2006 New York Code - Temporary Closing Of Streets.

 
    § 19-107 Temporary  closing  of  streets.  a. (i)  Except as otherwise
  provided by law, it shall be  unlawful  for  any  person  to  close  any
  street,   or   a   portion  thereof,  within  the  jurisdiction  of  the
  commissioner, to pedestrian or vehicular traffic without a  permit  from
  the commissioner.
    (ii)  The  commissioner may temporarily close or may issue a permit to
  temporarily close to pedestrian or vehicular traffic any  street,  or  a
  portion  thereof,  within  his  or her jurisdiction, when, in his or her
  judgment,  travel  therein  is  deemed  to  be  dangerous  to  life,  in
  consequences of there being carried on in such street activities such as
  building  operations, repairs to street pavements, sewer connections, or
  blasting for the purpose of removing rock  from  abutting  property,  or
  upon   advice   from  the  police  commissioner,  fire  commissioner  or
  commissioner of the office of emergency  management  that  such  closure
  will  promote  or  protect  safety  or life, or when such closure may be
  necessary for a public purpose. In such event,  the  commissioner  shall
  make  available  to  the  community  board  and  council member in whose
  district such street is located information regarding any  such  closure
  which  continues  beyond five business days, state the reason or reasons
  for such closure and the estimated date for the street, or  any  portion
  thereof, to reopen.
    b.  In  the  event  that  a  publicly  mapped  street that is used for
  vehicular or vehicular and pedestrian access, for which vehicular access
  is fully closed for more than one hundred eighty consecutive  days,  the
  commissioner shall issue or cause to be issued a community reassessment,
  impact  and  amelioration (CRIA) statement that has been approved by the
  commissioner or other government entity initiating  the  street  closure
  which  shall  be  delivered  to both the community board and the council
  member in whose district the street is located  on  or  before  the  two
  hundred  tenth day of the closure. Such CRIA statement shall contain the
  following: the objectives  of  the  closure  and  the  reasons  why  the
  continued  street closure is necessary to attain those objectives, which
  in the case of a closure initiated by a local law enforcement agency for
  security reasons shall be satisfied by a statement from  the  local  law
  enforcement  agency  that  the  street  has  been closed and will remain
  closed for security  reasons;  identification  of  the  least  expensive
  alternative  means  of  attaining those objectives and the costs of such
  alternatives, or a statement and explanation as to the unavailability of
  such alternatives, which in the case of a closure initiated by  a  local
  law  enforcement  agency  for  security  reasons shall be satisfied by a
  statement from the law enforcement agency that there are no  alternative
  means available; how the continued street closure will impact access and
  traffic  flow to and within the surrounding community, including but not
  limited  to,  access  to  emergency  vehicles,  residences,  businesses,
  facilities,  paratransit transportation and school bus services; and any
  recommendations to mitigate adverse impact and increase  access  to  and
  within  the  area.  In  the  case  of  a  closure initiated for security
  reasons, the police department shall ensure that the CRIA statement does
  not  reveal  non-routine  investigative   techniques   or   confidential
  information  or  potentially  compromises  the  safety  of the public or
  police officers or  otherwise  potentially  compromise  law  enforcement
  investigations  or  operations,  provided  that the issuance of the CRIA
  statement shall not be delayed beyond  the  required  time  period.  The
  requirement  for  the  issuance of a CRIA statement as described in this
  subdivision may be satisfied by delivery of an environmental  assessment
  statement,  environmental impact statement, or similar document required
  by law to be prepared in relation to the street closure.  Prior  to  the
  issuance of a CRIA statement, the commissioner, in the case of a closure


  for  which  a permit issued by the department is required, shall hold at
  least one public forum, publicized in advance, in any affected community
  at which the community may register its input concerning  any  potential
  adverse  impacts  of  the  street  closure, including but not limited to
  concerns regarding timeliness of emergency vehicle response and  traffic
  congestion  resulting  in  a  potential  increase in noise and any other
  adverse conditions caused by the  closure.  In  the  case  of  a  street
  closure  effectuated  for  security  reasons  by a local law enforcement
  agency, such law enforcement agency shall hold the public forum provided
  herein. Following the public  forum(s),  the  council  member  in  whose
  district  the  street  closure  is located may forward to the government
  entity which held the  public  forum(s)  issues  raised  at  the  public
  forum(s)  by  the  participants.  The  government  entity which held the
  public forum(s) shall make its best efforts to  respond  to  the  issues
  raised,  utilizing  the expertise of other city agencies if appropriate,
  and shall provide such response to be appended to the CRIA statement. In
  the case  that  an  environmental  assessment  statement,  environmental
  impact statement, or similar document is substituted in lieu of the CRIA
  statement,  as  provided for above, the public forum provisions provided
  herein shall still apply.
    c. For purposes of this section, a "street closure" shall not  include
  a street closure undertaken by a federal or state governmental entity.