NYC To Lower Speed Limits To 10 MPH In Certain “Slow Zones”

By FrumNews.com 

Brooklyn, NY – The New York City DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez today announced the agency will reduce speed limits in select areas following the enactment of Sammy’s Law. The DOT said some streets in New York City will soon have speed limits as low as 20 or even 10 mph.

As previously reported by FrumNews.com, under Sammy’s Law, the New York Legislature gave the power to control the speed limit on NYC streets to the far-left progressive New York City Council. This meant that the city has the power—and is now planning—to lower the speed limit to 20 MPH on most roads and lower the speed limit to 10 MPH in school zones.

The current speed limit in New York City was set in 2014 under the banner of “Vision Zero,” which was the first citywide speed reduction in half a century. In late 2022, the state legislature allowed the City to activate its speed cameras 24 hours a day. (The city’s over 2,500 automated speed cameras were previously authorized by the state to operate only on weekdays, between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.)

On Thursday, the DOT said speed limit reductions would target select schools, open streets, shared streets, and other areas, as well as new ‘Regional Slow Zones’ in each borough.

The first “Regional Slow Zone” to be considered will be in lower Manhattan south of Canal Street and will be implemented by the end of this year or early next year.

Beginning in September, following a 60-day public comment period, NYC DOT will begin reducing speed limits in 250 locations (see below) by the end of 2025, with a focus on priority locations such as schools.

The agency will implement this safety measure utilizing safety data and focusing on equity. It will implement speed limit reductions in “Priority Investment Areas” and no strong history of previous NYC DOT investments. The agency will also reduce the speed limit to 10 MPH on all existing and future Shared Streets and on Open Streets.

“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,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi.

This push comes as progressive activists are pushing the City Council and the DOT to lower speed limits to 20 MPH citywide.

Going Forward

FrumNews.com is all for street safety, but for common-sense traffic safety.

If NYC actually wants to stop “traffic violence,” it would implement curbside daylighting, which would remove the last parking spot by all intersections for better visibility. Another alternative would be adding more speed bumps to local roads or narrowing lanes on wide boulevards.

Lowering the speed limit is only a gotcha ticket scheme backed by the left’s war on cars that will further penalize drivers into being unable to afford their cars anymore and forced into the crime- and homeless-filled subway system that is mismanaged by the MTA.

This ultra-low speed limit will have zero effect on the most reckless of drivers, who are criminals and violent gang members driving throughout this great city with untraceable counterfeit paper license plates that don’t abide by any speed limits.

Furthermore, some radical politicians in New York State are proposing that after a number of “speed camera tickets,” your NYS Vehicle Registration gets revoked and your car gets impounded.

There are already speed cameras on many New York City streets, the most in the nation, with more speed cameras added weekly. On some streets, the speed limit is 15 MPH in school zones, and drivers get ticketed even when school is not in session. Just imagine the ticket revenue the city will be receiving when this changes to 10 MPH.

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INITIAL PROPOSED LOCATIONS FOR REDUCED SPEEDS

Brooklyn: Seventh Ave, 43 St to 44 St; Dean St, Saratoga Ave to Thomas Boyland St; MacDonough St, Lewis Ave, Marcus Garvey Blvd; Christopher Ave, Sutter Ave to Belmont Ave; Ashford St, Belmont Ave to Pitkin Ave; Prospect Park West, Grand Army Plaza to Bartel Pritchard Square; E 94 St, E New York Ave to Rutland Rd; Fenimore St, Brooklyn Ave to New York Ave; Ninth Ave, 63 St to 64 St; 45 St, Fort Hamilton Pkway to Tenth Ave; Lenox Rd, E 39 St to E 40 St; E 96 St, Ave D to Foster Ave; Sackman St, Belmont Ave to Sutter Ave; Fort Greene Pl, Fulton St to Dekalb Ave; Lewis Ave, Hart St to Willoughby Ave

The Bronx: E 139 Street, from Willis Avenue to Alexander Avenue; Courtlandt Ave, E 156 St to E 157 St; E 151 St, Courtlandt Ave to Morris Ave; E 156 St, Concourse Village W to Morris Ave; Gerard Ave, E 167 St to E 168 St; St Ann’s Ave, E 149 St to Westchester Ave; Tinton Ave, E 150 St to E 152 St; Sheridan Ave, E 171 St to E 172 St; Walton Ave, E 179 St to E 171 St; Prospect Ave, E 175 St to E Tremont Ave; Wallace Ave, Mace Ave to Waring Ave; E 225 St, White Plains Rd to Barnes Ave; E 172 St, St Lawrence Ave to Beach Ave; Netherland Ave, Kappock St to W 227 St; Reeds Mill Ln, Bivona St to Steenwick Ave

Manhattan: W 138 St, Amsterdam Ave to Broadway; W 64 Street, West End Avenue and Amsterdam Avenue; E 120 St, Lexington Ave to Third Ave; E 128 St, Lexington Ave to Third Ave; Morningside Ave, W 126 St to W 127 St; Audubon Avenue, West 165th Street to Fort George Avenue; E 112 St, Second Ave to Third Ave; E 120 St, Second Ave to Third Ave; E 120 St, Madison Ave to Park Ave; E 128 St, Madison Ave to Park Ave

Queens: 112 St, 37 Ave to 34 Ave; 47 Ave, 108 St to 111 St; 155 St, 108 Ave to 109 Ave; 167 St, 108 Rd to 109 Ave; Union Hall St ,109 Ave to 110 Ave; 144 St, 88 Ave to 88 Rd; 143 St, Linden Blvd to 115 Ave; 105 St, 35 Ave to 37 Ave; 31 Ave, 60 St to 61 St

INITIAL PROPOSED 10 MPH SHARED STREETS

The Bronx: Jennings St, Bronx from Prospect Ave to Bristow St (to be redesigned later this summer)

Brooklyn: Willoughby Ave, from Washington Park to Washington Ave; Berry St, from Broadway to N12th St; Underhill Ave, from Pacific St to Eastern Parkway; Sharon St, from Olive St to Morgan Ave

Manhattan: Broadway, from 18 St to 23 St; 24 St to 25 St; 27 St to 33 St; 38 St to 39 St; 48 St to 50 St

Queens: 34th Avenue, from 69 St to 77 St; 78 St to 93 St; 94 St to Junction Blvd