Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday signed a much-anticipated bill that will empower New York City to set its own speed limits below the state minimum of 25 mph.
Albany lawmakers passed Sammy’s Law last month as part of the state budget following a multi-year campaign pushed by street safety advocates. The bill is named for 12-year-old Sammy Cohen Eckstein, who in 2013 was fatally struck by a motorist in Park Slope, Brooklyn. How the law reshapes city speed limits will play out as implementation begins this summer.
Where will this law likely take effect?
Ydanis Rodriguez, the city’s transportation commissioner, said this week that his agency doesn’t have a list of streets to target for speed limit changes when the law takes effect on June 19. Identifying streets will come down to “following the data” on crashes, speeding tickets and other metrics, he said. Major thoroughfares that currently have a speed limit of 25 mph and have a violent history of crashes include Second Avenue, which runs the length of Manhattan; Broadway in Brooklyn; and East Gun Hill Road in the Bronx.
The law empowers the Department of Transportation to lower speed limits on a street-by-street basis without the City Council — so long as the local community board is given a 60-day notice. DOT says it intends to work with communities on speed limit changes and obstacles to implementation include time to manufacture and post new speed limit signs, recalibrate traffic signals and adjust speed cameras. A second possibility is lowering the speed limit citywide, but the council would need to introduce and approve such a measure, according to council spokeswoman Mara Davis.
Are there roads where Sammy’s Law won’t apply?
Yes, there are some exceptions. It can’t apply to roads that have three lanes or more going in one direction outside of Manhattan.
Why is this a big deal?
The legislation is modeled after research showing that people hit by cars traveling less than 25 mph are less likely to die or be seriously injured. At an impact speed of 25 mph, an estimated 30% of pedestrians sustain severe, critical or fatal injuries, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Sammy Eckstein was struck by a motorist traveling at 25 mph.
Street safety advocates have pushed for Sammy’s Law for several years. The measure nearly made it into last year’s budget but was left out at the eleventh hour.
“Lower speed limits save lives,” said Amy Cohen, co-founder of Families for Safe Streets and Sammy’s mother, during Thursday’s bill signing. “That protective shield for our loved ones is really a communal responsibility and requires laws and policies, such as this one.”
Will this change how I drive on city streets?
The earliest possible changes could take effect on June 19, and even then the political process will likely drag out for weeks if not months longer. So until this summer at the earliest, Sammy’s Law won’t change how drivers cruise through the city’s streets.
How does this fit in with congestion pricing?
Transportation advocates contend that lowering the speed limit is not in conflict with the expected late-June launch of congestion pricing. The tolling program will charge most drivers $15 to enter Manhattan’s core.
City data shows that the average speed of traffic in Manhattan’s Central Business District is roughly 7 mph due to the glut of car traffic. Congestion pricing might free up more space for drivers and allow for faster speeds.
“This won’t stop people from being able to get around,” said Rachel Fauss, senior policy advisor for Reinvent Albany. “It’s about people being able to get around more safely.”
What’s the mayor’s take on the law?
While supportive of making drivers slow down, Mayor Eric Adams indicated at Thursday’s bill signing that he’s wary of a blanket speed limit reduction. “All streets are not the same and we should not have speed limits within the entire city based on the makeup of one belief or one philosophy,” Adams said.
Caroline Spivack , 2024-05-13 11:48:08
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