The New York City Department of Transportation said that speed limits would be lowered on a number of roadways in regions with heavy traffic. The rule’s implementation will take place in 2025 as part of a control strategy. Intending to lower the number of accidents in particular areas, these measures come after “Sammy’s Law” was approved. In response to the need to improve traffic safety in some areas, the authorities decided to lower speed limits on specific New York streets.
New York will be updating its speed limits on key streets for driver and pedestrian safety
Transportation-related incidents are one of the main causes of injuries in the city. In this regard, it is hoped that implementing lower limits will reduce the impact and number of collisions. In a press release, Ydanis Rodriguez, commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation, said that lowering vehicle speed limits, even by a few miles per hour, could mean the difference between life and death. Last but not least, he underlined that these efforts will guard the most vulnerable New Yorkers in some of the busiest pedestrian communities and save lives.
In honor of her son Sammy Cohen Eckstein, Amy Cohen has been a dedicated advocate for the city to enforce our speed limits more seriously, and I want to express my gratitude for their incredible efforts. Authorities declared that 250 locations will have their speed limits lowered, with priority given to shared routes, open spaces, and schools. Each “Regional Slow Speed Zone,” as they will henceforth be known, was selected with well-defined geographic limits to prevent motorist confusion. In late March, the New York City Department of Transportation will start informing neighborhood boards of its plans in public. Those who would like to respond will have 60 days to do so before the recommendations are put into effect.
Which streets will be included in the new speed limit rule in New York City?
With the upcoming speed limits update, these will be the streets that drivers and pedestrians should consider from now on:
- City Island (Bronx): The whole island will fall under the new Bronx zone, as in the last five years, five traffic accidents have happened.
- DUMBO (Brooklyn): This neighborhood is bounded to the west by Furman Street, to the north by Water, Plymouth, and John Streets, to the east by Navy Street and Hudson Avenue, along with the south by Sands Street and the Brooklyn Queens Expressway. Over the past five years, there has been one traffic fatality and 10 major injuries in this area.
- Broad Channel (Queens): East Sixth Road to West 22nd Road is the length of this area. In the past five years, this route has seen six major injuries and one traffic fatality.
- New Brighton (Staten Island): will include the area nearest to the ferry station. It is bounded to the north by Richmond Terrace, to the east by Jersey Street, to the south by Prospect Avenue, and to the west by Tysen Street and Clinton Avenue. All nearby corridors will see a decrease in speed, except for Richmond Terrace, which will stay at 30 mph (48 km/h). In the past five years, there have been 12 major injuries but no fatal traffic incidents in this area.
This is what you need to know about the law that will change speed limits in New York
With the passage of Sammy’s Law in 2024, New York gained more authority over speed restrictions. Following Sammy’s death from being run over in 2013, the regulation was prompted. His family advocated for the law’s enactment as a precaution. The rules allow speed limits to be lowered to 32 km/h as long as each roadway has the proper signage. In addition, speed limits might be lowered to 16 km/h (10 mph) on roads that are undergoing safety-related redesign. Several locations have adopted speed reductions since they went into effect. One of the first streets where the law was in effect was Prospect Park West, the site of the death of the 12-year-old boy who was the law’s namesake.
