types of vehicles at intersections or other designated locations. 14. Regulate the crossing of any roadway by pedestrians. 15. Authorize angle parking on any roadway. 16. Designate any highway or any separate roadway thereof for one-way traffic. 17. Exclude trucks, commercial vehicles, tractors, tractor-trailer combinations, tractor-semitrailer combinations, or tractor-trailer-semitrailer combinations from highways specified by such town board. Such exclusion shall not be construed to prevent the delivery or pickup of merchandise or other property along the highways from which such vehicles and combinations are otherwise excluded. 18. Prohibit, restrict or limit the stopping, standing or parking of vehicles. 19. Designate safety zones. 21. Designate a portion of a slope as a path for the use of bicycles. 22. Order signs or markings to identify the portion of the highway to be used for bicycle travel. 23. Designate preferential use lanes for specified types or classes of vehicles. 24. Prohibit, restrict or regulate the operation of limited use vehicles on any street or highway. 25. Adopt such additional reasonable ordinances, orders, rules and regulations with respect to traffic as local conditions may require subject to the limitations contained in the various laws of this state. 26. Make special provisions with relation to stopping, standing or parking of vehicles registered pursuant to section four hundred four-a of this chapter or those possessing a special vehicle identification parking permit issued in accordance with section one thousand two hundred three-a of this chapter. 27. Declare a snow emergency and designate any highway or portion thereof as a snow emergency route. 28. Exclude trucks, commercial vehicles, tractors, tractor-trailer combinations, tractor-semitrailer combinations, or tractor-trailer-semitrailer combinations in excess of any designated weight, designated length, designated height, or eight feet in width, from highways or set limits on hours of operation of such vehicles on particular town highways or segments of such highways. Such exclusion shall not be construed to prevent the delivery or pickup of merchandise or other property along the highways from which such vehicles or combinations are otherwise excluded. (b) Each such town board shall cause to be determined, for all bridges and elevated structures under its jurisdiction, the capacity in tons of two thousand pounds which the bridge or structure will safely carry. Upon bridges or structures of insufficient strength to carry safely the legal loads permissible by section three hundred eighty-five of this chapter, the town board shall cause signs to be erected to inform persons of the safe capacity. (c) Each such town board shall cause signs to be erected to inform persons of the legal overhead clearance for all bridges and elevated structures on highways under its jurisdiction. The legal clearance shall be one foot less than the measured clearance. The measured clearance shall be the minimum height to the bridge or structure measured vertically from the traveled portion of the roadway. On bridges or structures having fourteen feet or more of measured clearance, no such signs shall be required. (d) Such a town board also may by ordinance, order, rule or regulation prohibit, restrict or limit the stopping, standing or parking of vehicles upon property owned or leased by such town. (e) Any town with a population of seven hundred thousand or more may by local law or ordinance, provide for the removal and storage of vehicles parked on private property upon request of the owner of such private property, where such vehicles constitute an obstruction to the private property owner's right of ingress and egress, and for the payment of reasonable charges for such removal and storage by the owner or operator of any such vehicle. Such local law or ordinance shall be applicable only in the unincorporated areas of such town. (f) No town shall enact any local law or ordinance to prohibit the use of sidewalks by persons with disabilities who use either a wheelchair or an electrically-driven mobility assistance device being operated or driven by such person. S 1660-a. Traffic regulations at parking areas and driveways of hospitals, shopping centers, office buildings and office building complexes, places of public assembly, private apartment complexes, fire stations, private condominium complexes, mobile home parks, manufactured home parks, industrial parks and industrial complexes. The town board of any town, with respect to the parking areas and driveways of a hospital, office building or office building complex or place of public assembly, or parking area of a shopping center or the parking areas and driveways of facilities owned or leased by a not-for-profit corporation or the parking areas, driveways and private streets or roadways of a private apartment house complex, private condominium complex or cooperative apartment complex, or the parking areas, private streets, roadways or driveways of mobile home parks or manufactured home parks, or the parking areas and driveways of a fire station, or the parking areas, private streets, roadways or driveways of an industrial park or industrial complex, and pursuant to the written request of either the owner or the person in general charge of the operation and control of such area, the fire chief of the fire department or the police chief or the police commissioner of the police department serving such area, may, by local law or ordinance: 1. Order stop signs, flashing signals or yield signs erected at entrance or exit locations to any such area or designate any intersection in such area as a stop intersection or as a yield intersection and order like signs or signals at one or more entrances to such intersection. 