- Filed (End of Session)
History
Res. No. 61
Resolution calling upon the New York State Legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign, legislation that would lower New York City's speed limit.
By Council Members Levin, Rodriguez, Chin, Constantinides, Johnson, Levine, Mendez, Rosenthal, Reynoso, Menchaca and Van Bramer
Whereas, New York State law sets 30 miles per hour as the speed limit in New York City unless otherwise posted; and
Whereas, State law only allows the City to lower the speed limit under certain conditions, such as near schools or with accompanying traffic calming measures; and
Whereas, In 2013, 286 people, including 168 pedestrians, were killed in traffic crashes in New York City, according to New York City Police Department (NYPD) data; and
Whereas, In 2013, "unsafe speed" was cited as a contributing factor in over 3,000 collisions that resulted in injuries or fatalities in the City, also according to NYPD data; and
Whereas, Many studies have concluded that the chances of a pedestrian surviving a motor vehicle collision decrease dramatically as the speed of the vehicle increases; and
Whereas, One such study by the United Kingdom Transportation Department determined that while a pedestrian has a 45 percent chance of dying if struck by a vehicle traveling at 30 miles per hour, the chance of death drops to 5 percent if the vehicle is traveling at 20 miles per hour; and
Whereas, Slower speeds also decrease stopping distance, giving drivers a better chance to take action to prevent collisions from occurring in the first place; and
Whereas, Legislation, S.6496 sponsored by Senator Martin Malavé Dilan and A.8478 sponsored by Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell, is pending in the New York State Legislature that seeks to lower the City's speed limit to 20 miles per hour unless otherwise posted and to give the Council the authority to impose different speed limits in the City; and
Whereas, In the interest of pedestrian safety, the City's unposted speed limit should be lowered and the City should be given the authority to determine appropriate speed limits; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the New York State Legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign, legislation that would lower New York City's speed limit.
LS# 491, 529
2/5/2014
JM