1627 - Designation of qualifying highways and access highways.

§ 1627. Designation  of  qualifying  highways and access highways. (a)  The commissioner of transportation  shall,  for  the  purposes  of  this  chapter,  by  rule  or  regulation,  designate qualifying highways which  shall be highways on the  national  system  of  interstate  and  defense  highways or federal-aid primary highways.    (b)  The  department  of  transportation,  for  the  purposes  of this  chapter, shall develop criteria to determine a highway providing  access  between  qualifying  highways  and terminals, facilities for food, fuel,  repairs, and rest and, in addition, for points of loading and  unloading  for  household  goods  carriers.  The  department may, by order, rule or  regulation,  designate  public  highways  within  the  state  as  access  highways.  The  department  of  transportation,  upon the request of the  legislative body of any city or village, or of a  county  superintendent  of  highways,  or  of  a  town  board may, by order, rule or regulation,  designate other city or  village  streets,  or  county  roads,  or  town  highways,  respectively,  as  access  highways.  Before  designating any  county, town, city or village, street or highway as an  access  highway,  the  commissioner of transportation shall notify the municipality having  jurisdiction over such street or highway of  the  need  for  such  local  access   road  and  solicit  comments  thereon.  If  objections  to  the  designation are filed by the municipality  having  jurisdiction  over  a  particular  street  or highway, the commissioner of transportation shall  set, as soon as practicable, a  public  informational  meeting.  If  the  commissioner   of   transportation   finds,   after   holding  a  public  informational meeting, that  his  proposed  designation  is  proper  and  reasonable, prior to filing a notice of agency action he shall so notify  the   municipality   in   writing   setting   forth   his  findings  and  justifications for such designation. The  municipality  shall  have  the  right  of judicial review pursuant to article seventy-eight of the civil  practice law and rules.    (c) In  order  to  implement  the  provisions  of  this  section,  the  commissioner   of   transportation   may  issue  a  permit  pursuant  to  subdivision fifteen of section three hundred eighty-five of this chapter  or may sign such public highways.