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New York City can finally lower the speed limits within the five boroughs, and lawmakers want to be sure Mayor Eric Adams has a plan ready the day the measure goes into effect.
The state budget passed last month included a measure allowing the city Department of Transportation to lower its speed limit from 25 mph to 20 mph starting June 19 on any road that has two lanes or less in either direction.
To lower the speed limit citywide, the law requires the City Council to first vote in favor of the move. That would initiate a six-month period where speeding drivers would get a warning rather than a ticket.
But another aspect of the bill, which hasn’t been widely reported, allows the transportation department to lower the speed limit on specific streets without Council approval. All that’s required is a 60-day notice to the local community board, followed by the same six-month warning period for drivers.
Queens Assemblymember Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas said it’s critical that the transportation department initiates the process of lowering the speed limit citywide the moment the law goes into effect.
“I think the urgency is now we pushed really, really hard to get this in the budget so we can move this forward as quickly as possible,” said Rojas, who was hit by a driver while she was walking in a crosswalk in January.
Bayron Palomino Arroyo, 8, was killed by a pickup truck driver in Rojas’ district while crossing the street in a crosswalk in March. Arroyo’s 10-year-old brother was injured.
“They should be ready, as they anticipated this bill getting passed,” Rojas said.
Advocates had pushed for the measure, known as Sammy’s Law, for years. The first three months of this year have been the…
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