Ulster County legislators discussed setting a public hearing for a proposed local law intended to improve safety for vulnerable road users but moved to delay final action pending review by the county Traffic Safety Board.

The discussion centered on Resolution 143, which would set a public hearing on Proponent Local Law No. 3 of 2025 "to ensure the safety of vulnerable road users in Ulster County". Legislators debated whether the Traffic Safety Board should vet the proposal before a public hearing. "I think it would be a worthwhile use of time to engage with the Traffic Safety Board," a legislator said, calling the board "a highly professional group of individuals with a lot of expertise." (Legislator (unnamed)).

The sponsor indicated the county would have enforcement jurisdiction across most roads if the law passed, saying that after consulting the county executive, county attorney and county sheriff, "we would be able to have jurisdiction to enforce this on all roads within the county, including state roads and local roads, through the sheriff's department and ... local police departments" (Legislator Levine). The sponsor also said the state Thruway would likely be excluded because it has no pedestrian or cyclist access.

Separately, Resolution 225, an update to the Ulster County pedestrian and bicycle policy introduced by Legislator Stewart, was postponed until the sponsor can participate and the Traffic Safety Board can review the changes. A legislator moved to postpone the policy update "until I can be here and also to work here at the Traffic Safety Board for advice on this particular policy," and the motion passed.

Discussion points included timing and implementation: the sponsor for Local Law No. 3 said the public‑hearing timeline could be extended to July to allow expedited review by the Traffic Safety Board and still achieve implementation by winter if needed. Several legislators emphasized that Traffic Safety Board input would provide technical expertise beyond what public comment alone would supply.

No final public hearing date for Proponent Local Law No. 3 is recorded in the meeting excerpt; legislators indicated intent to seek Traffic Safety Board review before scheduling or proceeding with a hearing.

Why this matters: the proposals would affect enforcement and rules for people walking and bicycling across Ulster County and could change how local and county law enforcement apply traffic safety rules.

Next steps noted at the meeting: staff and the sponsor will seek Traffic Safety Board input; the sponsor said he was willing to postpone a hearing to accommodate that review and possibly reschedule the hearing to July if needed.