Section 19-703. Definitions

For  purposes  of this chapter, the following
  terms shall be defined as follows:
    a. "Accessible route" has the meaning set forth in section 19-705.
    b. "ADA" means the Americans with Disabilities Act, title  42  of  the
  United States code annotated section 12101 et. seq.
    c. "Coaming" means the vertical plating bounding a hatch or located at
  the  base  of  a  door  for  the  purpose of stiffening the edges of the
  opening and resisting entry of water.
    d.  "Disabled  persons"  means  persons  with  physical  disabilities,
  including  but  not  limited to mobility impairments, sight impairments,
  hearing impairments and speech impairments, and further includes persons
  utilizing a service animal or wheelchair or other physical mobility aid.
    e.  "Gangway"  means  a  pedestrian  walkway  that  changes  slope  to
  accommodate  changes  in  water level, linking a fixed structure or land
  with a barge, float, dock or other floating  structure  except  a  water
  borne commuter vessel.
    f.  "Operator" means any person or private or governmental entity that
  owns or operates a water borne commuter services facility.
    g. "Passenger" means every person other than the captain and  crew  on
  board a water borne commuter vessel.
    h.  "Point of embarkation or disembarkation" means any portal point of
  entry or exit onto or off of a water borne commuter vessel, or  into  or
  out of the main cabin area of such water borne commuter vessel.
    i.  "Transition  plate"  means  any sloping pedestrian walking surface
  located at the end of a gangway,  vessel  loading  equipment,  point  of
  embarkation or disembarkation or coaming.
    j. "Vessel loading equipment" means any piece of equipment or assembly
  of  equipment, whether or not such equipment requires operation by water
  borne commuter services facility personnel, that may  be  located  on  a
  water borne commuter vessel or located on a landing, that bridges from a
  water  borne  commuter  vessel to a barge, float, dock or other floating
  structure or landing,  the  purpose  of  which  is  to  accommodate  the
  differences  in  elevation  between such water borne commuter vessel and
  such barge, float, dock or other floating structure or landing.
    k. "Water borne commuter services facility" means any dock, pier, slip
  or terminal located within the city  of  New  York  or  its  territorial
  waters  and  utilized by a water borne commuter vessel, as well as water
  borne commuter vessels and any concession, ticket  purchasing  or  other
  facility  or  amenity available at or on such dock, pier, slip, terminal
  or water borne commuter vessel.
    l. "Water borne commuter vessel"  means  every  description  of  water
  craft  operating  within the city of New York or its territorial waters,
  including commuter ferries but excluding seaplanes, that is  used  as  a
  means of commuter passenger mass transportation by water.