Council Reso Calls on Albany to Lower Citywide Speed Limit to 20 MPH

Steve Levin and Ydanis Rodriguez today introduced a resolution calling on Albany to lower the citywide speed limit to 20 miles per hour, as proposed in legislation sponsored by Assembly Member Dan O’Donnell and state Senator Martin Dilan.

"We have seen time and time again the pain inflicted on families as the result of crashes and we as New Yorkers refuse to stand by and let another person be killed in traffic," said Levin via a press release. "By reducing speed limits in New York City we will save lives and achieve the goals of Vision Zero."

"Speed kills, plain and simple," Rodriguez said. "Whether here or in Albany, we as legislators have a responsibility to protect the lives of our constituents."

The reso also calls on the state legislature "to give the City Council the authority to impose different speed limits in the city." While it's great that Levin and Rodriguez have taken up this cause, determining where and whether drivers should be exempted from the citywide speed limit should be left to DOT, and should not be subject to council politics. As demonstrated most recently by Vincent Ignizio, it's a bad idea for council members to get the final say in how streets work.

O'Donnell's bill had picked up about a dozen co-sponsors at this writing, while Dilan's companion bill had three.