New York City Mayor Mamdani announced on the 16th that the Department of Transportation will reduce the speed limit on all qualifying school roads to 15 miles per hour under the “Sammy’s Law” to reduce traffic accidents and injuries, and enhance the safety of children going to school. This year’s measures include lowering the speed limit from 20 miles per hour to 15 miles per hour in slow zones around approximately 700 schools, and establishing new slow zones in about 100 locations where the current limit is 25 miles per hour.
Mayor Mamdani held a press conference at Flushing International High School to announce the policy. The school shares its premises with J.H.S. 189 middle school, and the Department of Transportation has already installed new 15 miles per hour speed limit signs on 147th Street between Barclay Avenue and Sanford Avenue.
According to the Department of Transportation’s plan, over 800 school locations will be slowed down this year, bringing the total number of school slow zones with a 15 miles per hour speed limit to around 1,300 by the end of this year. The implementation locations will be prioritized based on traffic safety data and street improvement plans.
During Mayor Mamdani’s tenure, the Department of Transportation aims to designate about 2,300 qualifying school locations across the city’s five boroughs as 15 miles per hour slow zones. These locations encompass around 3,200 schools, some of which share campuses.
Transportation Commissioner Flynn pointed out that even a slight reduction in speed could mean the difference between life and death in accidents, stating, “Research shows that the chances of serious injury to pedestrians hit at 25 miles per hour are more than three times higher than at 15 miles per hour.”
“Sammy’s Law,” named after 12-year-old Sammy Cohen Eckstein who was killed by a vehicle in Brooklyn in 2013, was passed by the state legislature in 2024. It authorizes New York City to set lower speed limits on certain roads, expanding the local government’s authority over traffic safety management.
Since the enactment of “Sammy’s Law,” New York City has only reduced speed limits in approximately 100 locations, including one slow zone in each administrative district. This announcement is seen as the city government’s first large-scale push for related measures.
In addition to reducing speed limits, the Department of Transportation will also promote street safety projects around some schools, such as installing speed bumps, improving intersection designs, and adding pedestrian safety facilities to naturally slow down vehicle speeds through street design. Before implementing the new speed limits in each school zone, a 60-day notice and consultation with the local community board will be required.
When asked by reporters, Mayor Mamdani stated that his long-term goal is to reduce the overall speed limit on New York City roads to 20 miles per hour. However, to make comprehensive adjustments to speed limits citywide, changes to the city’s administrative regulations would be needed, requiring legislation passed by the city council.
The city government indicated that in the coming months, they will continue to evaluate whether to implement more speed reduction measures in other areas to align with New York City’s “Vision Zero” traffic safety policy, aiming for zero traffic-related fatalities.