Advocates say lower speed limits save lives and prevent fatal crashes on busy city streets.
A four-year battle to pass legislation that would allow New York City to set its own speed limits could finally come to a head as the bill’s supporters, which include Governor Kathy Hochul, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, and state senators, prepare to take the bill back to the state legislature.
Cuba outlines the history of the proposed bill, known as Sammy’s Law in honor of a 12-year-old boy killed by a car near his home, which has faced opposition from state assemblymembers and the New York City Council. Cuba adds that “The bill on the table now would not automatically change the speed limit, but would merely allow the city to do so.”
Road safety advocates strongly support lower speed limits as an effective way to reduce the risk of fatal crashes and protect pedestrians. In New York City, “After the city got permission to lower its speed limits from 30 miles per hour to 25 mph (and 20 mph in school zones) in 2014, there was a 36-percent decline in pedestrian fatalities, advocates said.”
FULL STORY: New Year, New Opportunity to Pass ‘Sammy’s Law’
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Lowering speed limits by just 10 miles per hour can have a major impact on traffic safety.
NYC Sees 127 Traffic Deaths in First Half of 2024
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Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
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More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.
Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.
Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
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