What's happening
This bill lowers the population threshold from 50,000 to 25,000 for towns to set local speed limits on certain roads.
Why it matters
Expands local control to more towns. By lowering the population threshold from 50,000 to 25,000, many additional towns will now have the authority to set their own speed limits, allowing for more tailored road safety policies that reflect local conditions and needs.
Potential for increased road safety. Smaller towns often have unique traffic patterns, pedestrian activity, and road layouts. Direct control over speed limits can help address safety concerns more directly, especially in areas where state-set limits may not be appropriate.
Responsive to community input. The law still requires certain community input or petitions for specific changes (such as very low speed limits in particular neighborhoods), ensuring that speed limit adjustments are responsive to the desires and concerns of local residents.
Greater flexibility in traffic management. Allowing more towns to set their own limits could lead to innovative approaches in traffic calming, school zone safety, and neighborhood protection, as local governments can more quickly adapt rules to changing circumstances or emerging issues.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Lower Town Speed Limits
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to transportation
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 63–0
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.757
- Referred to transportation
- Returned to senate
- Died in assembly
- Referred to transportation
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 63–0
Show 3 earlier actions
- Ordered to third reading cal.1417
- Committee discharged and committed to rules
- Referred to transportation
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Lower Town Speed Limits
In Assembly Committee · Transportation · Sponsor Aileen Gunther
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2389
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 13, 2017
Introduced by Sen. LARKIN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to speed limits in certain towns
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 1662-a of the vehicle and traffic law, as amended by chapter 405 of the laws of 2012, is amended to read as follows:
§ 1662-a. Speed limits in certain towns. The town board of any suburban town governed pursuant to article three-A of the town law and the town board of any other town having a population exceeding [fifty] twenty-five thousand, with respect to highways (which term for the purposes of this section shall include private roads open to public motor vehicle traffic) in such towns outside any village, other than state highways maintained by the state on which the department of transportation shall have established higher or lower speed limits than the statutory fiftyfive miles per hour speed limit as provided in section sixteen hundred twenty of this title, or on which the department of transportation shall have designated that such towns shall not establish any maximum speed limit as provided in section sixteen hundred twenty-four of this title, subject to the limitations imposed by section sixteen hundred eightyfour of this title may by local law, ordinance, order, rule or regulation establish maximum speed limits at which vehicles may proceed within such towns, within designated areas of such towns or on or along designated highways within such towns lower than the fifty-five miles per hour maximum statutory limit. No such speed limit applicable throughout such towns or within designated areas of such towns shall be established at less than thirty miles per hour, except that in the town of Hempstead speed limits may be established at not less than fifteen miles per hour on any portion of a highway in the community known as Point Lookout and on all or any portion of the following highways in the
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03031-01-7
S. 2389 2
community known as Lido Beach: Ocean Boulevard, Allevard Street, Bath Street, Buxton Street, Cheltenham Street, Pinehurst Street, Harrogate Street, Matlock Street, Nantwick Street, Biarritz Street, Royat Street, Luchon Street, Woodhail Street, Leamington Street, Saratoga Street, Kensington Street, and Prescott Street; provided, however, that no such speed limit in such town may be established unless a majority of the residents of each such community file a petition with the town board of such town requesting such speed limit. No such speed limit applicable on or along designated highways within such towns shall be established at less than twenty-five miles per hour, except that school speed limits may be established at not less than fifteen miles per hour, for a distance not to exceed one thousand three hundred twenty feet, on a highway passing a school building, entrance or exit of a school abutting on the highway, and except further that in the town of Hempstead speed limits may be established at not less than fifteen miles per hour on any portion of a highway in the communities known as Point Lookout and Lido Beach; provided, however, that no such speed limit in such town may be established unless a majority of the residents of each such community file a petition with the town board of such town requesting such speed limit.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to speed limits in certain towns
Purpose
This bill would allow town boards in towns of more than 25,000 the ability to set speed limits on their own town roads and highways.
Summary of provisions
Section 1662-a of the vehicle and traffic law is amended to reduce the population size of a town authorized to adjust speed limits on town roads and highways to 25,000.
Existing law
A town with a population exceeding 50,000 has the authority to adjust speed limits on town roads and highways. Towns with populations under 50,000 must request an adjustment and receive approval from the New York State Department of Transportation before a speed limit can be changed.
Justification
Under current law, a town with a population of less than 50,000 must submit a request to the New York State Department of Transportation to adjust the speed limit on a town road or highway. This process is time consuming and requires a commitment of resources from the New York State Department of Transportation. This bill would reduce the threshold to towns with a population of at least 25,000, giving smaller towns the same authority over their own roads as larger ones.
Legislative history
2015-2016: S2204-Passed Senate 2013-2014: S3992-Passed Senate
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.