New Investigation Reveals Speeding Epidemic on New York City Streets, New Poll Reveals Super-Majority Support Local Control of New York City Speed Limits
Drivers observed speeding: 94 percent on Staten Island, 73 percent in Queens, 52 percent in the Bronx, 46 percent in Brooklyn, 30 percent in Manhattan
68 percent of voters support lowering speed limit from 25 to 20 mph; 72 percent believe the NYC should have the authority to set its own speed limits, as Sammy’s Law legislation currently pending in Albany would provide
NEW YORK - 70 percent of drivers in New York City were observed exceeding the speed limit and 17 percent of drivers were observed exceeding the speed limit by 10 mph or more, according to speed gunning data recorded by Transportation Alternatives from over 1,600 drivers over April and May 2021 across all five boroughs. This data was published in a new report, Too Fast, Too Furious: New York City’s Speeding Epidemic and the Case For Local Control of Speed Limits.
Transportation Alternatives (TA) and Families for Safe Streets call on the New York State legislature to immediately pass Sammy’s Law (S.524A/A.4655A), sponsored by Senator Brad Hoylman and Assembly Member Richard Gottfried, to give the City of New York local authority over speed limits and save lives. New Emerson College polling, commissioned by Transportation Alternatives, of 525 New York City voters finds super-majority support for the provisions in Sammy’s Law.
“Believe it or not, but Albany has control over the speed limit on New York City streets. Vision Zero is in crisis, yet state law prevents city officials from lowering the speed limit on roads across the five boroughs,” said Marco Conner DiAquoi, Deputy Director of Transportation Alternatives. “We are fighting for Sammy’s Law to give New York City the power to set speeds at safe limits within our dense urban environment. If state legislators do not pass Sammy’s Law this session, the number of New Yorkers killed and injured in preventable traffic crashes will sadly continue to rise. We urge Assembly Transportation Chair Bill Magnarelli of Syracuse and Senate Transportation Chair Tim Kennedy of Buffalo, alongside Speaker Heastie and Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins, to advance Sammy’s Law without further delay.”
Public opinion strongly favors this proposal. A new poll commissioned by Transportation Alternatives and conducted by Emerson College among a representative sample of 525 New York City voters found:
72 percent of New York City voters believe the City should have the authority to set its own speed limits.
68 percent of New York City voters said they “probably” or “definitely” would support seeing the speed limit lowered from 25 to 20 miles per hour on residential streets near their homes.
“Without Sammy’s Law, New York City lacks a critical tool to prevent speeding and save lives,” said Amy Cohen, Co-Founder of Families for Safe Streets and mother of Sammy Cohen Eckstein, a twelve-year-old who was struck and killed by a speeding driver while walking in Brooklyn in 2013. “We need state legislators to pass the Crash Victim Rights and Safety Act so no other New York families face the anguish of burying a child, spouse or parent due in a preventable act of traffic violence.”
This new investigation and polling comes at a point of crisis for Vision Zero. More than 240 people were killed in traffic crashes in New York City in 2020, while speeding rose citywide. The last 12 months have been the deadliest 12 month period since Vision Zero began in 2014. At least 21 people were killed in traffic violence in the past two weeks alone.
Lowering speed limits is proven to save lives. After New York City’s speed limit was lowered from 30 mph to 25 mph, traffic fatalities fell by more than 22 percent and pedestrian fatalities fell by more than 25 percent. In New York City’s Neighborhood Slow Zones, lowering speeds to 20 mph led to a 14 percent reduction in injurious crashes and a 31 percent reduction in injuries for drivers and passengers.
Other cities that have lowered the speed limits found this to be an effective tool to rein in speeding. In Boston, Massachusetts and Portland, Oregon, lowering the speed limit resulted in the most dangerous drivers, those driving over 30 mph, having the biggest reduction in speeds; even those who still drove above the speed limit lowered their speeds. In Boston, the number of drivers over 35mph decreased 29 percent. In Portland, the number of cars driving 30-35mph dropped 26 percent and the number of cars driving over 35mph dropped 47 percent. A one mile per hour reduction in driving speed has also been shown to result in a 17 percent decrease in fatal crashes, and a 10 percent reduction in the average speed resulted in 19 percent fewer injurious crashes, 27 percent fewer severe crashes, and 34 percent fewer fatal crashes.
