Editor's note: The story in the video player aired on April 21, 2024.
NEW YORK (PIX11) – The New York City Department of Transportation plans to lower the speed limit in select areas starting later this year.
The recently enacted Sammy's Law gives New York City the authority to reduce speed limits to 20 mph on individual streets and to 10 mph on select streets undergoing safety-related redesigns, according to the DOT.
The DOT plans to reduce speed limits in select areas in New York City starting in September. The department wants to fully implement the speed reductions at 250 locations by the end of 2025, according to the DOT.
The DOT is seeking to lower the speed limit near select schools, Open Streets, Shared Streets and in new Regional Slow Zones created in each borough. Roads with three or more motor vehicle lanes in the same direction outside of Manhattan would be exempt from speed limit reductions.
The DOT plans to create a Regional Slow Zone in each borough, setting the speed limit at 20 mph throughout a set geographic area. The first Regional Slow Zone would be in Lower Manhattan south of Canal Street, according to the DOT.
The DOT also plans to reduce the speed limit to 10 mph on all Shared Streets and Open Streets that have had substantial design upgrades, officials said.
There will be a 60-day public comment period before any speed limit reductions take effect.
“Speeding ruins lives, and reducing vehicle speeds by even a few miles per hour could be the difference between life or death in a traffic crash,” New York City DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said in a statement in June. “The new Regional Slow Zones and other speed limit reductions announced today will save lives and keep people safe."
The New York City DOT plans to reduce the speed limit to 20 mph at the following locations.
The Bronx
- East 139th Street, from Willis Avenue to Alexander Avenue
- Courtlandt Avenue, East 156th Street to East 157th Street
- East 151st Street, Courtlandt Avenue to Morris Avenue
- East 156th Street, Concourse Village W to Morris Avenue
- Gerard Avenue, East 167th Street to East 168th Street
- St Ann’s Ave, East 149th Street to Westchester Avenue
- Tinton Avenue, East 150 Street to East 152nd Street
- Sheridan Avenue, East 171st Street to East 172nd Street
- Walton Avenue, East 179th Street to East 171st Street
- Prospect Avenue, East 175th Street to East Tremont Avenue
- Wallace Avenue, Mace Avenue to Waring Avenue
- East 225th Street, White Plains Road to Barnes Avenue
- East 172nd Street, St. Lawrence Avenue to Beach Avenue
- Netherland Avenue, Kappock Street to West 227th Street
- Reeds Mill Lane, Bivona Street to Steenwick Avenue
Brooklyn
- Seventh Avenue, 43rd Street to 44th Street
- Dean Street, Saratoga Avenue to Thomas Boyland Street
- MacDonough Street, Lewis Avenue, Marcus Garvey Boulevard
- Christopher Avenue, Sutter Avenue to Belmont Avenue
- Ashford Street, Belmont Avenue to Pitkin Avenue
- Prospect Park West, Grand Army Plaza to Bartel Pritchard Square
- East 94th Street, East New York Avenue to Rutland Road
- Fenimore Street, Brooklyn Avenue to New York Avenue
- Ninth Ave, 63rd Street to 64th Street
- 45th Street, Fort Hamilton Parkway to Tenth Avenue
- Lenox Road, East 39th Street to East 40th Street
- East 96th Street, Avenue D to Foster Avenue
- Sackman Street, Belmont Avenue to Sutter Avenue
- Fort Greene Place, Fulton Street to Dekalb Avenue
- Lewis Avenue, Hart Street to Willoughby Avenue
Manhattan
- West 138th Street, Amsterdam Avenue to Broadway
- West 64th Street, West End Avenue and Amsterdam Avenue
- East 120nd Street, Lexington Avenue to Third Ave
- East 128th Street, Lexington Avenue to Third Ave
- Morningside Avenue, West 126nd Street to West 127th Street
- Audubon Avenue, West 165th Street to Fort George Avenue
- East 112th Street, Second Avenue to Third Avenue
- East 120th Street, Second Avenue to Third Avenue
- East 120th Street, Madison Avenue to Park Avenue
- East 128th Street, Madison Avenue to Park Avenue
Queens
- 112th Street, 37th Avenue to 34th Avenue
- 47th Avenue, 108th Street to 111th Street
- 155th Street, 108th Avenue to 109th Avenue
- 167th Street, 108th Road to 109th Avenue
- Union Hall Street, 109th Avenue to 110th Avenue
- 144th Street, 88th Avenue to 88th Road
- 143rd Street, Linden Boulevard to 115th Avenue
- 105th Street, 35th Avenue to 37th Avenue
- 31st Avenue, 60th Street to 61st Street
The New York City DOT plans to reduce the speed limit to 10 mph at the following locations.
The Bronx
- Jennings Street, Bronx from Prospect Avenue to Bristow Street
Brooklyn
- Willoughby Avenue, from Washington Park to Washington Avenue
- Berry Street, from Broadway to North 12th Street
- Underhill Avenue, from Pacific Street to Eastern Parkway
- Sharon Street, from Olive Street to Morgan Avenue
Manhattan
Broadway, from:
- 18th Street to 23rd Street
- 24th Street to 25th Street
- 27th Street to 33rd Street
- 38th Street to 39th Street
- 48th Street to 50th Street
Queens
34th Avenue, from:
- 69th Street to 77th Street
- 78th Street to 93rd Street
- 94th Street to Junction Boulevard
Finn Hoogensen is a digital journalist who has covered local news for more than five years. He has been with PIX11 News since 2022. See more of his work here.