S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9270
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 23, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. MAHER -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Transportation
 
 AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law,  in  relation  to  allowing
   non-public schools to apply for school zone speed limits
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Subdivision (a) of section 1620 of the vehicle and  traffic
 law,  as  amended by chapter 563 of the laws of 2002, is amended to read
 as follows:
   (a) The department of transportation with respect  to  state  highways
 maintained  by the state outside of cities having a population in excess
 of one million, and highways on Indian reservations, may by order,  rule
 or  regulation  establish  higher or lower maximum speed limits at which
 vehicles may proceed on or along such highways than the fifty-five miles
 per hour statutory maximum speed limit.  No  such  maximum  speed  limit
 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.  FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SUBDIVISION,
 "SCHOOL"  SHALL  ALSO  INCLUDE  NON-PUBLIC  SCHOOLS.  Absence  of  signs
 installed  pursuant  to  this section shall be presumptive evidence that
 the department of transportation has not established  a  higher  maximum
 speed limit than the fifty-five miles per hour statutory limit.
   §  2. Subdivision 1 of section 1622 of the vehicle and traffic law, as
 amended by chapter 563 of the laws  of  2002,  is  amended  to  read  as
 follows:
   1.  Establish maximum speed limits at which vehicles may proceed on or
 along such highways higher or lower than the fifty-five miles  per  hour
 statutory  maximum  speed  limit.  No such limit 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
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD14334-01-4
 A. 9270                             2
 
 on  the  highway.  FOR  THE PURPOSES OF THIS SUBDIVISION, "SCHOOL" SHALL
 ALSO INCLUDE NON-PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
   §  3. Section 1643 of the vehicle and traffic law, as amended by chap-
 ter 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
 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 Roches-
 ter speed limits may be established at not less than fifteen  miles  per
 hour  for any portion of a highway within a city park.  FOR THE PURPOSES
 OF THIS SECTION, "SCHOOL" SHALL  ALSO  INCLUDE  NON-PUBLIC  SCHOOLS.  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.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.