S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
561
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
(PREFILED)
January 8, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. PAULIN -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to speed limits
for any portion of a highway within a city, village or town park
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 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-
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02067-01-5
A. 561 2
hell avenue, Belmont avenue, Atlantic avenue, Coolidge avenue, Wilson
avenue 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, AND EXCEPT
THAT A SPEED LIMIT MAY BE ESTABLISHED AT NOT LESS THAN FIFTEEN MILES PER
HOUR FOR ANY PORTION OF A HIGHWAY WITHIN A CITY OR VILLAGE 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 the manual and specifications for
a uniform system of traffic control devices maintained by the commis-
sioner of transportation pursuant 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.
§ 2. 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,
A. 561 3
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 abut-
ting on the highway, EXCEPT THAT A SPEED LIMIT MAY BE ESTABLISHED AT NOT
LESS THAN FIFTEEN MILES PER HOUR ON ANY PORTION OF A HIGHWAY WITHIN A
TOWN PARK, 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 the manual and specifications
for a uniform system of traffic control devices maintained by the
commissioner of transportation pursuant 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. This act shall take effect immediately.