Lower Speed Limits in Towns

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

EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

[ ] is old law to be omitted.

LBD01376-01-9

A. 3653 2

Point Lookout and on all or any portion of the following highways in the 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.