Relates to school zone speed limits and signage and other traffic calming devices

Summary of provisions

Section 1 amends section 19-177(a} of the Administrative Code of the City of New York to provide that speed limits may be established at not less than 15 m.p.h. on a highway passing either (i) a school building, senior center, park, playground or hospital or (ii) any entrances or exits of a school, senior center, park, playground or hospital abutting a highway. This section also provides that the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation shall post at each of the various speed limit zones signs indicating the maximum speed limit and time of day during which such a speed limit is in effect. Additionally, the signs located in school speed limit zones are required to be equipped with flashing warning beacons.

Section 2 amends paragraph 3 of subdivision a and subdivision b of section 19-183 of the Administrative Code of the City of New York to add "flashing beacons" to the definition of "traffic calming device". Five new subdivisions are added that would require that the City Department of Transportation to install traffic calming devices adjacent to schools, senior centers, parks, playgrounds, and hospitals, with the devices at schools being equipped with flashing warning beacons. Additionally, the Commissioner shall transmit to the Mayor and the City Council a report setting forth with respect to the prior calendar year the location of each speed limit sign, the number of citations issues for speed violations in each of the various speed zones, the effect such speed limit zone signs have on the number of citations issued and number of accidents occurring within each zone provided that such effect shall include statistics regarding citations issued and accidents for each of the various zones during the immediately prior calendar year, and the effect of the speed zones on traffic flow and speed violations in the areas outside the various speed zones.

Section three provides that this act shall take effect one hundred and eightieth day after it shall have become law provided that effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be.made and completed on or before such effective date.

Justification

Pedestrian safety has always been an important concern for New York City residents, but recent data has given this issue special urgency. According to the New York Times, 270 people died in New York City in

traffic-related incidents in 2012, with 148 of these victims being pedestrians. This was the highest number of traffic-related fatalities since 2008. These figures indicate a heightened risk to all City residents, but especially children. This bill is designed to protect the most vulnerable members of our society whether it be our children, our senior citizens or the infirmed. One factor that accounts for this risk is the insufficient number of speed signs in school zones, which causes some people to forget that they are driving in areas where children may be walking. According to a publication of the Phoenix Street Transportation Department "research conducted throughout the country over several decades has shown that drivers are influenced by the type of street and the current traffic conditions, not the posted speed limit" this bill seeks to change the feel of the streets that the most vulnerable members of society use most often through the installment of traffic calming devices. Once this bill becomes law, no one driving in a school, senior center, park, playground or hospital zone will be able to plead ignorance of the speed limit. The Department of Transportation will be required to post speed limit signs at every school, senior center, park, playground, and hospital zone. In addition, the Department will be authorized to establish a speeding limit of 15 m.p.h. on highways passing a school building, senior center, park, playground and hospital, or on entrances or exits of a school, senior center, park, playground and hospital abutting on highways. The effect these measures will have in reducing accidents will be set forth in reports concerning the various speed zones to be prepared by the Commissioner and delivered to the City government.

Legislative history

2013: Referred to Cities

Fiscal implications

None.

Effective date

This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become law provided that effective immediately any addition, amendment or repeal of any rule or regulation shall be made to implement this act.