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City to reduce speed limit for Downtown
Photo by Albert Lee
The city is planning to reduce speed limits to 20 mph in some areas of the city, called “Regional Slow Zones,” and Lower Manhattan south of Canal will be the first implemented, taking effect by the end of this year or early next year. DOT will begin publicly notifying community boards on its proposals this summer.
The plan is a result of Sammy’s Law, state legislation was named for Sammy Cohen Eckstein, a 12-year-old boy who died in 2013 after he was hit by a driver in Park Slope. The law allows New York City to lower its speed limit to 20 mph with posted signage, except on roads with three or more travel lanes in the same direction outside of Manhattan. For all speed limit reductions, the city must provide notice 60 days in advance and comment opportunity to the local community board.
Beginning in September, DOT will also begin reducing speed limits in 250 other locations, with a focus on priority locations such as schools. The agency will also reduce the speed limit to 10 mph on all existing and future Shared Streets and on Open Streets that have had substantial design upgrades. In Manhattan, those are on Broadway between 18th and 50th streets.
See all the proposed locations here.
26 Comments
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I’m 100% on board for the goal of safer streets, but let’s be real: updated signage without either (1) enforcement or (2) appropriate infrastructure accomplishes close to zero in an urban environment like NYC.
The primary pedestrian safety concerns related to automobiles for those of us that live, work and play in lower Manhattan are straightforward: cars that turn too quickly (and without stopping) at intersections, cars that run red lighte, and cars that block crosswalks.
There are simple solutions to dealing with all of thee issues, including the installation of bulbouts, speed bumps, red light cameras, daylighting of crosswalks, and meaningful police enforcement. Given that NYPD is engaging in all of these risky driver behaviors on a regular basis themselves, I’m not holding my breath.
Exactly! being that the NYPD personnel is the first to break all of those laws… what’s the point if its not enforced? we cant even enforce parking rules, and the cars are parked there all day…
Well said. Where is the enforcement? Crossing streets feels like a life-or-death game of Frogger these days.
‘Reade on Reade’ is 100% right. There is zero enforcement and those who are paid to enforce the rules are oftentimes the biggest offenders. Signs, rules etc are useless if not enforced. You can stand outside anywhere in Tribeca and within 5 minutes catch at least one speeding car, another with covered or missing license plate, a wrongfully parked (usually with some nonsense placard), a truck driving through where they’re not allowed (Laight St anyone?), a car or motorbike making insane noise, an idling car etc. etc. Traffic law enforcement is practically non-existent save for parking (for those who don’t have placards).
Great comments from Reader on Reade.
Why is everything slated for downtown or below Canal — congestion pricing, removing car lanes on the Westside Highway, lowering speed limits, etc. Don’t we have any representation when these regulations are being proposed? Do these problems not exist in the rest of the city?
So you’re upset that speed restrictions to make things safer for pedestrians and cyclists are coming to Lower Manhattan / Tribeca before other parts of the city? We need better representation so cars can continue to speed???
As someone picking the screen name of TribecaMom let me be the first to say that you seem terrible at it
The personal attack is rude and unnecessary.
Well Wilbur, did you read the entire comment? Did I mention anything about being against anything? You seem a little angry. Maybe step away from the computer.
Why no enforcement against distracted driving?
Per Forbes: “The Main Cause of Car Accidents in NYC in 2022 Was Distracted Driving…New York has strict laws aimed at reducing distracted driving crashes. Drivers are prohibited from using any handheld electronic devices, including phones, while operating a motor vehicle.”
Yet a huge percentage of drivers are quite flagrantly and obviously on their devices while driving. I have NEVER seen a driver stopped or given a ticket for this reckless behaviour.
And yet people on Citibike or racing bike or delivery bike get to do what they want when they want – and endanger pedestrians.
Bicyclists get to ignore traffic rules, go through red lights, go the wrong way, ignore bike lanes.
Ebikes definitely able to go faster than 10 MPH
Yes, I have e-bike (especially delivery) close calls practically every week but rarely with a car even though I’m extra careful to always look both ways multiple times when crossing a street with the traffic light, especially one with designated bike lane.
