S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
6911
2015-2016 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
April 10, 2015
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Introduced by M. of A. OTIS -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to speed limits
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 1643 of the vehicle and traffic law, as amended by
chapter 412 of the laws of 2012, is amended to read as follows:
S 1643. Speed limits on highways in cities, TOWNS and villages. (A)
The legislative body of any city, TOWN or village with respect to high-
ways (which term for the purposes of this section shall include private
roads open to public motor vehicle traffic) in such city, TOWN or
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 fifty-five 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 city,
TOWN or village 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 eighty-four of this title
may by local law, ordinance, order, rule or regulation establish maximum
speed limits at which vehicles may proceed within such city, TOWN or
village, within designated areas of such city, TOWN or village or on or
along designated highways within such city or village higher or lower
than the fifty-five miles per hour maximum statutory limit. No such
speed limit applicable throughout such city, TOWN or village or within
designated areas of such city or village shall be established at less
than [thirty] TWENTY-FIVE miles per hour; except that in the city of
Long Beach, in the county of Nassau, speed limits may be established at
not less than fifteen miles per hour on any portion of the following
highways in such city: Cleveland avenue, Harding avenue, Mitchell
avenue, Belmont avenue, Atlantic avenue, Coolidge avenue, Wilson avenue
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08819-03-5
A. 6911 2
and Taft avenue. No such speed limit applicable on or along designated
highways within such city or village 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 within the cities of Buffalo and Rochester speed limits
may be established at not less than fifteen miles per hour for any
portion of a highway within a city park.
(B)(1) ANY CITY, TOWN OR VILLAGE MAY ESTABLISH MAXIMUM SPEED LIMITS
BELOW TWENTY-FIVE MILES PER HOUR AT WHICH MOTOR VEHICLES MAY PROCEED ON
OR ALONG DESIGNATED HIGHWAYS WITHIN SUCH CITY, TOWN OR VILLAGE FOR THE
EXPLICIT PURPOSE OF IMPLEMENTING TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES AS SUCH TERM
IS DEFINED HEREIN; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT NO SPEED LIMIT SHALL BE SET
BELOW FIFTEEN MILES PER HOUR NOR SHALL SUCH SPEED LIMIT BE ESTABLISHED
WHERE THE TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURE TO BE IMPLEMENTED CONSISTS SOLELY OF A
TRAFFIC CONTROL SIGN. ESTABLISHMENT OF SUCH A SPEED LIMIT SHALL, WHERE
APPLICABLE, BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF SECTIONS SIXTEEN
HUNDRED TWENTY-FOUR AND SIXTEEN HUNDRED EIGHTY-FOUR OF THIS TITLE. NOTH-
ING CONTAINED HEREIN SHALL BE DEEMED TO ALTER OR AFFECT THE ESTABLISH-
MENT OF SCHOOL SPEED LIMITS PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION.
FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS PARAGRAPH, "TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES" SHALL
MEAN ANY PHYSICAL ENGINEERING MEASURE OR MEASURES THAT REDUCE THE NEGA-
TIVE EFFECTS OF MOTOR VEHICLE USE, ALTER DRIVER BEHAVIOR AND IMPROVE
CONDITIONS FOR NON-MOTORIZED STREET USERS SUCH AS PEDESTRIANS AND BICY-
CLISTS.
(2) ANY CITY, TOWN OR VILLAGE ESTABLISHING MAXIMUM SPEED LIMITS BELOW
TWENTY-FIVE MILES PER HOUR PURSUANT TO CLAUSE (I) OF THIS PARAGRAPH
SHALL SUBMIT A REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR, THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE
SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY ON OR BEFORE THE FIRST OF JUNE
NEXT SUCCEEDING THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SUBDIVISION AND BIANNUALLY
THEREAFTER ON THE RESULTS OF USING TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES AND SPEED
LIMITS LOWER THAN TWENTY-FIVE MILES PER HOUR AS AUTHORIZED BY THIS PARA-
GRAPH. THIS REPORT SHALL ALSO BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC BY SUCH
CITY, TOWN OR VILLAGE ON ITS WEBSITE. SUCH REPORT SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT
BE LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING:
(I) A DESCRIPTION OF THE DESIGNATED HIGHWAYS WHERE TRAFFIC CALMING
MEASURES AND A LOWER SPEED LIMIT WERE ESTABLISHED;
(II) A DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIFIC TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES USED AND
THE MAXIMUM SPEED LIMIT ESTABLISHED; AND
(III) A COMPARISON OF THE AGGREGATE TYPE, NUMBER, AND SEVERITY OF
ACCIDENTS REPORTED ON STREETS ON WHICH STREET CALMING MEASURES AND LOWER
SPEED LIMITS WERE IMPLEMENTED IN THE YEAR PRECEDING THE IMPLEMENTATION
OF SUCH MEASURES AND POLICIES AND THE YEAR FOLLOWING THE IMPLEMENTATION
OF SUCH MEASURES AND POLICIES, TO THE EXTENT THIS INFORMATION IS MAIN-
TAINED BY ANY AGENCY OF THE STATE OR THE CITY, TOWN OR VILLAGE.
S 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
have become a law.