2. Regulate traffic in any such area, including regulation by means of traffic-control signals. 2-a. Notwithstanding the provisions of section sixteen hundred sixty-two-a to the contrary, establish maximum speed limits in any such area at not less than fifteen miles per hour. 3. Prohibit or regulate the turning of vehicles or specified types of vehicles at intersections or other designated locations in any such area. 4. Regulate the crossing of any roadway in any such area by pedestrians. 5. Designate any separate roadway in any such area for one-way traffic. 6. Prohibit, regulate, restrict or limit the stopping, standing or parking of vehicles in specified areas of any such area. 7. Designate safety zones in any such area. 8. Provide for the removal and storage of vehicles parked or abandoned in any such area during snowstorms, floods, fires or other public emergencies, or found unattended in any such area, (1) where they constitute an obstruction to traffic or (2) where stopping, standing or parking is prohibited, and for the payment of reasonable charges for such removal and storage by the owner or operator of any such vehicle. 9. Adopt such additional reasonable rules and regulations with respect to traffic and parking in any such area as local conditions may require for the safety and convenience of the public or of the users of any such area. 10. Make special provisions with relation to stopping, standing or parking of vehicles registered pursuant to section four hundred four-a of this chapter or those possessing a special vehicle identification parking permit issued in accordance with section one thousand two hundred three-a of this chapter. In the case of a college or university, as defined in section two of the education law, the provisions of this section shall apply only upon the written request of the governing body of such college or university. S 1662. Additional traffic regulations in towns in the county of Suffolk. In addition to the other powers granted by this article, the town board of any town in the county of Suffolk with respect to highways outside of villages in such town, subject to the limitations imposed by section sixteen hundred eighty-four and subject to disapproval by the department of transportation may by ordinance, order, rule or regulation limit the parking time of vehicles in congested areas. S 1662-a. Speed limits in certain towns. The town board of any suburban town governed pursuant to article three-A of the town law and the town board of any other town having a population exceeding fifty thousand, with respect to highways (which term for the purposes of this section shall include private roads open to public motor vehicle traffic) in such towns outside any village, other than state highways maintained by the state on which the department of transportation shall have established higher or lower speed limits than the statutory fifty-five miles per hour speed limit as provided in section sixteen hundred twenty, or on which the department of transportation shall have designated that such towns shall not establish any maximum speed limit as provided in section sixteen hundred twenty-four, subject to the limitations imposed by section sixteen hundred eighty-four may by local law, ordinance, order, rule or regulation establish maximum speed limits at which vehicles may proceed within such towns, within designated areas of such towns or on or along designated highways within such towns lower than the fifty-five miles per hour maximum statutory limit. No such speed limit applicable throughout such towns or within designated areas of such towns shall be established at less than thirty miles per hour, except that in the town of Hempstead speed limits may be established at not less than fifteen miles per hour on any portion of a highway in the community known as Point Lookout; provided, however, that no such speed limit in such town may be established unless a majority of the residents of such community file a petition with the town board of such town requesting such speed limit. No such speed limit applicable on or along designated highways within such towns shall be established at less than twenty-five miles per hour, except that school speed limits may be established at not less than fifteen miles per hour, for a distance not to exceed one thousand three hundred twenty feet, on a highway passing a school building, entrance or exit of a school abutting on the highway, and except further that in the town of Hempstead speed limits may be established at not less than fifteen miles per hour on any portion of a highway in the community known as Point Lookout; provided, however, that no such speed limit in such town may be established unless a majority of the residents of such community file a petition with the town board of such town requesting such speed limit. S 1662-b. Residential parking system in the town of Eastchester in the county of Westchester. 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of any law to the contrary, the town board of the town of Eastchester may, by adoption of a local law or ordinance, provide for a residential parking permit system and fix and require the payment of fees applicable to parking within the area in which such parking system is in effect in accordance with the provisions of this section. 