Drivers fume over 'war against commuters' as speed limit lowered to 20mph days after new $15 to travel over same streets | 2YJY87S | 2024-04-23 12:08:01
NEW York drivers have railed against a potential new law allowing the city to change the speed limit from 25mph to 20mph without having to go through state officials.
It comes on the heels of a new congestion charge that could see some New Yorkers paying as much as $15 to drive over certain streets in the city.
City officials are working to pass "Sammy's Law" to protect more pedestrians hit by cars.
The law is named after Sammy Cohen Eckstein, a 12-year-old boy who was killed in New York City's Brooklyn after he was struck by a vehicle traveling over the speed limit.
"He was killed in front of our apartment building. We have a crisis on our roads," Sammy's mother, Amy Cohen, told CW affiliate WPIX.
"Nearly every single day in New York City, someone like my son is killed."
The measure would allow the city to lower the speed limit from 25mph to 20mph as needed without approval from state authorities in Albany.
Arguments for the law reference a study published in 2011 by AAA that analyzed the probability of death at a certain speed.
At 25 mph, the likelihood of death from a collision is 12 percent, while 30 percent is more likely to be seriously injured.
The law states that lower speed limits would bring that percentage down considerably.
Families for Safe Streets, co-founded by Sammy's mother, reported that car crashes as a result of drivers traveling over the speed limit have killed over 100 children under 17.
Despite the data showing the increased safety for pedestrians, the law has angered some New Yorkers.
<!-- End of Brightcove Player --> "When will the war against commuters end?" a driver asked on X.
"The e-bikes will be going faster."
"How can we make NYC more miserable? Lower the speed limit to 20 mph!" one X user wrote.
"Resign Governor Kathy Hochul," another user wrote.
"Your lowering of the speed limit to 20 mph from 25 mph is a money grab with the use of speed cameras."
Councilwoman Viki Paladino chimed in to reinforce the idea of the city's fear of lost revenue from speed cameras.
"They claim it's for safety, but the reality is that speed camera revenue was down so they're ratcheting down the speed limits again to increase tickets," she wrote.
The law was due to be passed last year but the Senate closed without voting on it.
"It was unconscionable that they adjourned without passing the bill," Cohen told FOX affiliate WNYW.
<!--googleoff: all--> <blockquote class="article__quote"> </blockquote> <!--googleon: all--> For this year, New York City's Governor, Kathy Hochul, said there's a budget set aside for a refreshed version of the same law.
Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal, a sponsor of the bill, is confident that the law will pass quickly.
A post to her official X, formerly Twitter, reads that she's "proud" to help pass the bill.
"Saving lives is what #SammysLaw is all about," she wrote.
"As the Assembly sponsor, I am proud that the NY State budget of 2024 enshrines his legacy and that of countless others killed in car crashes by creating safer streets citywide."
If the law passes, the Big Apple follows examples set by Washington D.C., Seattle, Washington, Minneapolis, and St. Paul Minnesota.
More >> https://ift.tt/ZxjsEOQ Source: MAG NEWS
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