Report Findings
TA staff and volunteers used speed radar guns at five locations citywide, one per borough, for two to four hours per location, in April and May of 2021, recording the speed of 1,663 drivers.
Citywide, 70 percent of observed drivers exceeded the speed limit. 17 percent of observed drivers exceeded the speed limit by 10 mph or more.
Drivers were recorded travelling at speeds as high as 63 mph. At 63 mph, it would take a driver nearly one and a half city blocks to stop on dry streets and two and a half city blocks to stop in the rain. When pedestrians are struck at speeds greater than 50 mph death is nearly certain.
In Brooklyn on Remsen Avenue at Avenue N, 46 percent of observed drivers exceeded the speed limit.
In the Bronx on 135th Street at Willis Avenue, 52 percent of observed drivers exceeded the speed limit.
In Queens on Skillman Avenue at 32nd Place, 73 percent of observed drivers exceeded the speed limit.
In Manhattan on Ninth Avenue and Tenth Avenue at West 45th Street, 30 percent of observed drivers exceeded the speed limit.
On Staten Island on Slosson Avenue at Martling Avenue, 94 percent of observed drivers exceeded the speed limit.
Locations were chosen using anecdotal reports of speeding as well as crash data, and included a variety of street types found in New York City. Data was collected by multiple staff members and volunteers at each location, including one counting passing vehicles and another recording their speed, for a minimum of two hours at each location.
“Every mile of road with a lower speed limit is a safer mile for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers,” said Senator Brad Hoylman, the Senate sponsor of Sammy’s Law. “Our legislation, Sammy’s Law (S.524/A.4655), included in the Crash Victim Rights & Safety Act, would allow the City to further reduce traffic speed — a proven way to make our streets less dangerous. I stand with Transportation Alternatives and Families for Safe Street in their fight to improve street safety and pass this important package of legislation.”
"Lower speed limits mean safer streets and New York City should have the right to decide what 'safe' means," said Assembly Member Richard Gottfried, Chair of the NYS Assembly Committee on Health and the Assembly sponsor of Sammy's Law. "Passing the Crash Victim Rights & Safety Act package prioritizes the safety of millions of pedestrians over the domination of cars on our streets."
Background on Sammy’s Law, Part of the Crash Victim Rights and Safety Act
Sammy’s Law (S.524A / A.4655A) is named for Sammy Cohen Eckstein, a 12-year-old boy killed by a driver on Prospect Park West in Brooklyn in 2013. After Sammy was killed, his mother, Amy Cohen, co-founded Families for Safe Streets and fought alongside TA to lower New York City’s speed limit from 30 mph to 25 mph. This state legislation was enacted in 2014, and evidence of the lifesaving power of a lower speed limit soon followed. Shortly after New York City’s speed limit was lowered, another child was struck by a driver on the same street where Sammy was killed. That child lived. The difference was a lower speed limit.
Sammy’s Law is part of the Crash Victim Rights and Safety Act, a package of eight lifesaving bills currently before the New York State Legislature. These include:
Speed Cameras 24/7 (#S5602 / #A6681) to allow New York City’s speed safety camera program to operate 24/7
Crash Victim Bill of Rights (Glick) to provide legal rights to crash victims
Vehicle Safety Rating and Labeling (#S4307 / #A575) to create a rating system to assess the risk a vehicle poses to pedestrians
BAC .05 (#S131 / #A7197) to lower the BAC threshold from .08 to .05 to rein in intoxicated driving (#S131)
Dangerous Driving (#S6202 / #A7032) to make it easier to charge reckless drivers who kill with misdemeanors
Safe Passage (#S4529 / #A547) to require drivers keep a three-foot distance when passing cyclists
DMV Pre-Licensing Course (#S1078A / #A5084) to add bicyclist and pedestrian safety education to the DMV driver’s education currIculum
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