NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A10194A
SPONSOR: Peoples-Stokes TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the highway law, in relation to adding the Harriet
Tubman Underground Railroad scenic byway into the state scenic byways
system
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
The purpose of this bill is to honor the historic journeys of Freedom
Seekers including Harriet Tubman and other Formerly Enslaved Africans by
expanding the New York State scenic byway system to include the Harriet
Tubman Underground Railroad Scenic Byway.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1 outlines the portions of the highway system that will be
included in the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Scenic Byway.
Section 2 establishes that the act shall take effect immediately.
JUSTIFICATION:
Currently, the Scenic Byways in the states of Maryland, Delaware, and
Pennsylvania have been officially designated at both the State and
National Levels as recognizing the importance of the Underground Rail-
road.
At present, New York State does not have an officially designated byway.
Under existing law, the historic journeys of Freedom Seekers including
Harriet Tubman and other Formerly Enslaved Africans who traveled the
Underground Railroad are not formally recognized through a statewide
Scenic Byway designation. This bill recognizes the historic journeys of
Freedom Seekers including Harriet Tubman and other Formerly Enslaved
Africans who traveled on the Underground Railroad are vital to the
history of African Americans.
In fact, a designated Scenic Byway focusing on the on central themes of
African American history could draw hundreds of thousands if not over a
million visitors and their spending power to communities, sites, and
businesses along the route for significant potential increased tourism,
direct spending, annual economic benefit and investment into communities
of color and businesses owned by people of color.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
Minimal.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
10194--A
IN ASSEMBLY
February 12, 2026
___________
Introduced by M. of A. PEOPLES-STOKES, ZINERMAN, LUPARDO, McMAHON,
SLATER, SIMON, ANGELINO, R. CARROLL -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Transportation -- committee discharged, bill amended,
ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the highway law, in relation to adding the Harriet
Tubman Underground Railroad scenic byway into the state scenic byways
system
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 349-dd of the highway law is
2 amended by adding a new paragraph (j-15) to read as follows:
3 (j-15) Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad scenic byway which shall
4 consist of the portion of the highway system beginning on state route
5 five at the city limits of Auburn, Cayuga county, to its intersection
6 with state route thirty-eight then continuing northerly on state route
7 thirty-eight to the city limits of Auburn; and also all that portion of
8 the highway system beginning on state route five at the Seneca county
9 line in the town of Tyre, continuing westerly on state route five to its
10 intersection with Lake street in the city of Geneva, Ontario county,
11 continuing westerly on Lake street to its intersection with state route
12 fourteen in the city of Geneva, Ontario county, continuing northerly
13 along state route fourteen to its intersection with state route thirty-
14 one in the town of Lyons, Wayne county, continuing westerly on state
15 route thirty-one until its intersection with Chestnut street south in
16 the city of Rochester, Monroe county, continuing northerly on Chestnut
17 street south to its intersection with Broad street east in the city of
18 Rochester, Monroe county, continuing westerly on Broad street east to
19 its intersection with state route thirty-one in the city of Rochester,
20 Monroe county, continuing westerly on state route thirty-one in the city
21 of Rochester, Monroe county to its intersection with East avenue in the
22 city of Lockport, Niagara county, continuing westerly on East avenue in
23 the city of Lockport, Niagara county to Main street, continuing westerly
24 on Main street in the city of Lockport, Niagara county to its inter-
25 section with West Main street in the city of Lockport, Niagara county,
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14315-06-6
A. 10194--A 2
1 continuing on West Main street to its intersection with state route
2 seventy-eight in the city of Lockport, Niagara county, continuing south-
3 erly on state route seventy-eight to its intersection with state route
4 two hundred sixty-three in the town of Amherst, Erie county, continuing
5 southerly along state route two hundred sixty-three to its intersection
6 with United States route sixty-two in the town of Amherst, Erie county,
7 continuing southerly along United States route sixty-two to its inter-
8 section with state route five in the town of Amherst, Erie county,
9 continuing westerly on state route five to its intersection with Michi-
10 gan avenue in the city of Buffalo, Erie county, continuing southerly on
11 Michigan avenue to its intersection with Broadway in the city of
12 Buffalo, Erie county, continuing westerly on Broadway to its inter-
13 section with Lafayette square in the city of Buffalo, Erie county,
14 continuing westerly on Lafayette square to its intersection with Court
15 street in the city of Buffalo, Erie county, continuing westerly on Court
16 street to its intersection with Niagara square in the city of Buffalo,
17 Erie county, continuing northerly on Niagara square to its intersection
18 with state route three hundred eighty-four in the city of Buffalo, Erie
19 county, continuing northerly on state route three hundred eighty-four to
20 its intersection with state route two hundred sixty-five in the city of
21 Niagara Falls, Niagara county, continuing northerly on state route two
22 hundred sixty-five to its intersection with state route three hundred
23 eighty-four in the city of Niagara Falls, Niagara county, continuing
24 westerly on state route three hundred eighty-four to its intersection
25 with Niagara street in the city of Niagara Falls, Niagara county,
26 continuing westerly along Niagara street until its intersection with
27 Third street in the city of Niagara Falls, Niagara county, continuing
28 northerly on Third street until its intersection with Whirlpool street
29 in the city of Niagara Falls, Niagara county, and continuing northerly
30 along Whirlpool street to its intersection with Depot avenue west in the
31 city of Niagara Falls, Niagara county.
32 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