2. Such residential parking permit system may only be established: (a) within the area of the town consisting of the following roadways: (i) Garth road; (ii) Grayrock road; (iii) Essex place; (iv) Buckingham place and (b) within the area generally bounded by the following: (i) On the north side by the northerly corporate boundary between the town of Eastchester and the village of Scarsdale, from Scarsdale Avenue east to White Plains Road Rt. 22; (ii) On the east side by White Plains Rd. Rt. 22, from the corporate boundary of the Village of Scarsdale south to the intersection of Hall Avenue, excluding the following streets: Gabriel Resigno drive; Swift avenue; Fairway drive; Park drive (north of Clubway); Hilldale place; Burnham road; (iii) On the south side by Hall avenue west to the corporate boundary between the town of Eastchester and the village of Tuckahoe; (iv) On the south side northerly along the corporate boundary of the village of Tuckahoe until the intersection of Benedict avenue and continuing north along the Metro-North Commuter Railroad tracks until the corporate boundary of the village of Scarsdale, at Scarsdale avenue. 3. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no permit shall be required on those portions of such streets where the adjacent properties are zoned for commercial/retail use. 4. The local law or ordinance providing for such residential parking system shall: (a) set forth factors necessitating the enactment of such parking system; (b) provide that motor vehicles registered pursuant to section four hundred four-a of this chapter shall be exempt from any permit requirement; (c) provide the times of the day and days of the week during which permit requirements shall be in effect; (d) make not less than fifteen percent of the spaces within the permit area available to nonresidents, and shall provide short term parking of not less than sixty minutes in duration in the permit area; (e) provide the schedule of fees to be paid for such permits; and (f) provide that such fees shall be credited to the general fund of the town of Eastchester unless otherwise specified in such local law. 5. No ordinance shall be adopted pursuant to this section until a public hearing thereon has been had in the same manner as required for public hearings on a local law pursuant to the municipal home rule law. 6. The provisions of this section shall not apply to any state highway maintained by the state. S 1662-c. Residential parking system in the town of Harrison. 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of any law to the contrary, the town board of the town of Harrison may, by adoption of a local law or ordinance, provide for a residential parking permit system and fix and require the payment of fees applicable to parking within the area in which such parking system is in effect in accordance with the provisions of this section. 2. Such residential parking system may only be established within the area of the town of Harrison which shall mean that area generally bounded by the following: All of that area beginning at the intersection of Harrison Avenue and Broadway; running north on Harrison Avenue to Davenport Street; thence running east on Davenport Street to Oakland Avenue; then running north along Oakland Avenue to the intersection of Macy Road; running thence north on Macy Road to the intersection of Macy Road and South Road and Sunnyside Avenue; running thence west along Sunnyside Avenue to Sunnyside Place; thence north to Emerson Place; thence along Emerson Place to Emerson Avenue north to Hyatt Avenue; thence west on Hyatt Avenue to Harrison Avenue; thence south on Harrison Avenue to Webster Avenue; thence west on Webster Avenue to Crotona Avenue; thence south on Crotona Avenue to Calvert Street; thence east on Calvert Street to Broadway; thence south on Broadway to the intersection of Harrison Avenue, the place of beginning, permit parking may be implemented on both sides of any street whose center line is herein utilized as a boundary description. Provided, however, that except for the reference to state highways solely for the purposes of delineating the boundaries of the area described in this subdivision, the provisions of this section shall not apply to any state highway maintained by the state. 3. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no permit shall be required on streets where the adjacent properties are zoned for commercial/retail use. 4. The local law or ordinance providing for such residential parking system shall: (a) set forth factors necessitating the enactment of such residential parking system; and (b) provide that motor vehicles registered pursuant to section four hundred four-a of this chapter shall be exempt from any permit requirement; and (c) provide the times of the day and days of the week during which permit requirements shall be in effect; and (d) make not less than twenty percent of all spaces within the permit area available to nonresidents and shall provide short term parking of not less than ninety minutes in duration in such area; and (e) provide the schedule of fees to be paid for such permits; and (f) provide that such fees shall be credited to the general fund of the town. 5. No ordinance shall be adopted pursuant to this section until a public hearing thereon has been had in the same manner as required for public hearings on a local law pursuant to the municipal home rule law. S 1662-d. Residential parking system in the town of Mamaroneck. 