S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9775
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               April 9, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. SHRESTHA -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Transportation
 
 AN  ACT  to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to area speed
   limits
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Short  title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
 the "area speed limits act".
   § 2. Section 1643 of the vehicle and traffic law, as amended by  chap-
 ter 496 of the laws of 2022, is amended to read as follows:
   §  1643. Speed limits on highways in cities and villages. The legisla-
 tive body of any city or village with respect to  highways  (which  term
 for  the  purposes  of  this section shall include private roads open to
 public motor vehicle traffic) in such city or village, other than  state
 highways  maintained by the state on which the department of transporta-
 tion shall have established higher or lower speed limits than the statu-
 tory 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 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 vehi-
 cles may proceed within such city or village, within designated areas of
 such city 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 or
 village or within designated areas of such  city  or  village  shall  be
 established  at less than twenty-five miles per hour; except that in the
 city of Long Beach, in the county of Nassau, speed limits may be  estab-
 lished  at  not  less  than fifteen miles per hour on any portion of the
 following highways in such city: Cleveland avenue, Harding avenue, Mitc-
 hell avenue, Belmont avenue, Atlantic avenue,  Coolidge  avenue,  Wilson
 avenue  and  Taft  avenue.  No  such  speed limit applicable on or along
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD15114-02-4
 A. 9775                             2
 
 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  Roches-
 ter  speed  limits may be established at not less than fifteen miles per
 hour for any portion of a highway within a city park.   No speed  limits
 shall  be  established pursuant to the provisions of this section except
 in accordance with the engineering considerations and factors for  speed
 limits set forth in EITHER:
   A.  THE STANDARDS AND METHODS DESCRIBED BY THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF
 CITY TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS (NACTO), SUCH AS  A  PUBLISHED  GUIDE  FOR
 EVALUATING SPEED LIMITS; OR
   B.  the  manual  and  specifications  for  a uniform system of traffic
 control devices maintained by the commissioner of transportation  pursu-
 ant  to section sixteen hundred eighty of this title, as such manual and
 specifications may be amended from time to time, certified by a licensed
 professional engineer who specializes in traffic operations.
   § 3. Section 1662-a of the vehicle and  traffic  law,  as  amended  by
 chapter 496 of the laws of 2022, is amended to read as follows:
   §  1662-a. Speed limits in certain towns. The town board of any subur-
 ban town governed pursuant to article three-A of the town  law  and  the
 town  board  of any other town having a population exceeding fifty thou-
 sand, with respect to highways (which term  for  the  purposes  of  this
 section  shall  include private roads open to public motor vehicle traf-
 fic) in such towns outside any village, other than state highways  main-
 tained 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 towns 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  regu-
 lation  establish  maximum  speed  limits  at which vehicles may proceed
 within such towns, within designated areas of such towns or on or  along
 designated  highways  within  such towns lower than the fifty-five miles
 per hour  maximum  statutory  limit.  No  such  speed  limit  applicable
 throughout  such towns or within designated areas of such towns shall be
 established at less than twenty-five miles per hour, except that in  the
 town  of  Hempstead  speed  limits  may  be established at not less than
 fifteen miles per hour on any portion of  a  highway  in  the  community
 known  as Point Lookout and on all or any portion of the following high-
 ways in the community known as Lido  Beach:  Ocean  Boulevard,  Allevard
 Street, Bath Street, Buxton Street, Cheltenham Street, Pinehurst Street,
 Harrogate  Street,  Matlock  Street,  Nantwick  Street, Biarritz Street,
 Royat Street, Luchon Street, Woodhail Street, Leamington Street, Sarato-
 ga Street, Kensington Street, and Prescott  Street;  provided,  however,
 that no such speed limit in such town may be established unless a major-
 ity  of  the  residents  of each such community file a petition with the
 town board of such town requesting such speed limit. No such speed limit
 applicable on or along designated highways within such  towns  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. 9775                             3
 
 a  highway passing a school building, entrance or exit of a school abut-
 ting on the highway, and except further that in the  town  of  Hempstead
 speed  limits may be established at not less than fifteen miles per hour
 on  any  portion  of a highway in the communities known as Point Lookout
 and Lido Beach; provided, however, that no such speed limit in such town
 may be established unless a majority  of  the  residents  of  each  such
 community  file  a  petition with the town board of such town requesting
 such speed limit. No speed limits shall be established pursuant  to  the
 provisions  of  this  section  except in accordance with the engineering
 considerations and factors for speed limits set forth in EITHER:
   A. THE STANDARDS AND METHODS DESCRIBED BY THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION  OF
 CITY  TRANSPORTATION  OFFICIALS  (NACTO),  SUCH AS A PUBLISHED GUIDE FOR
 EVALUATING SPEED LIMITS; OR
   B. the manual and specifications  for  a  uniform  system  of  traffic
 control  devices maintained by the commissioner of transportation pursu-
 ant to section sixteen hundred eighty of this title, as such manual  and
 specifications may be amended from time to time, certified by a licensed
 professional engineer who specializes in traffic operations.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.