NEW YORK — A warning to anyone driving through New York City: be prepared to drive in some areas where you’ll be required to drive more slowly starting in September.
Following the passage of Albany’s “Sammy’s Law,” which gives the city the authority to lower speed limits on individual streets, and even lower them on certain streets undergoing safety-related redesign, the Department of Transportation announced Thursday that it plans to lower speed limits on certain roads to 30 mph.
From September through the end of 2025, the city plans to lower speed limits at 250 locations in every borough except Staten Island.
The city says it will focus on roads near schools, open streets and shared streets.
The History of “Sammy’s Law”
The law is named after Sammy Cohen Eckstein, who was killed at the age of 12 in Brooklyn by a speeding driver. His mother fought for more than a decade to lower the speed limit. Under the DOT’s plan, part of Prospect Park West, including where he was killed, will be reduced to 20 mph.
“The speed of the driver can make the difference between life and death,” said Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “The first location we are targeting is Lower Manhattan south of Canal Street. The speed limit will be lowered to 20 mph.”
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Before all of this goes into effect, the DOT says it will hold a 60-day public comment period. It is now briefing community boards on the proposals.
Many New Yorkers agreed with the plan Thursday evening.
Femi Ola, a downtown resident, uses his scooter to get around. CBS New York caught up with him on Broadway between 18th and 23rd streets, a shared lane, where the city is proposing to lower the speed limit to 10 mph.
“What are you going to do at 10 mph? You might as well just walk,” Ola said.
“I think it’s good. I think it’s going to be more walkable for people,” East Village resident Ben Smith said of the speed reductions.
“I don’t like it because it will slow down traffic. It’s already traffic at 25 years old,” Williamsburg resident Brian Jimenez said.
“Twenty is also good. Slow is better,” added taxi driver Sajid Pasha.
“I think after a certain hour it will generally be the same. The police can only do so much enforcement,” said Adam Bouzourene, who lives in the Financial District.
“I believe that if we rely more on walking, more sidewalk space, more biking, that will create a general good feeling. The air will be fresher,” added Farid Rbei of Williamsburg.
The Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that it has “seen an 80% decrease in accidents, thanks to the Bike Boulevard treatment of Underhill Avenue.” It added that lowering the speed limit there to 10 mph “will reduce the risk of serious injury in an accident to below 10%.”