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of any law to the contrary, the town board of the town of Mamaroneck may, by adoption of a local law or ordinance, provide for a residential parking permit system and fix and require the payment of fees applicable to parking within the area in which such parking system is in effect in accordance with the provisions of this section. 2. Such residential parking permit system may only be established within the area of the town consisting of the following roadways: (a) Washington Square; (b) North Chatsworth Avenue between Myrtle Boulevard and Edgewood Avenue; (c) New Jefferson Street; (d) Old Jefferson Street; (e) Murray Avenue between Myrtle Boulevard and Leafy Lane; and (f) Lester Place. 3. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no permit shall be required on those portions of such streets where the adjacent properties are zoned for commercial/retail use. 4. The local law or ordinance providing for such residential parking system shall: (a) set forth factors necessitating the enactment of such parking system; (b) provide that motor vehicles registered pursuant to section four hundred four-a of this chapter shall be exempt from any permit requirement; (c) provide the times of day and days of the week during which permit requirements shall be in effect; (d) make not less than fifteen percent of the spaces within the permit area available to nonresidents, and shall provide short term parking of not less than sixty minutes in duration in the permit area; (e) provide the schedule of fees to be paid for such permits; and (f) provide that such fees shall be credited to the general fund of the town of Mamaroneck unless otherwise specified in such local law. 5. No ordinance shall be adopted pursuant to this section until a public hearing thereon has been had in the same manner as required for public hearings on a local law pursuant to the municipal home rule law. 6. The provisions of this section shall not apply to any state highway maintained by the state. S 1662-e. Residential parking system in the town of Hempstead. 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of any law to the contrary, the town board of the town of Hempstead may, by adoption of a local law or ordinance, provide for a residential parking permit system and fix and require the payment of fees applicable to parking within the area in which such parking system is in effect in accordance with the provisions of this section. 2. Such residential parking permit system may only be established within the area known as East Meadow of the town consisting of the following roadways: (a) Roosevelt Avenue west of Prospect Avenue; (b) Jefferson Street west of Prospect Avenue; (c) First Street west of Prospect Avenue; (d) Second Street West of Prospect Avenue; (e) Third Street west of Prospect Avenue; (f) Fourth Street west of Prospect Avenue; (g) Clearmeadow Drive; (h) Nottingham Road; (i) Florence Court; (j) Jane Court; (k) Dofena Lane; (l) Franklin Avenue north of 4th Street; (m) Bailey Avenue; (n) Franklin Avenue, north of 7th Street and south of Hempstead Turnpike; (o) Lincoln Avenue, north of 7th Street and south of Roosevelt Avenue; (p) 5th Street, west of Prospect Avenue; (q) 6th Street, west of Prospect Avenue; (r) 7th Street, west of Prospect Avenue; (s) Pengon Circle; (t) Lois Court; (u) Erma Drive; (v) Ava Drive; (w) Dorothy Drive; (x) Barbara Drive; (y) Rose Drive; (z) Bly Road; (aa) Marion Drive; and (bb) Conti Square Boulevard. 3. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no permit shall be required on those portions of such streets where the adjacent properties are zoned for commercial/retail use. 4. The local law or ordinance providing for such residential parking system shall: (a) set forth factors necessitating the enactment of such parking system; (b) provide that motor vehicles registered pursuant to section four hundred four-a of this chapter shall be exempt from any permit requirement; (c) provide the times of day and days of the week during which permit requirements shall be in effect; (d) make not less than fifteen percent of the spaces within the permit area available to nonresidents, and shall provide short term parking of not less than sixty minutes in duration in the permit area; (e) provide the schedule of fees to be paid for such permits; and (f) provide that such fees shall be credited to the general fund of the town of Hempstead unless otherwise specified in such local law. 5. No ordinance shall be adopted pursuant to this section until a public hearing thereon has been had in the same manner as required for public hearings on a local law pursuant to the municipal home rule law. 6. The provisions of this section shall not apply to any state highway maintained by the state. S 1663. Special speed limits on bridges and other elevated structures. The town board of any town may determine the maximum speed which may be maintained without structural damage to bridges and elevated structures that are a part of any town highway in such town and, if, such maximum speed is lower than the maximum speed limit otherwise applicable, may by order, rule or regulation establish such lower maximum speed limit at which vehicles may proceed on any such bridge or structure. S 1664. Application of article. This article shall not apply with respect to state highways maintained by the state which are controlled access highways, nor to highways under the jurisdiction of the New York state thruway authority, the office of parks and recreation, a county park commission, a parkway authority, a bridge authority, or a bridge and tunnel authority. Top of Page
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