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New York is turning into the land of restrictions, motorits complain. Authorities are planning to lower the speed limit down to 20 miles per hour from the current 25 miles per hour, on most streets in five boroughs as early as this year under "Sammy's Law." The legislation would not apply to streets with three or more lanes in one direction.
The City Council may pass legislation that lowers the current default speed of 25 miles per hour on nearly all of the city's streets as part of the emerging state budget deal in Albany. However, the law would not apply to some of the busiest streets in the Big Apple, with three or more lanes of traffic heading in one direction.
The move that affects several areas of New York is intended to keep traffic participants safe and prevent crashes that could lead to tragedies.
The bill is named in memory of Sammy Cohen Eckstein, a 12-year-old boy, who was killed by a driver going at high speed near his home in Brooklyn, in 2013.
After the tragedy, his mother, Amy Cohen, has been fighting for more than a decade to change the law and thinks that a lower speed limit can save lives. "It's literally the difference between life and death," she said.
Her son would have turned 24 this year. More than 100 children have been killed by vehicles since 2013, as reported by an analysis by street safety advocates Transportation Alternatives.
A study carried out by Families for Safe Streets shows that an estimated 30 percent of pedestrians struck by vehicles at 25 mph would sustain injuries, and about 12 percent of them would lose their lives.
Last year, the City Council requested that state lawmakers to allow for lower speed limits. But the deal eventually failed. Many Assembly members feared voters' backlash in case the speed limit was lowered.
The bill still needs approval from New York City Council and Mayor Eric Adams. Adams' administration has consistently advocated for Sammy's Law for quite some time.
If the 20-mph speed limit is authorized, New York City will join cities such as Washington D.C., Seattle, Washington, and Minneapolis.
The controversial decision has turned New York into the first city in the United States to impose congestion tolls on motorists.
However, there will be exceptions for several categories of drivers. Bus companies with a Department Education contract, including public, private, and charter school buses, will be exempted from the toll, as well as the bus fleet of New York, counting approximately 26,000 vehicles.
The move that affects several areas of New York is intended to keep traffic participants safe and prevent crashes that could lead to tragedies.
The bill is named in memory of Sammy Cohen Eckstein, a 12-year-old boy, who was killed by a driver going at high speed near his home in Brooklyn, in 2013.
After the tragedy, his mother, Amy Cohen, has been fighting for more than a decade to change the law and thinks that a lower speed limit can save lives. "It's literally the difference between life and death," she said.
Her son would have turned 24 this year. More than 100 children have been killed by vehicles since 2013, as reported by an analysis by street safety advocates Transportation Alternatives.
A study carried out by Families for Safe Streets shows that an estimated 30 percent of pedestrians struck by vehicles at 25 mph would sustain injuries, and about 12 percent of them would lose their lives.
Last year, the City Council requested that state lawmakers to allow for lower speed limits. But the deal eventually failed. Many Assembly members feared voters' backlash in case the speed limit was lowered.
The bill still needs approval from New York City Council and Mayor Eric Adams. Adams' administration has consistently advocated for Sammy's Law for quite some time.
If the 20-mph speed limit is authorized, New York City will join cities such as Washington D.C., Seattle, Washington, and Minneapolis.
New York City, subject to restrictions in 2024
New York has been hit by restrictions this year. Back in March, members of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board (MTA) approved a $15 toll for drivers who drive into certain areas of Manhattan.The controversial decision has turned New York into the first city in the United States to impose congestion tolls on motorists.
However, there will be exceptions for several categories of drivers. Bus companies with a Department Education contract, including public, private, and charter school buses, will be exempted from the toll, as well as the bus fleet of New York, counting approximately 26,000 vehicles.
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