New York City will lower speed limits to 15 miles per hour in school zones across the five boroughs, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Monday, marking a major expansion of traffic safety efforts under Sammy’s Law.
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The initiative aims to improve pedestrian safety, particularly for children and families traveling to and from school. City officials plan to reduce speeds at approximately 800 additional school locations this year, bringing the total number of 15 mph school zones to about 1,300 by the end of 2026. The administration ultimately intends to apply the lower speed limit to all 2,300 eligible school locations by the end of Mamdani’s first term.
“Families spoke up after unimaginable loss to fight for Sammy’s Law and deliver our city the power to make our streets safer for New Yorkers. Today’s expansion of Slow Zones for schools across all five boroughs is just the beginning. Lower speeds save lives, and we will use every tool at our disposal to protect our neighbors as they move about our city,” Mamdani stated.
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The announcement builds on Sammy’s Law, enacted in 2024, which granted New York City the authority to set its own speed limits. The law was named after 12-year-old Sammy Cohen Eckstein, who was killed by a speeding driver in Brooklyn in 2013.
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Officials emphasized that speeding remains a leading cause of traffic fatalities. Mamdani noted that police data shows speeding contributes to 25% of all traffic deaths in the city. Transportation authorities also pointed out that a pedestrian struck at 25 mph is more than three times as likely to be seriously injured as one hit at 15 mph. The new 15 mph school slow zones will be in effect 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year round, ensuring continuous protection for students and pedestrians.
The Department of Transportation will prioritize locations based on safety data and will implement changes following a mandatory 60-day public comment period. Existing school zones with 20 mph limits will be reduced further, while new 15 mph zones will also be introduced.
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