On the one year anniversary of a 6-year-old Brentwood girl's tragic death, Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. introduced statewide legislation requiring motorists to stop, look for pedestrians, and when safe, proceed cautiously before passing an ice cream truck attending to customers. The legislation would require that ice cream trucks be affixed with stop arms with flashing lights to help alert drivers of the presence of pedestrians in the vicinity of the ice cream truck when its driver is conducting business.

Seven children have been killed in ice cream truck related accidents on Long Island since 1990. This includes a young girl who was tragically killed one year ago when she was struck by a passing vehicle when crossing a street and returning home after purchasing ice cream from a vendor.

"Statistics of ice cream vending related accidents show that 70 percent of children injured are under the age of 7," said Joanne McGarry, director of the Nassau County Traffic Safety Board. "The NC Traffic Safety Board applauds the efforts of Senator Fuschillo to enact legislation which would provide much needed protection to those pedestrians at greatest risk of injury."

According to Fuschillo, member of the Senate Transportation Committee, NYS requires ice cream vendors to make sales from the side of the truck away from traffic and on roadways with speed limits of 30 mph and under. The vehicle must be parked or lawfully stopped and drivers are prohibited from backing up to make a sale. Ice cream trucks are only required to have caution signs to warn passing vehicles of children and pedestrians in the vicinity of the truck.

"The warm weather is upon us and drivers must be alert to children who may dart across a street to buy ice cream from an ice cream truck," Fuschillo said. "Requiring passing drivers to stop, look and proceed before passing an ice cream truck may help avert tragic accidents."

Senator Charles Fuschillo recently announced that he has authored legislation that would allow commuters to deduct up to $2,100 of their mass transit commuting expenses on their state income taxes.

According to Fuschillo, a member of the Senate Transportation Committee, federal law currently provides certain limited tax benefits for mass transit commuting expenses. If enacted, for the first time in NYS, commuters would be allowed to deduct up to $2,100 on their state income taxes, less any amount of mass transit commuting costs already included on the taxpayer's federal return as a deduction, credit or gross income reduction.

Long Island Rail Road Commuters Council (LIRRCC) Chair Sandra Alayo called the proposed legislation "an important, cost-effective option that would encourage Long Islanders to get out of their cars and onto mass transit, helping the environment and alleviating delays on our roads and highways."

Approximately seven million passengers use mass transit every day and according to LIRRCC, there are more than 282,000 daily riders on the LIRR of which 110,000 are daily commuters. Seventy-five thousand commuters are estimated to use Long Island buses every day.

"By allowing mass transit commuters to deduct up to $2,100 on their mass transit commuting expenses, they will keep more of their earning and help alleviate their commuting costs," Fuschillo said. "Such a deduction may also encourage others to leave their cars in the driveway, reduce congestion on our roads and highways, and benefit the environment."