Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan gathered with elected officials Monday to sign a lower citywide speed limit into law.
"It is not often that I hold a press conference when I'm signing legislation, but this has been a very long time in coming," said Sheehan, who signed two pieces of legislation that will take Albany's speed limit down to 25 from 30 miles an hour.
“In November of 2014, we reduced, New York City reduced, its citywide speed limit from 30 miles an hour to 25 miles an hour, and a 2019 study by the City University of New York observed a 38.7%, nearly 40% decline, in casualties," Sheehan said, "And a nearly 36% reduction in crashes on New York City streets where the speed limit was reduced from 30 to 25. And so I want to really emphasize that we made this decision based on data, based on looking at what is working in other places and what we were hearing from our residents.”
The measure was sponsored by 14th ward Common Councilor Deb Zamer.
“It's not a one shot solution, but it is a necessary tool in our toolbox to improve safety for our residents. Urban centers across the region and the country are lowering speed limits. That's because the evidence is overwhelming that when accidents occur at slower speeds, more people survive. It's really that simple. Lowering speed limits also allows road and traffic engineers to reimagine street designs that improve safety for all modes of transportation and makes our city a more welcoming and walkable place for everyone,” Zamer said.
Police Chief Eric Hawkins says enforcement will be key to the new speed limit's success.
“We've talked with our traffic safety unit about this, and we want to start off like we do, with a lot of new traffic related laws, you know, with education and enforcement combined, and so with the new law, if at the very outset, for a brief period of time, it may be a month or two, or maybe even three months, if our traffic safety officers stop a vehicle that's going five miles per hour over, if they've gone 30 miles an hour in a posted 25 zone, then those officers have some discretion as to whether or not they want to issue a violation or what we're kind of encouraging it, at the very outset, if it's not an egregious type of maneuver or violation on the part of the driver, to educate our drivers on what it is, and why we're doing it, and the fact that it exists, because a lot of people may not know. Obviously, if we have someone who's caught speeding and they're going 10 or 15 or 20 miles per hour over then that's in all likelihood, going to be a violation that will be issued,” said Hawkins.
Sheehan, a third-term Democrat, noted that since she became mayor, Albany has invested more than $100 million dollars in traffic safety improvements, including major traffic calming initiatives, installing red light cameras and improving bicycle infrastructure.
The city will conduct a public awareness campaign through the end of the year. The new law goes into effect on January 1st.
