S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1272
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 13, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. PAULIN -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Transportation
 
 AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to speed limits
   for any portion of a highway within a city, village or town park
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 1643 of the vehicle and traffic law, as amended  by
 chapter 496 of the laws of 2022, is amended to read as follows:
   §  1643. Speed limits on highways in cities and villages. The legisla-
 tive body of any city or village with respect to  highways  (which  term
 for  the  purposes  of  this section shall include private roads open to
 public motor vehicle traffic) in such city or village, other than  state
 highways  maintained by the state on which the department of transporta-
 tion shall have established higher or lower speed limits than the statu-
 tory fifty-five miles per  hour  speed  limit  as  provided  in  section
 sixteen  hundred  twenty  of  this  title, or on which the department of
 transportation shall have designated that such city or village shall not
 establish any maximum speed limit as provided in section sixteen hundred
 twenty-four of this title, subject to the limitations imposed by section
 sixteen hundred eighty-four of this title may by local  law,  ordinance,
 order,  rule or regulation establish maximum speed limits at which vehi-
 cles may proceed within such city or village, within designated areas of
 such city or village or on or along designated highways within such city
 or village higher or lower than the fifty-five miles  per  hour  maximum
 statutory  limit. No such speed limit applicable throughout such city or
 village or within designated areas of such  city  or  village  shall  be
 established  at less than twenty-five miles per hour; except that in the
 city of Long Beach, in the county of Nassau, speed limits may be  estab-
 lished  at  not  less  than fifteen miles per hour on any portion of the
 following highways in such city: Cleveland avenue, Harding avenue, Mitc-
 hell avenue, Belmont avenue, Atlantic avenue,  Coolidge  avenue,  Wilson
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD01780-01-3
              

 A. 1272                             2
 
 avenue  and  Taft  avenue.  No  such  speed limit applicable on or along
 designated highways within such city or village shall be established  at
 less  than  twenty-five  miles per hour, except that school speed limits
 may  be  established  at  not  less  than  fifteen miles per hour, for a
 distance not to exceed one thousand three  hundred  twenty  feet,  on  a
 highway passing a school building, entrance or exit of a school abutting
 on  the  highway  [and],  except  that  within the cities of Buffalo and
 Rochester speed limits may be established at not less than fifteen miles
 per hour for any portion of a highway within a  city  park,  AND  EXCEPT
 THAT A SPEED LIMIT MAY BE ESTABLISHED AT NOT LESS THAN FIFTEEN MILES PER
 HOUR  FOR  ANY  PORTION  OF  A HIGHWAY WITHIN A CITY OR VILLAGE PARK. No
 speed limits shall be established pursuant to  the  provisions  of  this
 section  except  in  accordance  with the engineering considerations and
 factors for speed limits set forth in the manual and specifications  for
 a  uniform  system  of traffic control devices maintained by the commis-
 sioner of transportation pursuant to section sixteen hundred  eighty  of
 this  title,  as such manual and specifications may be amended from time
 to time, certified by a licensed professional engineer  who  specializes
 in traffic operations.
   §  2.  Section  1662-a  of  the vehicle and traffic law, as amended by
 chapter 496 of the laws of 2022, is amended to read as follows:
   § 1662-a. Speed limits in certain towns. The town board of any  subur-
 ban  town  governed  pursuant to article three-A of the town law and the
 town board of any other town having a population exceeding  fifty  thou-
 sand,  with  respect  to  highways  (which term for the purposes of this
 section shall include private roads open to public motor  vehicle  traf-
 fic)  in such towns outside any village, other than state highways main-
 tained by the state on which the department of transportation shall have
 established higher or lower speed limits than the  statutory  fifty-five
 miles per hour speed limit as provided in section sixteen hundred twenty
 of  this  title, or on which the department of transportation shall have
 designated that such towns shall not establish any maximum  speed  limit
 as  provided  in  section  sixteen  hundred  twenty-four  of this title,
 subject to the limitations imposed by section  sixteen  hundred  eighty-
 four  of  this  title  may by local law, ordinance, order, rule or regu-
 lation establish maximum speed limits  at  which  vehicles  may  proceed
 within  such towns, within designated areas of such towns or on or along
 designated highways within such towns lower than  the  fifty-five  miles
 per  hour  maximum  statutory  limit.  No  such  speed  limit applicable
 throughout such towns or within designated areas of such towns shall  be
 established  at less than twenty-five miles per hour, except that in the
 town of Hempstead speed limits may  be  established  at  not  less  than
 fifteen  miles  per  hour  on  any portion of a highway in the community
 known as Point Lookout and on all or any portion of the following  high-
 ways  in  the  community  known as Lido Beach: Ocean Boulevard, Allevard
 Street, Bath Street, Buxton Street, Cheltenham Street, Pinehurst Street,
 Harrogate Street, Matlock  Street,  Nantwick  Street,  Biarritz  Street,
 Royat Street, Luchon Street, Woodhail Street, Leamington Street, Sarato-
 ga  Street,  Kensington  Street, and Prescott Street; provided, however,
 that no such speed limit in such town may be established unless a major-
 ity of the residents of each such community file  a  petition  with  the
 town board of such town requesting such speed limit. No such speed limit
 applicable  on  or  along designated highways within such towns shall be
 established at less than twenty-five miles per hour, except that  school
 speed limits may be established at not less than fifteen miles per hour,
 for  a distance not to exceed one thousand three hundred twenty feet, on
 A. 1272                             3
 
 a highway passing a school building, entrance or exit of a school  abut-
 ting on the highway, EXCEPT THAT A SPEED LIMIT MAY BE ESTABLISHED AT NOT
 LESS  THAN  FIFTEEN  MILES PER HOUR ON ANY PORTION OF A HIGHWAY WITHIN A
 TOWN PARK, and except further that in the town of Hempstead speed limits
 may  be  established  at  not  less  than  fifteen miles per hour on any
 portion of a highway in the communities known as Point Lookout and  Lido
 Beach;  provided,  however, that no such speed limit in such town may be
 established unless a majority of the residents of  each  such  community
 file  a  petition with the town board of such town requesting such speed
 limit. No speed limits shall be established pursuant to  the  provisions
 of this section except in accordance with the engineering considerations
 and  factors for speed limits set forth in the manual and specifications
 for a uniform system  of  traffic  control  devices  maintained  by  the
 commissioner  of  transportation  pursuant  to  section  sixteen hundred
 eighty of this title, as such manual and specifications may  be  amended
 from  time  to  time,  certified by a licensed professional engineer who
 specializes in traffic operations.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.