NEW YORK — Here’s a head’s up for anyone driving through New York City: get ready to slow down in some areas come September.
Following the passage of “Sammy’s Law” in Albany, which gives the city the authority to reduce speed limits on individual streets, and to go even lower on select streets undergoing safety-related redesigns, the Department of Transportation announced Thursday it plans to lower the limit to 20 mph on certain roads.
From September through the end of 2025 the city plans to reduce speed limits in 250 locations across every borough except Staten Island.
The city says it is targeting roads near schools, open streets and shared streets.
See the full list of proposed locations here.
The history of “Sammy’s Law”
The law is named after Sammy Cohen Eckstein, who was killed by a speeding driver in Brooklyn when he was 12 years old. His mother fought for more than a decade to reduce the speed limit. Under the DOT’s plan, a portion of Prospect Park West, including where he was killed, will be lowered to 20 mph.
“The driver’s speed can be the difference between life or death,” Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said. “The first location we are targeting is Lower Manhattan south of Canal Street. The speed limit will be reduced to 20 mph.”
What do New Yorkers think of the impending slowdown?
Before any of this takes effect, the DOT says it will hold a 60-day public comment period. It is notifying community boards of the proposals now.
Many New Yorkers chimed in on the plan on Thursday night.
Midtown resident Femi Ola uses his scooter to get around. CBS New York caught up with him on Broadway between 18th and 23rd streets, a shared roadway, where the city is proposing the speed limit drop to 10 mph.
“What are you going to do with 10 mph? You might as well just walk,” Ola said.
“I think it’s good. I think it makes it more walkable for people,” East Village resident Ben Smith said of the speed reductions.
“I don’t like it because it’s going to slow traffic. It’s already traffic now when 25,” Williamsburg resident Brian Jimenez said.
“Twenty is also good. Slow is better,” taxi driver Sajid Pasha added.
“I feel, in general, past a certain hour it’ll be the same. Cops can only enforce so much,” said Adam Bouzourene, who lives in the Financial District.
“I do believe that if we start relying on more walking, sidewalk space, more bikes, it’ll be 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% reduction in crashes, thanks to Underhill Avenue getting Bike Boulevard treatment.” It added dropping the speed limit to 10 mph there “will lower the risk of serious injury from a crash to below 10%.”