Definitely this is a serious enforcement and safety issue as well. I don’t get it. Why no ticketing of these reckless riders?
(Hilarious – my security puzzle was “Select all images with bicycles”)
You can punch someone in the face in this city without any consequences. You really think the police will start cracking down on e-bike and traffic violations???
I’m with Wilbur.
TribecaMom: You don’t have to like congestion pricing, but is it too much to ask that you be at least somewhat informed as to why it was proposed for the southern half of Manhattan — we have the best transit, the most congested streets, and the wealthiest drivers (which ensures that congestion tolls paid by those who wish to continue driving can finance big, game-changing public transit infrastructure)?
The reality underlying congestion pricing — that drivers cost each other (and themselves) immense time-loss and stress by getting in each other’s way — does indeed apply to all of NYC; but most of all in lower Manhattan. Proof of concept here could have led later on to softer forms of CP in other parts of the city, benefiting them.
It’s a shame that potshots like your comment created a negative climate of opinion that may have led Gov Hochul to believe she could cancel the program and win political points.
Does nothing to change my mind. Thrilled that congestion pricing went bust.
Do we think the “Lower Manhattan south of Canal” slow zone will include West Street? Crossing that street always terrifies me.
Good question. I will ask.
Why are you terrified crossing West Street or concerned about the speed limit? Whenever I cross West Street all of the traffic is at a complete stop. Are you trying to dash across West Street without waiting for the lights to turn red? If so, you are the problem, not the speed limit.
If it’s an issue of not being able to get across in time and it’s not too far out of your way, when going west, cross West St on the north side of Warren St. It has an extra long light because of PS/IS 89 and you don’t have to worry about turning traffic if you start as the crosswalk person lights up. Going east, cross on the south side of West and Chambers. Although the crossing light may turn to the red hand, as long as you’re past the median when that happens you have plenty of time because the northbound traffic is held to allow the southbound traffic turning onto Chambers a turn.
The speed of cars is an issue though often traffic is such that cars hardly move—and they almost always obey traffic laws. The e-bikes and Citibikes ridden at breakneck speed on sidewalks, the wrong way, and through red lights is a bigger danger. Why is the City deflecting attention to cars alone?
On Hudson Street from Reade Street to Canal Streets from 3pm to 9pm the traffic moves at about 2 miles per hour so that should not be an issue at that time. Dangerous gridlock for pedestrians crossing and noise pollution for several hours daily.
There’s plenty of problems with traffic patterns during the evening rush hour near the Holland Tunnel. However, Hudson Street and Canal Street are pedestrian paradises and incredibly safe from 3pm until 7pm on weekdays. You can cross the streets absolutely anywhere (midblock, against a red light) because the cars aren’t moving at all.
Truly. Why oh why aren’t anti-honking laws enforced? The tickets alone could make a fortune and pay for the 2nd Avenue Subway and moving MSG for that matter.
Oh my- can we dial down the temperature?
we all have opinions and convictions( yeah!) but we don’t need to snipe at each other.
i have expressed my concern about congestion pricing- not bc i don’t think it is needed, but bc i think the brushstrokes were too broad. i think i even expressed my opinion on this site that IMHO( as someone who has to make deliveries to the CBD) the vehicles most responsible for the congestion are the VFH(vehicles for hire). an article this past Sunday NYTimes seems to support my opinion.
so can congestions pricing do a reset and change/charge those vehicles actually responsible for the congestion and then perhaps lowering the fee for all others? not sure how that would work but i am sure it can be sorted out
Some areas here are ripe for speed reduction. However, the block on Park Place from Church Street to Broadway seems to need a speed boost!
Last night (July 31), it took 35 minutes (not a typo) for my bus to travel this one block. There appears to be some gargantuan bottleneck on Broadway at that intersection that prevents traffic from Park Place to turn and merge. This is not the first long delay at that location.
I’m sure that residents and guests of the Four Seasons, and the Woolworth tower, do not want all of these delayed vehicles spewing pollutants, and making it difficult to cross at either Church Street or Broadway.
I understand the safety value of slower speed limits in some areas. I am just pointing out that there is a lot of work that needs to be done to address all of Tribeca’s traffic problems.
Anyone out there able to help with this problem?