What's happening
This bill allows the Department of Environmental Conservation to set certain speed limits on highways under its jurisdiction.
Why it matters
Empowers the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to set speed limits. especially lower limits—on highways under its control, which could lead to safer roads in sensitive environmental or recreational areas.
Enables more tailored speed regulations. , such as setting limits as low as 10 mph where necessary for public safety, potentially reducing accidents and protecting wildlife or vulnerable ecosystems.
Creates parity among state agencies. , aligning the DEC’s authority with that of other departments (like Parks and Agriculture), which may improve consistency in how speed limits are set and enforced across various types of state-managed lands.
Could impact recreational, conservation, and rural areas. by allowing targeted speed management, possibly affecting drivers’ experience but enhancing safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and wildlife in these specific environments.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Let DEC Set Speed Limits
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Enacting clause stricken
- Referred to transportation
- Referred to transportation
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2561
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 23, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. GANTT -- read once and referred to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to authorizing the department of environmental conservation to establish certain speed limits
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 5 of section 1630 of the vehicle and traffic law, as amended by chapter 563 of the laws of 2002, is amended to read as follows:
5. Establishment of maximum and minimum speed limits at which vehicles may proceed on or along such highways. No such maximum speed limit 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 that, with respect to bridge and elevated structures that are a part of any such highway, a lower maximum speed limit may be established if it is determined that such lower maximum speed limit is the maximum speed limit which may be maintained without structural damage to such bridge or structure, and except that, with respect to any highway under the jurisdiction of the office of parks, recreation and historic preservation, other than a parkway as defined in subdivision seventeen of section 1.03 of the parks, recreation and historic preservation law, the department of agriculture and markets, the department of environmental conservation, or the industrial exhibit authority, a maximum speed limit of not less than ten miles per hour may be established on any portion thereof, if it is determined that such lower maximum speed limit is necessary to assure the safety of the public, and except that, with respect to any highway having toll plazas, a maximum speed limit of not less than five miles per hour may be established for passage through such toll plazas.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00949-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.