NY State Senate Bill S524A

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules Committee

Introduced
In Committee
On Floor Calendar
- Passed Senate
- Passed Assembly
Delivered to Governor
Signed/Vetoed by Governor

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Actions

view actions (16)

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jun 03, 2022	committed to rules
Feb 03, 2022	advanced to third reading
Feb 02, 2022	2nd report cal.
Feb 01, 2022	1st report cal.411
Jan 05, 2022	referred to transportation returned to senate died in assembly
Jun 10, 2021	referred to transportation delivered to assembly passed senate home rule request ordered to third reading cal.1741 committee discharged and committed to rules
May 21, 2021	print number 524a
May 21, 2021	amend and recommit to transportation
Jan 06, 2021	referred to transportation

Votes

view votes

Feb 1, 2022 - Transportation committee Vote

S524A

committee

Aye

Nay

Aye with Reservations

Absent

Excused

Abstained

Jun 10, 2021 - floor Vote

S524A

floor

Aye

Nay

Absent

Excused

Abstained

Jun 10, 2021 - Rules committee Vote

S524A

committee

Aye

Nay

Aye with Reservations

Absent

Excused

Abstained

Bill Amendments

Original

A (Active)

Original

A (Active)

Co-Sponsors

S524 - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A4655
Current Committee:: Senate Rules
Law Section:: Vehicle and Traffic Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §1642, V & T L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:: S2422

S524 - Summary

Relates to establishing speed limits in cities with populations in excess of one million people by easing restrictions so cities can establish speed limits below twenty five miles per hour.

S524 - Sponsor Memo

 
BILL NUMBER: S524

SPONSOR: HOYLMAN
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to establishing
speed limits in cities with populations in excess of one million people

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 of the bill names the act "Sammy's Law."

Section 2 of the bill amends section 1642 of the Vehicle & Traffic Law
("Additional traffic regulations in cities having a population in excess
of one million") by:

-Amending sub-paragraph 26(a) to repeal the limitation that New York
City's citywide speed limit be no less than 25 miles per hour and that
New York City's school speed limit be no less than 15 miles per hour.

-Amending sub-paragraph 26(b) to require New York City to provide writ-
ten notice and an opportunity for public comment before a community

board if the City raises a speed limit by more than 5 miles per hour.
This is an expansion of an existing statutory requirement for notice and
public comment if the City lowers a speed limit by more than 5 miles per
hour.

-Repealing paragraph 27, which provided exemptions under specific
circumstances to the limitation on New York City's minimum speed limit.

Section 3 of the bill is the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

In 2014, the Legislature passed a law authorizing New York City to
establish a 25 mile per hour speed limit throughout the City, with speed
limits as low as 15 miles per hour in school zones and on streets where
the City has implemented traffic calming measures to reduce the negative
effects of motor vehicle use, alter driver behavior, and/or improve
conditions for non-motorized street users such as pedestrians and bicy-
clists.

The 2014 law, a key component of New York City's Vision Zero initiative,
has helped contribute to a 36% decline in pedestrian deaths at priority
locations throughout the City. 
1 Giving New York City the authority to
reduce speed limits without needing State Legislative approval or making
the reductions contingent upon the implementation of traffic calming
measures will give the City a flexible tool for making further progress
toward the important goal of Vision Zero.

According to a study by AAA, an estimated 30% of pedestrians struck by
motor vehicles at an impact speed of 25 mph will sustain serious injury
and about 12% will die. At impact speeds below 15 mph, most pedestrians
who are struck (about 91%) do not sustain serious injuries, and fewer
die.  
2

By widely authorizing speed limits of less than 25 miles per hour, New
York City would join other dense American cities such as Washington,
DC 
3, Seattle, WA 
4, and Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN 
5.
This bill is named in tribute to Sammy Cohen Eckstein, a 12 year-old boy
who was struck and killed by a vehicle in Prospect Park, Brooklyn in
October 2013.

