Transportation
New York Fights to Set Its Own Speed Limits
Right now, the city can't reduce speeds on pedestrian-heavy roads. But advocates are hoping to change that.
One of the strangest quirks of New York law is that city officials can't actually regulate speed on the city's streets. The right to set the speed limit rests almost entirely in Albany with the state legislature, a stubborn reality that has long blocked efforts to slow traffic on pedestrian-filled thoroughfares.
Now, advocates and elected officials are mounting a serious push to change that. New bills introduced in the state Assembly and Senate would give the New York City Council the power to reduce the speed limit by 10 mph on residential streets.