DOT Comm. Ydanis Rodriguez throws the first pitch at Yankee Stadium as part of the city’s relaunch of the Vision Zero campaign “Speeding Ruins Lives.” Image Credit: DOT.
On June 27, 2024, New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez announced the New York City Department of Transportation will reduce more speed limits around the city following the enactment of Sammy’s Law.
Sammy’s Law was created in response to the deaths of 12-year-old Sammy Cohen Eckstein and 3-year-old Allison Hope Liao, who were both killed in traffic accidents. The law authorizes the city to lower the speed limit to 20 miles per hour with posted signage, except on roads with three or more motor vehicle travel lanes in the same direction outside of Manhattan. In addition, the city can lower speed limits to ten miles per hour on streets undergoing safety-related redesigns. The speed limit modifications will target school zones and “Regional Slow Zones” in each borough to improve motor safety.
All speed limit reductions enforced by New York City must accompany a 60-day notice in advance of the change and an opportunity for comment by the local community board. The city is planning to reduce speed in 250 locations by the end of 2025. Some of the included areas are:
The Bronx
- E 139th Street, from Willis Avenue to Alexander Avenue
- Courtlandt Ave, E 156th St to E 157th St
- E 151st St, Courtlandt Ave to Morris Ave
- E 156th St, Concourse Village W to Morris Ave
- Gerard Ave, E 167th St to E 168th St
- St Ann’s Ave, E 149th St to Westchester Ave
- Tinton Ave, E 150th St to E 152nd St
- Sheridan Ave, E 171st St to E 172nd St
- Walton Ave, E 179th St to E 171st St
- Prospect Ave, E 175th St to E Tremont Ave
- Wallace Ave, Mace Ave to Waring Ave
- E 225th St, White Plains Rd to Barnes Ave
- E 172nd St, St Lawrence Ave to Beach Ave
- Netherland Ave, Kappock St to W 227th St
- Reeds Mill Ln, Bivona St to Steenwick Ave
Brooklyn
- Seventh Ave, 43rd St to 44th St
- Dean St, Saratoga Ave to Thomas Boyland St
- MacDonough St, Lewis Ave, Marcus Garvey Blvd
- Christopher Ave, Sutter Ave to Belmont Ave
- Ashford St, Belmont Ave to Pitkin Ave
- Prospect Park West, Grand Army Plaza to Bartel Pritchard Square
- E 94th St, E New York Ave to Rutland Rd
- Fenimore St, Brooklyn Ave to New York Ave
- Ninth Ave, 63rd St to 64th St
- 45th St, Fort Hamilton Pkway to Tenth Ave
- Lenox Rd, E 39th St to E 40th St
- E 96 St, Ave D to Foster Ave
- Sackman St, Belmont Ave to Sutter Ave
- Fort Greene Pl, Fulton St to Dekalb Ave
- Lewis Ave, Hart St to Willoughby Ave
Manhattan
- W 138th St, Amsterdam Ave to Broadway
- W 64th Street, West End Avenue and Amsterdam Avenue
- E 120th St, Lexington Ave to Third Ave
- E 128th St, Lexington Ave to Third Ave
- Morningside Ave, W 126th St to W 127th St
- Audubon Avenue, West 165th Street to Fort George Avenue
- E 112th St, Second Ave to Third Ave
- E 120th St, Second Ave to Third Ave
- E 120th St, Madison Ave to Park Ave
- E 128th St, Madison Ave to Park Ave
Queens
- 112th St, 37th Ave to 34th Ave
- 47th Ave, 108th St to 111th St
- 155th St, 108th Ave to 109th Ave
- 167th St, 108th Rd to 109th Ave
- Union Hall St, 109th Ave to 110th Ave
- 144th St, 88th Ave to 88th Rd
- 143th St, Linden Blvd to 115th Ave
- 105th St, 35th Ave to 37th Ave
- 31st Ave, 60th St to 61st St
Some of the proposed areas for the 10 miles per hour shared streets include:
The Bronx
- Jennings St, Bronx from Prospect Ave to Bristow St (to be redesigned later this summer)
Brooklyn
- Willoughby Ave, from Washington Park to Washington Ave
- Berry St, from Broadway to N 12th St
- Underhill Ave, from Pacific St to Eastern Parkway
- Sharon St, from Olive St to Morgan Ave
Manhattan
Broadway, from: 18th St to 23rd St, 24th St to 25th St, 27th St to 33rd St, 38th St to 39th St, 48th St to 50th St
Queens
34th Avenue, from 69th St to 77th St, 78th St to 93rd St, 94th St to Junction Blvd
Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi said, “New Yorkers deserve safe streets, no matter how they travel. Whether it’s via car, bus, bike, or walking, Sammy’s Law provided a tool to make sure everyone arrives safely to their destination.”
NYC DOT Commissioner Rodriguez said, “Speeding ruins lives, and reducing vehicle speeds by even a few miles per hour could be the difference between life or death in a traffic crash. The new Regional Slow Zones and other speed limit reductions announced today will save lives and keep people safe.”
Vision Zero Campaign
In another effort to combat traffic accidents, on July 3, 2024, New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez announced the re-launch of the Vision Zero campaign “Speeding Ruins Lives, Slow Down.” This $4 million initiative aims to reduce reckless driving behaviors which have occurred at higher rates since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The re-launched Vision Zero campaign will include new partnerships with professional sports teams and showcased at Yankee Stadium and Citi Field. The target audience for this campaign are male drivers because according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), male drivers are 37 percent more likely than females to be behind the wheel in serious motor vehicle crashes.
The campaign will be advertised utilizing various media mediums such as radio and television advertisements, billboards, and at bus shelters.
NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said, “Over the next few months, these important ads will allow New Yorkers to see for themselves the horrible aftermath of driving too fast.”
By: Chelsea Ramjeawan (Chelsea is the CityLaw intern and a New York Law School student, Class of 2025.)