 
1
https://wwwl.nyc.crov/assets/visionzero/downLoads/pdf/vision-zero-year-6
- report.pdf

 
2
https://aaafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/2011PedestrianRiskV
sSpeedReport.pdf

 
3 https://mpdc.dc.gov/page/spe(lIng-laws-fines-and-safety,
4:-:texteSpeeding%20Laws%2011 mph

 
4
httos://www.seattiorgov/visionzero/rules-of-the-road :-:text-Our%20Laws&
text-in%20Seat-tle%2C%20the%20speed%201imit,25%20MPH%2C2Ouniess
20otherwis :S2Oposted

 
5 https : / /www . visienzero,com/soeedlim

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

None, new bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

S524 - Bill Text download pdf

 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    524
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 6, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. HOYLMAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
 
 AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to establishing
   speed limits in cities with  populations  in  excess  of  one  million
   people

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as "Sammy's law".
   § 2. Paragraphs 26 and 27 of subdivision (a) of section  1642  of  the
 vehicle  and  traffic  law,  paragraph  26  as added and paragraph 27 as
 amended by chapter 248 of the laws of  2014,  are  amended  to  read  as
 follows:
   26.  (a) With respect to highways (which term for the purposes of this
 paragraph shall include private roads open to public motor vehicle traf-
 fic) in such city, 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 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, establish-
 ment of maximum speed limits at which vehicles may proceed  within  such
 city  or  within  designated areas of such city higher or lower than the
 fifty-five miles per hour maximum statutory limit. [No such speed  limit
 applicable  throughout such city or within designated areas of such city
 shall be established at less than twenty-five  miles  per  hour,  except
 that  school  speed  limits  may  be established at no less than fifteen
 miles per hour pursuant to the provisions  of  section  sixteen  hundred
 forty-three of this article.]
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03998-01-1

 S. 524                              2
 
   (b)  A  city  shall not lower OR RAISE a speed limit by more than five
 miles per hour pursuant to this  paragraph  unless  such  city  provides
 written  notice  and an opportunity to comment to the community board or
 community boards established pursuant to section twenty-eight hundred of
 the  New  York city charter with jurisdiction over the area in which the
 lower OR HIGHER speed limit shall apply. Such notice may be provided  by
 electronic mail and shall be provided sixty days prior to the establish-
 ment of such lower OR HIGHER speed limit.
   [27. (a) Establishment of maximum speed limits below twenty-five miles
 per  hour  at  which  motor  vehicles may proceed on or along designated
 highways within such city for the explicit purpose of implementing traf-
 fic 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 chapter. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to
 alter or affect the establishment of school speed limits pursuant to the
 provisions  of  section sixteen hundred forty-three of this article. For
 the purposes of this paragraph, "traffic calming  measures"  shall  mean
 any  physical  engineering  measure or measures that reduce the negative
 effects of motor vehicle use, alter driver behavior and  improve  condi-
 tions for non-motorized street users such as pedestrians and bicyclists.
   (b) Any city establishing maximum speed limits below twenty-five miles
 per  hour  pursuant  to  clause  (i) of this subparagraph shall submit a
 report to the governor, the temporary president of the  senate  and  the
 speaker  of  the assembly on or before March first, two thousand fifteen
 and biannually thereafter on the results of using traffic calming  meas-
 ures  and  speed limits lower than twenty-five miles per hour as author-
 ized by this paragraph. This report shall also be made available to  the
 public  by  such city 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 and
   (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.]
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

Co-Sponsors

view additional co-sponsors

S524A (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A4655
Current Committee:: Senate Rules
Law Section:: Vehicle and Traffic Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §1642, V & T L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:: S2422

S524A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to establishing speed limits in cities with populations in excess of one million people by easing restrictions so cities can establish speed limits below twenty five miles per hour.

S524A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

 
BILL NUMBER: S524A

SPONSOR: HOYLMAN
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to establishing
speed limits in cities with populations in excess of one million people

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 of the bill names the act "Sammy's Law."

