Require Advance Notice Signs for Disruptive Street Work
Enacted on Oct 26, 2026
Signed into Law
Local Law 2026/153
✦ Plain-Language Summary
This law would require the Department of Transportation to post signs near any planned disruptive street work at least 48 hours before it begins. The signs must include who is doing the work, when it starts and ends, and what kind of work will be done. This helps New Yorkers in all five boroughs plan ahead for construction, road closures, or other disruptions in their neighborhood.
The story behind this bill
Why it was introduced
Sponsor Council Member Epstein said construction and street work can disrupt residents, schools, and businesses without warning, and is especially hard for people using assistive mobility devices. He said giving advance notice would let neighbors plan ahead and know who to contact with questions.
At the hearings
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure · 2026-06-25
The bill was heard alongside four other street and outdoor dining bills. DOT said it already notifies the public through flyers, Street Ambassadors, and online tools, and worried the bill's broad definition of 'disruptive work' and 500-foot sign radius would be costly and slow down projects.
In support
- Council Member Epstein (sponsor): Residents, including people using assistive mobility devices, need advance notice to plan around disruptive construction.
- Vinnie Dong (student, Queens High School for the Sciences): Dark, disrupted streets under elevated trains and during construction threaten students' safety getting to and from school.
Raised concerns
- DOT (Jeffrey Malamy, Director of Street Improvement Projects): DOT already posts construction signs and uses Street Ambassadors; the bill's broad 'disruptive work' definition seems excessive and could slow delivery.
- Chairperson Abreu: Asked whether DOT has a defined standard for 'disruptive work' and whether DOT would work with the Council to define triggers for notice.
City agencies: DOT supported the bill's goal but said its existing toolkit (flyers, Street Ambassadors, online maps) already meets the need, and raised cost and scope concerns about the 500-foot radius and broad definition of disruptive work.
“This type of disruptive work presents additional challenges for individuals who use assistive mobility, mobility devices who may struggle to get around if their typical sidewalk route is changed.”
Show 1 more hearing
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure · 2026-09-10
The committee voted on an amended version, Int. No. 866-A, which narrowed the bill's scope by raising the disruption threshold to 14 days, requiring signs at each end of a block instead of a 500-foot radius, and adding an exception for bike-share relocations. The committee approved it 10-0.
In support
- Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Approved the amended bill unanimously, 10 in favor, 0 opposed.
How it turned out
The Council passed the amended bill, Int. 866-A, 50-0 (with one member absent for bereavement) on September 10, 2026, and sent it to the Mayor. The Mayor did not sign or veto it; it became law on October 13, 2026 through the City Charter rule that lets unsigned bills take effect after a set period.
What changed along the way
- Narrowed 'disruptive work' to disruptions lasting at least 14 days, up from 7 days.
- Replaced the 500-foot radius sign requirement with at least one sign at each end of the affected block.
- Shifted the posting duty to whichever entity (DOT or its permittee) is actually doing the work.
- Added an exception so temporary bike-share station relocations done to facilitate other work don't require duplicate signs.
- Added an emergency-work provision allowing signs to be posted within 48 hours after work starts, rather than 48 hours before.
What the record doesn’t say
- The documents do not explain why the Mayor chose not to sign or veto the bill, only that it was returned unsigned and took effect under the City Charter rule.
- The record does not say what specifically led the committee to change the threshold from 7 to 14 days of disruption between June and September.
- The documents do not show whether DOT's cost or operational concerns from the June hearing were resolved before the September vote.
Sources
- Memorandum in Support
- Fiscal Impact Statement - City Council
- Committee Report 6/25/26
- Committee Report 9/10/26
- Proposed Int. No. 866-A Fiscal Impact Statement - City Council
- Committee Report - Stated Meeting
- Hearing Transcript - Stated Meeting 9-10-26
- Hearing Transcript 6/25/26
Written by AI from official Council records. Votes and status come from the record; quotes are checked word for word against the official hearing transcripts.
Details
- Introduced
- Apr 30, 2026
- Passed Council
- Oct 10, 2026
- Enacted
- Oct 10, 2026
- Body
- Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
- Type
- Introduction
- Status
- Enacted
Official Description
This bill would require the Department of Transportation (DOT) or a DOT permittee, whichever is performing disruptive work, to post at least 1 sign at each end of every block where the disruptive work will occur, at least 48 hours in advance of the anticipated start of such disruptive work, subject to limited exceptions. The posted signs would contain the contact information of the entity performing the work; the anticipated start and end dates of the work; and the location, nature, and extent of the work to be performed.