What's happening
This bill allows the Riverhead Town Board in Suffolk County to set speed limits on local town highways, similar to certain Westchester towns.
Why it matters
Empowers local decision-making. The bill gives Riverhead’s Town Board the same ability as select Westchester towns to directly set speed limits on local roads, allowing them to tailor traffic rules to community needs without waiting for state approval.
Could impact road safety and neighborhood character. With local control, speed limits might be adjusted in response to resident concerns about pedestrian safety, school zones, or changing traffic patterns, potentially making streets safer or more responsive to local priorities.
Streamlines government processes. By letting the Town Board act without involving the New York State Department of Transportation, the change could reduce bureaucratic delays and make it easier to implement changes quickly when circumstances on local roads shift.
May set precedent for other towns. If successful, this amendment could encourage similar legislative changes in other New York towns seeking more control over their traffic regulations, influencing broader state-local relationships.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Let Riverhead Set Speed Limits
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to transportation
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 61–0
- Home rule request
- Ordered to third reading cal.1538
- Committee discharged and committed to rules
- Referred to local government
- Committed to rules
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.784
- Referred to local government
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.
Let Riverhead Set Speed Limits
In Assembly Committee · Transportation · Sponsor Anthony H. Palumbo
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2626
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 13, 2017
Introduced by Sen. LAVALLE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Local Government
AN ACT to amend chapter 399 of the laws of 2008 relating to giving certain Westchester county town boards the discretion to change speed limits, in relation to giving the town board of the town of Riverhead, county of Suffolk, the discretion to change speed limits
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The opening paragraph of subdivision 1 of section 1 of chapter 399 of the laws of 2008 relating to giving certain Westchester county town boards the discretion to change speed limits, is amended to read as follows:
Notwithstanding the provisions of section sixteen hundred twenty-two of the vehicle and traffic law, in lieu of making a request of the department of transportation pursuant to such section, the town boards of the towns of Bedford, Lewisboro, North Castle and Pound Ridge in the county of Westchester, and the town board of the town of Riverhead in the county of Suffolk, with respect to town highways which have been functionally classified by the department of transportation as local roads on official functional classification maps approved by the federal highway administration pursuant to part 470.105 of title 23 of the code of federal regulations, as amended from time to time, and which are outside of cities and villages, may by local law, ordinance, order, rule or regulation:
§ 2. Subdivision 4 of section 1 of chapter 399 of the laws of 2008 relating to giving certain Westchester county town boards the discretion to change speed limits, is amended to read as follows:
4. Nothing contained in this act shall be deemed to alter the authority of the department of transportation to establish maximum speed limits at the request of the town boards of the towns of Bedford, Lewisboro, North Castle and Pound Ridge in the county of Westchester, and the town
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08081-01-7
S. 2626 2
board of the town of Riverhead in the county of Suffolk, with respect to all town highways within such towns outside of cities and villages pursuant to subdivision one of this section, provided that no maximum speed limits have been established by such town boards pursuant to this act on any town highway functionally classified as a local road within such towns.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend chapter 399 of the laws of 2008 relating to giving certain Westchester county town boards the discretion to change speed limits, in relation to giving the town board of the town of Riverhead, county of Suffolk, the discretion to change speed limits
Purpose
To permit the Town Board of Riverhead to set speed limits on all local roads within its jurisdiction.
Summary of provisions
Amends Chapter 399 of the Laws of 2008 to allow the Town of Riverhead in Suffolk County to be included with those towns whose town boards may set speed limits within their respective borders.
Justification
The Town of Riverhead has received numerous complaints concerning dangerous traffic conditions within its town, exacerbated by speed zones that are too high for such conditions. As the town is neither a suburban town nor has a population of over 50,000, it does not presently have the authority to set speed limits. This legislation would add Riverhead to those towns who are empowered to do so.
Legislative history
2015-16 S.4485/A.6353; 2013-14 S.4577/A.7372.
Fiscal implications
None to the State.
Effective date
Sixtieth day after it shall become a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.