On Monday, April 22, 2024, Governor Kathy Hochul signed off on the Sammy’s Law portion of the state budget that would allow the NYC speed limit to be lowered to 20 mph (it’s currently set at 25 mph) and the legislation was recently passed by lawmakers in Albany.
Sammy’s Law is named after Sammy Cohen Eckstein, a 12 year old who was killed in Park Slope in 2013 by a speeding car. According to city crash data, 100+ children been killed in traffic collisions in NYC since.
NYC’s current 25 mph speed limit was set in 2014 by then-Mayor Bill de Blasio–dropping from 30 mph–and was approved by the Legislature and former Governor Andrew Cuomo.
The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has found that pedestrians face a 10% risk of death when struck by a car traveling 23 mph. The new reduced speed limits will hopefully increase NYC pedestrian safety, since NYC DOT Commissioner Rodriguez notes how “even a few miles per hour could be the difference between life or death in a traffic crash.”
“Speed limit reductions will target select schools, Open Streets, Shared Streets, and other areas, as well as new ‘Regional Slow Zones’ in each borough,” reads a press release.
Beginning in September (following a 60-day public comment period) NYC DOT will begin reducing speed limits in 250 locations by the end of 2025, with a focus on priority locations such as schools. The new speed limits will be 20 mph on individual streets and 10 mph on select streets undergoing safety-related redesigns.
The speed limit decrease is part of the $237 billion NY State budget. Nixed from the state budget was NYC’s free public bus pilot program.
Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi stated:
New Yorkers deserve safe streets, no matter how they travel. Whether it’s via car, bus, bike, or walking, Sammy’s Law provided a tool to make sure everyone arrives safely to their destination. I thank the Department of Transportation for putting this tool to use and using a data driven and targeted approach as we continue to make our streets safer.
More info and the full list of proposed locations for reduced speeds can be found here.