Section 2 of the bill amends section 1642 of the Vehicle & Traffic Law

("Additional traffic regulations in cities having a population in excess
of one million") by:

- Amending sub-paragraph 26(a) to authorize New York City to set a city-
wide speed limit as low as 20 miles per hour.

- Amending sub-paragraph 26(b) to require New York City to provide writ-
ten notice and an opportunity for public comment before a community

board if the City raises a speed limit by more than 5 miles per hour.
This is an expansion of an existing statutory requirement for notice and
public comment if the City lowers a speed limit by more than 5 miles per
hour.

- Amending paragraph 27, authorizing New York City to set speed limits
on specific streets as low as 5 MPH using traffic calming measures.
Currently, the speed limit can be set as low as 15 MPH using such meas-
ures.

Section 3 of The bill is the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

In 2014, the Legislature passed a law authorizing New York City to
establish a 25 mile per hour speed limit throughout the City, with speed
limits as low as 15 miles per hour in school zones and on streets where
the City has implemented traffic calming measures to reduce the negative
effects of motor vehicle use, alter driver behavior, and/or improve
conditions for non-motorized street users such as pedestrians and bicy-
clists.

The 2014 law, a key component of New York City's Vision Zero initiative,
has helped contribute to a 36% decline in pedestrian deaths at priority
locations throughout the City. (1)

Giving New York City the authority to reduce speed limits to as low as
20 MPH citywide or as low as 5 MPH with the implementation of traffic
calming measures will give the City a flexible tool for making further
progress toward the important goal of Vision Zero.  According to a study
by AAA, an estimated 30% of pedestrians struck by motor vehicles at an
impact speed of 25 mph will sustain serious injury and about 12% will
die. At impact speeds below 15 mph, most pedestrians who are struck
(about 91%) do not sustain serious injuries, and fewer die.(2)

By authorizing citywide speed limits as low as 20 miles per hour, New
York City would join other dense American cities such as Washington, DC
3, Seattle, WA 4, and Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN 5.  This bill is
named in tribute to Sammy Cohen Eckstein, a 12 year-old boy who was
struck and killed by a vehicle in Prospect Park, Brooklyn in October
2013.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

None, new bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
1 https://wwwl.nyc.crov/assets/visionzero/down
Loads/pdf/vision-zero-year-6 - report.pdf
2 https://aaafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/
2018/02/2011PedestrianRiskV sSpeedReport.pdf
3 https://mpdc.dc.gov/page/spe(lIng-laws-fines- and-safety,
4:-:texteSpeeding%20Laws%2011 mph
4 httos://www.seattiorgov/visionzero/rules- of-the-road
:-:text-Our%20Laws& text- in%20Seat-tle%2C%20the%20speedo201imit,
25%20MPH%2C2Ouniess 20otherwis :S2Oposted
5 https://www.visienzero,com/soeedlim

S524A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  524--A
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 6, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  HOYLMAN,  BENJAMIN,  BIAGGI,  GOUNARDES, JACKSON,
   MYRIE, RIVERA, SALAZAR, SEPULVEDA -- read twice and  ordered  printed,
   and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation --
   committee  discharged,  bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and
   recommitted to said committee
 
 AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to establishing
   speed limits in cities with  populations  in  excess  of  one  million
   people
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as "Sammy's law".
   § 2. Paragraphs 26 and 27 of subdivision (a) of section  1642  of  the
 vehicle  and  traffic  law,  paragraph  26  as added and paragraph 27 as
 amended by chapter 248 of the laws of  2014,  are  amended  to  read  as
 follows:
   26.  (a) With respect to highways (which term for the purposes of this
 paragraph shall include private roads open to public motor vehicle traf-
 fic) in such city, 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 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, establish-
 ment of maximum speed limits at which vehicles may proceed  within  such
 city  or  within  designated areas of such city higher or lower than the
 fifty-five miles per hour maximum statutory limit. No such  speed  limit
 applicable  throughout such city or within designated areas of such city
 shall be established at less than [twenty-five] TWENTY miles  per  hour,
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03998-06-1

