ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – The Albany Common Council is set to vote on an amendment to an ordinance, Monday night, that would lower speed limits from 30 MPH to 25 MPH. Not all streets would be impacted, some would be exempt under the proposed changes.
Central Avenue to Everett Road would drop from 30 mph to 25mp if the council votes to amend that ordinance. However, it would stay 30 MPH on Central Avenue between Everett Road and the city line.
Other exempted areas – that would stay at 30 MPH – would include Old State Road, Washington Avenue (from the intersection of Exit 2 of Interstate 90 to Jermain Street), Everett Road, South Pearl Street (from the intersection of the city line to Binghamton Street), the Port of Albany, South Port Road, Normanskill Street, Smith Boulevard, Church Street (from the intersection of Broadway south), Dunnam Drive, Raft Street, and Boat Street.
According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling 25 MPH has a 25 percent risk of sustaining a serious or fatal injury and that risk increases to 50 percent at 33 MPH.
Patricia Sawyer said her son Roger was hit by an unlicensed driver traveling at a high-speeds.
“They couldn’t really calculate what he was going. They went by the cameras up here. They say anywhere from like 70 MPH and dropped down to 60 something MPH when he hit him,” said Sawyer.
The speed limit on the portion of Washington Ave Extension, where Roger was killed, is 45 MPH. She’s disappointed that the speed limit is not being lowered there but said Monday night’s vote is a good first step in the right direction.
“We need a lot of these streets to slow down. Leave the high speeds on the highway and the thruway,” said Sawyer. “It is unbearable, but I have my grandchildren that helped me a lot. And my sons too, but my grandchildren keep me going.”
Jackie Gonzales is a project manager at Capital Streets, a grassroots organization that wants to make the Capital Region safer, more walkable and bike friendly. She described why the group has advocated for lower speed limits.
“It’s a serious problem in the city and it’s one we have the tools to address. Lowering the speed limit is one part of it. By lowering the speed limit we can design streets to be safer,” said Gonzales.
Capital Streets is one of a handful of non-profit organizations that has pushed for lower speed limits.
“Reducing the number of lanes is actually very possible in our city streets. On Madison Avenue that happened several years ago, went from two lanes each way to one each way. That allows pedestrians to get across the street safer. Allows room for bike lanes and slows down traffic,” said Gonzales.
She said they’re also calling for other “traffic calming measures,” like tree-lined medians that function as a “pedestrian refuge” where people can safely wait to cross.
Council Member Deborah Zamer introduced the changes that will be voted on Monday night.
