The New York State Transportation Federation provides this Web site as a public service travel planning tool and endeavors to publish the most accurate, up-to-date information available. This Web site is intended to be used for general information purposes only. The New York State Transportation Federation advises all users of this Web site that its content should not be relied upon without independent verification.

The New York State Transportation Federation, its partners, officers, employees and agents shall not be liable for damages of any kind arising out of access or inability to access this Web site, or the use of or reliance upon this Web site, its content, or any links or pointers to information created or maintained by others. The New York State Transportation Federation will provide no technical support for users of the Web site.

The information on this Web site is the property of the New York State Transportation Federation partners. Users of this Web site shall not sell, use in any process for resale as a value added product, or otherwise distribute for profit in any form, any portion of this Web site or the information contained herein without the express written consent of the New York State Transportation Federation partners.



New York State Transportation Federation
Internet Privacy Policy

Introduction

Thank you for visiting a New York State Transportation Federation website. The New York State Transportation Federation ("Federation") is made up of the New York State Department of Transportation, the New York State Department Thruway Authority and the New York State Bridge Authority. This website is designed to make it easier and more efficient for individuals and businesses to interact with the Federation agencies and authorities. The Federation recognizes that it is critical for individuals and businesses to be confident that their privacy is protected when they visit a Federation website.

Consistent with the provisions of the Internet Security and Privacy Act, the Freedom of Information Law, and the Personal Privacy Protection Law, this policy describes the Federation's privacy practices regarding information collected from users of this website. This policy describes what information is collected and how that information is used. Because this privacy policy only applies to this website, you should examine the privacy policy of any website, including other State agencies, Authorities, and Federation websites, that you access using this website.

For the purposes of this policy, "personal information" means any information concerning a natural person, as opposed to a corporate entity, which, because of name, number, symbol, mark, or other identifier, can be used to identify that natural person. The Federation only collects personal information about you when you provide that information voluntarily by sending an e-mail or by initiating an online transaction, such as a survey, registration or order form.

Information Collected Automatically When You Visit this Website

When you visit this website, the Federation automatically collects and stores the following information about your visit:

• internet protocol (IP) address of requesting computer;
• browser used, including version of browser and platform on which the browser is running;
• the referring web page;
• the web page currently being requested and the manner in which the page is being requested, such as a simple page request or submission of a form;
• the time and date of the request;
• the size of the file being requested;
• the status of the file request, such as whether or not the request was successful;
• the transport protocol (IE - HTTP), including the version used.

None of the foregoing information is deemed to constitute personal information.

The Federation uses the information that is collected automatically to improve this website's content and to help the Federation understand how users are interacting with the website. The Federation collects this information for statistical analysis, to determine what information is of most and least interest to our users, and to improve the utility of the material available on the website. The information is not collected for commercial marketing purposes and the Federation does not sell or otherwise disclose the information collected from this website for commercial marketing purposes.

Cookies

Cookies are simple text files stored on your web browser to provide a means of distinguishing among users of this website. The use of cookies is a standard practice among Internet websites. To better serve you, the Federation may use "session cookies" to enhance or customize your visit to this website. Session cookies can be created automatically on the device you use to access this website. These session cookies do not contain personal information and do not compromise your privacy or security. The Federation may use the cookie feature to store a randomly generated identifying tag on the device you use to access this website. A session cookie is erased during operation of your browser or when your browser is closed.

At times you may be asked if you would like to personalize this website by allowing the Federation to store a "persistent cookie" on your computer's hard drive. This persistent cookie will allow the website to recognize you when you visit again and tailor the information presented to you based on your needs and interests. The Federation uses persistent cookies only with your permission.

The software and hardware you use to access this website allows you to refuse new cookies or delete existing cookies. Refusing or deleting these cookies may limit your ability to take advantage of some features of this website.

Information Collected When You E-mail this Website or Initiate an Online Transaction

During your visit to this website you may send an e-mail to the Federation. If so, the Federation will collect your e-mail address and the contents of your message. The information collected is not limited to text characters and may include audio, video, and graphic information formats included in the message. The Federation may use your e-mail address and the information included in your message to respond to you, to address issues you identify, to improve this website, or to forward your message to another State agency or Authority for appropriate action. The Federation does not collect your e-mail address for commercial purposes and the Federation does not sell or otherwise disclose your e-mail address for commercial purposes.

During your visit to this website you may initiate a transaction such as a survey, registration, or order form. The Federation may use the information, including personal information, that you volunteered by initiating the transaction to operate Federation programs, including the provision of goods, services, and information. The Federation may disclose such information for those purposes that may be reasonably ascertained from the nature and terms of the transaction in connection with which the information was submitted.

The Federation does not knowingly collect personal information from children or create profiles of children through this website. Users are cautioned, however, that the Federation will treat personal information submitted in an e-mail as though it was submitted by an adult, and such information may, unless exempted from access by federal or State law, be subject to public access. The Federation strongly encourages parents and teachers to be involved in children's Internet activities and to provide guidance whenever children are asked to provide personal information online.

Information and Choice

As noted above, the Federation does not collect any personal information about you during your visit to this website unless you provide that information voluntarily by sending an e-mail or initiating an online transaction such as a survey, registration or order form. You may choose not to send the Federation an e-mail, respond to a survey, or complete a registration or order form. While your choice not to participate in these activities may limit your ability to receive specific services or products through this website, it will not prevent you from requesting services or products from the Federation by other means and will not normally have an impact on your ability to take advantage of other features of the website, including browsing or downloading publicly available information.

Disclosure of Information Collected Through This Website

The collection of information through this website and the disclosure of that information are subject to the provisions of the Internet Security and Privacy Act. The Federation will only collect personal information through this website or disclose personal information collected through this website if the user has consented to the collection or disclosure of such personal information. The user's participation in an online transaction resulting in the disclosure of personal information to the Federation, whether solicited or unsolicited, constitutes consent to the Federation's collection and disclosure of the information for the purposes for which the user disclosed the information to the Federation, as was reasonably ascertainable from the nature and terms of the transaction.

However, the Federation may collect or disclose personal information without user consent if the collection or disclosure is: (1) necessary to perform the statutory duties of the Federation, or necessary for the Federation to operate a program authorized by law, or authorized by state or federal statute or regulation; (2) made pursuant to a court order or by law; (3) for the purpose of validating the identity of the user; or (4) of information to be used solely for statistical purposes that is in a form that cannot be used to identify any particular person.

Further, the disclosure of information, including personal information, collected through this website is subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Law and the Personal Privacy Protection Law.

The Federation may disclose personal information to federal or state law enforcement authorities to enforce the Federation's rights against unauthorized access or attempted unauthorized access to the Federation's information technology assets or against other inappropriate uses of this website.

Retention of Information Collected Through this Website

In general, the Federation's Internet services logs, comprised of electronic files or automated logs created to monitor access and use of Federation services provided through this website, will be retained for 1 year and then destroyed. Information, including personal information, that you submit in an e-mail or when you initiate an online transaction such as a survey, registration, or order form, is retained in accordance with the records retention and disposition schedule established for the records of the program unit to which you submitted the information.

Access to and Correction of Personal Information Collected Through this Website

Any user may submit a request to the Federation Privacy Compliance Officer to determine whether personal information pertaining to that user has been collected through this website. Any such request shall be made in writing to the address below and must be accompanied by reasonable proof of identity of the user. Reasonable proof of identity may include verification of a signature, inclusion of an identifier generally known only to the user, or similar appropriate identification. The address of the privacy compliance officer is:
Records Access Officer
New York State Department of Transportation
50 Wolf Road
Albany, New York 12232

The Privacy Compliance Officer shall, within five (5) business days of the date of the receipt of a proper request: (i) provide access to the personal information; (ii) deny access in writing, explaining the reasons therefore; or (iii) acknowledge the receipt of the request in writing, stating the approximate date when the request will be granted or denied, which date shall not be more than thirty (30) days from the date of the acknowledgment.

In the event that the Federation has collected personal information pertaining to a user through this website and that information is to be provided to the user pursuant to the user's request, the Privacy Compliance Officer shall inform the user of his or her right to request that the personal information be amended or corrected under the procedures set forth in section 95 of the Public Officers Law.

Confidentiality and Integrity of Personal Information Collected Through this Website

The Federation is strongly committed to protecting personal information collected through this website against unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. Consequently, the Federation limits employee access to personal information collected through this website to only those employees who need access to the information in the performance of their official duties. Employees who have access to this information are required to follow appropriate procedures in connection with any disclosure of personal information.

In addition, the Federation has implemented procedures to safeguard the integrity of its information technology assets, including, but not limited to, authentication, monitoring, auditing, and encryption. These security procedures have been integrated into the design, implementation, and day-to-day operations of this website as part of the Federation's continuing commitment to the security of electronic content as well as the electronic transmission of information.

For website security purposes and to maintain the availability of the website for all users, the Federation employs software to monitor traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information or otherwise damage this website.

Disclaimer

The information provided in this privacy policy should not be construed as giving business, legal, or other advice, or warranting as fail proof the security of information provided through this website.

Links

In order to provide users with certain information, the Federation may provide links to the websites of local, State, and federal government agencies, and to the websites of other organizations. A link does not constitute an endorsement of the content, viewpoint, accuracy, opinions, policies, products, services, or accessibility of that website. Once you link to another website from this website, including one maintained by the State, you are subject to the terms and condition of that website, including, but not limited to, its Internet privacy policy.