 S. 524--A                           2
 
 except  that  school  speed  limits  may  be established at no less than
 fifteen miles per hour pursuant to the  provisions  of  section  sixteen
 hundred forty-three of this article.
   (b)  A  city  shall not lower OR RAISE a speed limit by more than five
 miles per hour pursuant to this  paragraph  unless  such  city  provides
 written  notice  and an opportunity to comment to the community board or
 community boards established pursuant to section twenty-eight hundred of
 the New York city charter with jurisdiction over the area in  which  the
 lower  OR HIGHER speed limit shall apply. Such notice may be provided by
 electronic mail and shall be provided sixty days prior to the establish-
 ment of such lower OR HIGHER speed limit.
   27. (a) Establishment of  maximum  speed  limits  below  [twenty-five]
 TWENTY  miles  per  hour at which motor vehicles may proceed on or along
 designated highways within such city for the explicit purpose of  imple-
 menting  traffic  calming  measures  as  such  term  is  defined herein;
 provided, however, that no speed limit shall be set below [fifteen] FIVE
 miles per hour nor shall such speed limit be established where the traf-
 fic calming measure to be  implemented  consists  solely  of  a  traffic
 control sign.  Establishment of such a speed limit shall, where applica-
 ble,  be  in  compliance with the provisions of sections sixteen hundred
 twenty-four and sixteen hundred eighty-four  of  this  [chapter]  TITLE.
 Nothing  contained  herein shall be deemed to alter or affect the estab-
 lishment of school speed limits pursuant to the  provisions  of  section
 sixteen  hundred  forty-three  of this article. For the purposes of this
 paragraph, "traffic calming measures" shall mean any physical  engineer-
 ing  measure or measures that reduce the negative effects of motor vehi-
 cle use, alter driver behavior and improve conditions for  non-motorized
 street users such as pedestrians and bicyclists.
   (b)  Any  city  establishing  maximum speed limits below [twenty-five]
 TWENTY miles per hour pursuant to clause (i) of this subparagraph  shall
 submit  a  report to the governor, the temporary president of the senate
 and the speaker of the assembly on or before March first,  two  thousand
 fifteen  and biannually thereafter on the results of using traffic calm-
 ing measures and speed limits lower than [twenty-five] TWENTY miles  per
 hour  as  authorized  by  this paragraph. This report shall also be made
 available to the public by such city 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 and
   (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.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

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The New York State Senate

senate Bill S524A

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules Committee

Your Voice

Actions

Votes

Feb 1, 2022 - Transportation committee Vote

Transportation Committee Vote: Feb 1, 2022

Jun 10, 2021 - floor Vote

Floor Vote: Jun 10, 2021

Jun 10, 2021 - Rules committee Vote

Rules Committee Vote: Jun 10, 2021

Bill Amendments

Co-Sponsors

S524 - Details

S524 - Summary

S524 - Sponsor Memo

S524 - Bill Text download pdf

Co-Sponsors

S524A (ACTIVE) - Details

S524A (ACTIVE) - Summary

S524A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S524A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

senate Bill S524A

Share this bill

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules Committee

Your Voice

Actions

Votes

Feb 1, 2022 - Transportation committee Vote

Transportation Committee Vote: Feb 1, 2022

Jun 10, 2021 - floor Vote

Floor Vote: Jun 10, 2021

Jun 10, 2021 - Rules committee Vote

Rules Committee Vote: Jun 10, 2021

Bill Amendments

Co-Sponsors

S524 - Details

S524 - Summary

S524 - Sponsor Memo

S524 - Bill Text download pdf

Co-Sponsors

S524A (ACTIVE) - Details

S524A (ACTIVE) - Summary

S524A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S524A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments