Senate Bill S5170A

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S5170

 TITLE OF BILL :  An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in
relation to directing the department of transportation to establish a
maximum speed limit of thirty miles per hour on state route 908H,
better known as "Ocean parkway", in the county of Kings

 PURPOSE :

This bill would direct the NYS Department of Transportation to
establish a speed limit of 30mph on Ocean Parkway in Kings County.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

Section 1 of the bill adds a new subsection (a-1) to Section 1620 of
the vehicle and traffic law that directs the department of
transportation to establish a speed limit of thirty miles per hour on
state route nine hundred eight H, better known as "Ocean parkway", in
the county of Kings.

Section 2 is the enacting clause.

 JUSTIFICATION :

In 2014, New York City implemented the Zero Vision initiative, which
among other things reduced the speed limit on certain roadways. One of
              

those roadways was Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn, which was reduced from
30mph to 25mph. Ocean Parkway runs throughout central and southern
Brooklyn and is heavily trafficked because there are no parallel roads
of similar capacity.

While reducing the speed limit on roadways is a useful tool to
increase pedestrian safety, Ocean Parkway is a 6 lane major roadway.
The speed limit reduction has had the unintended consequence of
significantly increasing traffic congestion. The increased traffic has
led to drivers choosing to use narrower residential streets causing
new safety concerns and congestion in neighborhoods. Local residents
have complained of the increase in drivers on local roads as they
attempt to avoid Ocean Parkway.

Reducing speed limits to 25mph on roads across the City, particularly
in residential areas, has had a positive impact on pedestrian safety.
On the other hand, major thoroughfares like Ocean Parkway, need to be
restored to 30mph to ensure that the high volumes of traffic on those
roads move as efficiently as possible.

This legislation would authorize the New York State Department of
Transportation to increase the speed limit on Ocean Parkway back to
30mph in an effort to alleviate traffic congestion on nearby
residential side streets.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

New Bill.

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

None

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have
become a law.