In a major expansion of street safety measures, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced today (March 16, 2026) that the city is lowering the speed limit to 15 mph in hundreds of school zones.
This move utilizes the authority granted by Sammy’s Law, which was passed in 2024 to give NYC the power to set its own speed limits.
Key Details of the Plan
The goal is to protect students and families during peak school hours by reducing the risk of severe injury, as DOT data shows a pedestrian is three times more likely to be seriously injured if hit at 25 mph compared to 15 mph.
* Timeline for 2026: By the end of this year, the city will implement 15 mph limits at 800 additional locations. This brings the citywide total to roughly 1,300 school locations.
* The Breakdown:
* 700 locations currently at 20 mph will be lowered to 15 mph.
* 100 locations currently at 25 mph will be lowered to 15 mph.
* Long-term Goal: The administration plans to extend these 15 mph School Slow Zones to all 2,300 eligible school locations (covering about 3,200 public, private, and charter schools) by the end of 2029.
* Physical Upgrades: In addition to new signage, the NYC DOT will prioritize high-risk areas for "traffic-calming" measures like speed bumps and redesigned intersections.
Why "Sammy’s Law"?
The law is named after Sammy Cohen Eckstein, a 12-year-old who was tragically killed by a driver in Brooklyn in 2013. His family and advocates from Families for Safe Streets spent years lobbying for the city to have the legal right to lower speed limits below the previous state-mandated 25 mph minimum.
What to Expect Next
Before the new limits take effect, the DOT must provide a 60-day notice and comment period to the local community board for each affected area. You can expect to see new signage and potentially new speed humps popping up in these zones over the coming months.
Would you like me to check if a specific school or neighborhood in your area is on the priority list for these new 15 mph zones?
Posts
0 Comments