What's happening
This bill requires increasing numbers of school speed zones in New York City to have signs with flashing beacons indicating when reduced speed limits are in effect.
Why it matters
Improves safety transparency. By requiring flashing beacons and clear signage, drivers will know exactly when reduced school speed limits are in effect, potentially reducing confusion and increasing compliance.
Phased implementation. The law mandates a gradual rollout, with 20% of selected school zones getting these signs each year, meaning more neighborhoods will see these safety improvements over time, not just all at once.
Targets high-risk times. Flashing beacons emphasize that speed reductions are enforced only when children are likely present, which could make speed enforcement feel more reasonable to drivers and enhance protection during the most critical periods.
Potential for fewer traffic violations and crashes. Clear, visible warnings may lead to fewer tickets for accidental speeding and, more importantly, fewer accidents involving children near schools.
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Who cares
New York City transportation officials
The bill would require flashing-beacon speed-limit signs at 20 percent of selected school locations starting with school years beginning on or after August 1, 2020, with the number increasing by 20 percent each year.
Drivers near New York City schools
Required signs would display the reduced speed limit and state that it applies when the beacons are flashing.
Students, parents and school staff
The bill would require signs at covered school locations to be posted by the first day of school each year.
Headline styles
Stronger School Zone Speed Signs
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to cities
- Referred to cities
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.
Require Signs in School Zones
In Assembly Committee · Transportation · Sponsor Edward Braunstein
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4120
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 28, 2019
Introduced by Sen. LIU -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Cities
AN ACT to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to signage in school speed zones
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraph 1 of subdivision e of section 19-177 of the administrative code of the city of New York, as added by local law number 24 of the city of New York for the year 2014, is amended to read as follows:
(1) Except as provided in paragraph two of this subdivision, the commissioner shall establish speed limits of not less than fifteen nor more than twenty miles per hour at fifty school locations annually, for a distance not to exceed one thousand three hundred twenty feet, on highways passing any school building, entrance or exit of a school abutting on the highway. For school years beginning on and after August first, two thousand twenty, twenty percent of the school locations that have been selected pursuant to this subdivision shall have official signs posted that include the reduced speed limit, flashing beacons, and a notice that the reduced speed limit is in effect when such beacons are flashing. The number of school locations at which such signs shall be posted shall increase by twenty percent each year. Such signs shall be posted no later than the first day of school for such year. For purposes of this subdivision, the term "school" shall have the same meaning as in section 19-189 of this title.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02663-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to signage in school speed zones
Purpose or general idea of bill
The purpose of this bill is to protect school children and other pedes- trians in New York City from traffic-related accidents by reducing the speed in school zones and the creation of other speed zones.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 amends section 19-177(e) of the Administrative Code of the City of New York to require that the posted signs at school zone s will include the reduced speed limit, flashing beacons, and a notice that the speed limit is in effect when such beacons are flashing.
Section 2 provides that the act shall take effect immediately.
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 resi- dents, but especially children. This bill is designed to protect the most vulnerable members of our society, our children.
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 zone will be able to plead igno- rance of the speed limit. The Department of Transportation will be required to post speed limit signs at every school zone.
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.