S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                  5721

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                              March 3, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  BRABENEC  --  Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A.
  LAWRENCE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Transportation

AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to  authorizing
  local  school  districts and municipalities to determine and establish
  school speed limits

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1. Subdivision (a) of section 1620 of the vehicle and traffic
law, as amended by chapter 563 of the laws of 2002, is amended  to  read
as follows:
  (a)  The  department  of transportation with respect to state highways
maintained by the state outside of cities having a population in  excess
of  one million, and highways on Indian reservations, may by order, rule
or regulation establish higher or lower maximum speed  limits  at  which
vehicles may proceed on or along such highways than the fifty-five miles
per  hour  statutory  maximum  speed  limit. 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.  THE LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT AND MUNICI-
PALITY  WITHIN  WHICH  A SCHOOL IS LOCATED SHALL DETERMINE AND ESTABLISH
THE MAXIMUM SPEED AT WHICH VEHICLES MAY PROCEED ON A HIGHWAY LOCATED  IN
A SCHOOL ZONE. Absence of signs installed pursuant to this section shall
be  presumptive  evidence  that the department of transportation has not
established a higher maximum speed limit than the fifty-five  miles  per
hour statutory limit.
  S  2. Subdivision 1 of section 1622 of the vehicle and traffic law, as
amended by chapter 563 of the laws  of  2002,  is  amended  to  read  as
follows:

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD08938-01-5

              

A. 5721                             2

  1.  Establish maximum speed limits at which vehicles may proceed on or
along such highways higher or lower than the fifty-five miles  per  hour
statutory  maximum  speed  limit.  No such 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.  THE LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT AND MUNICIPALITY WITHIN WHICH
A  SCHOOL  IS LOCATED SHALL DETERMINE AND ESTABLISH THE MAXIMUM SPEED AT
WHICH VEHICLES MAY PROCEED ON A HIGHWAY LOCATED IN A SCHOOL ZONE.
  S 3. This act shall take effect immediately.