§ 1642. Additional traffic regulations in cities having a population
in excess of one million. (a) In addition to the other powers granted by
this article, the legislative body of any city having a population in
excess of one million, may by local law, ordinance, order, rule,
regulation or health code provision prohibit, restrict or regulate
traffic on or pedestrian use of any highway (which term, for the
purposes of this section, shall include any private road open to public
motor vehicle traffic) in such city. The provisions of section sixteen
hundred shall be applicable to such local laws, ordinances, orders,
rules, regulations, and health code provisions, provided, however, that
such local laws, ordinances, orders, rules, regulations and health code
provisions shall supersede the provisions of this chapter where
inconsistent or in conflict with respect to the following enumerated
subjects:

1. Weights and dimensions of vehicles.

2. Parking, standing, stopping and backing of vehicles.

3. The prohibition or regulation of the use of any highway by
particular vehicles or classes or types thereof or devices moved by
human power.

4. Charging of tolls, taxes, fees, licenses or permits for the use of
the highway or any of its parts, where the imposition thereof is
authorized by law.

5. Establishment of minimum speed limits at which vehicles may proceed
on or along such highways.

6. Operation of authorized emergency vehicles.

7. Control of persons and equipment engaged in work on the highway.

8. Hitchhiking and commercial activities.

9. Use of medial strips and dividing malls or sections and use of
shoulders of the highway.

10. Right of way of vehicles and pedestrians.

11. Use of the highway by pedestrians, equestrians and animals.

12. Turning of vehicles.

13. Regulation of the direction of the movement of traffic and the use
of traffic lanes.

14. Regulation of the use of horns, lights and other required
equipment of vehicles.

15. Towing and pushing of vehicles, including, but not limited to, the
establishment of minimum insurance levels for and the licensing and
regulation of persons engaged in the business of towing, and the fixing
of maximum charges to be made by such persons for the towing and storage
of disabled vehicles.

16. Objects projecting or hanging outside or on the top of vehicles.

17. Entering and driving off the highway, its roadways, medial strips,
dividing malls and shoulders.

18. The prohibition or regulation of speed contests, races,
exhibitions of speed, processions or parades.

19. Littering the highway.

20. Vehicles illegally parked, stopped or standing, or vehicles
involved in accidents, including, but not limited to, the removal and
storage of such vehicles, the fixing of reasonable charges, to be paid
by the owner, operator or person entitled to possession, for such
removal and storage and for other expenses incurred in connection
therewith, the creation of liens on such vehicles for such charges and
expenses, the enforcement of such liens, the determination of ownership
or right to possession of such vehicles, the time before such vehicles
are deemed abandoned vehicles pursuant to section twelve hundred
twenty-four of this chapter, and the disposition of the proceeds of
sales held pursuant to said section.

21. Transportation of combustibles, chemicals, explosives,
inflammables, or other dangerous substances, articles, compounds or
mixtures, including, but not limited to, dangerous articles, as defined
in section three hundred eighty of this chapter.

22. Traffic signal legend applicable to pedestrians and use of arrows.

23. Prohibit, restrict or regulate the operation of limited use
vehicles on any street or highway.

24. Prohibition of the operation of motorcycles during the period
between nine post meridian through eight ante meridian along designated
streets or parts of streets on which the properties fronting thereon are
zoned for residential uses. Provided that notice of such prohibition
shall be given by the posting of suitable signs at the entrance to each
such street or part thereof and that no such prohibition shall apply to
a motorcycle being operated thereon for the purpose or as a direct
incident of law enforcement; crime prevention; detection; prevention or
relief of any condition which may threaten the health, safety or welfare
of persons or property; or direct travel to or from employment.

25. Parking, standing and stopping of vehicles registered pursuant to
section four hundred four-a of this chapter or those possessing a
special vehicle identification parking permit issued in accordance with
section one thousand two hundred three-a of this chapter.

26. (a) With respect to highways (which term for the purposes of this
paragraph shall include private roads open to public motor vehicle
traffic) in such city, other than state highways maintained 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
city 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,
establishment of maximum speed limits at which vehicles may proceed
within such city or within designated areas of such city higher or lower
than the fifty-five miles per hour maximum statutory limit. No such
speed limit applicable throughout such city or within designated areas
of such city shall be established at less than twenty miles per hour,
except that (i) school speed limits may be established at no less than
fifteen miles per hour pursuant to the provisions of section sixteen
hundred forty-three of this article, and (ii) on portions of highways
that consist of three or more vehicular travel lanes in the same
direction outside of New York county, speed limits shall be established
at no less than twenty-five miles per hour.

(b) A city shall not lower or raise a speed limit pursuant to this
paragraph unless such city provides written notice and an opportunity to
comment to the community board or community boards established pursuant
to section twenty-eight hundred of the New York city charter with
jurisdiction over the area in which the lower or higher speed limit
shall apply. Such notice may be provided by electronic mail and shall be
provided sixty days prior to the establishment of such lower or higher
speed limit and a community board may issue an advisory opinion prior to
the raising or lowering of such speed limit. Notwithstanding any
inconsistent provision of this subdivision, a speed limit applicable
throughout such city shall only be lowered or raised pursuant to a local
law.

27. (a) Establishment of maximum speed limits below twenty miles per
hour at which motor vehicles may proceed on or along designated highways
within such city for the explicit purpose of implementing traffic
calming measures as such term is defined herein; provided, however, that
no speed limit shall be set below ten miles per hour nor shall such
speed limit be established where the traffic calming measure to be
implemented consists solely of a traffic control sign. Establishment of
such a speed limit shall, where applicable, be in compliance with the
provisions of sections sixteen hundred twenty-four and sixteen hundred
eighty-four of this title. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to
alter or affect the establishment of school speed limits pursuant to the
provisions of section sixteen hundred forty-three of this article. For
the purposes of this paragraph, "traffic calming measures" shall mean
any physical engineering measure or measures that reduce the negative
effects of motor vehicle use, alter driver behavior and improve
conditions for non-motorized street users such as pedestrians and
bicyclists.

(b) Any city establishing maximum speed limits below twenty miles per
hour pursuant to clause (i) of this subparagraph shall submit a report
to the governor, the temporary president of the senate and the speaker
of the assembly on or before March first, two thousand fifteen and
biannually thereafter on the results of using traffic calming measures
and speed limits lower than twenty miles per hour as authorized by this
paragraph. This report shall also be made available to the public by
such city on its website. Such report shall include, but not be limited
to the following:

(i) a description of the designated highways where traffic calming
measures and a lower speed limit were established;

(ii) a description of the specific traffic calming measures used and
the maximum speed limit established;

(iii) an explanation of the reasons for setting lower speed limits,
how those lower speed limits comply with engineering standards, and how
they will ensure that motor vehicles can operate at safe speeds in a
manner that optimizes all road users' safety and convenience; and

(iv) a comparison of the aggregate type, number, and severity of
accidents reported on streets on which street calming measures and lower
speed limits were implemented in the year preceding the implementation
of such measures and policies and the year following the implementation
of such measures and policies, to the extent this information is
maintained by any agency of the state or the city.

(b) The police commissioner of any such city may, in any emergency,
suspend within such city or any part thereof, for a period of
forty-eight hours, any provision of title seven of this chapter or any
local law, ordinance, order, rule or regulation adopted pursuant to this
article. In the event of any such suspension, the police commissioner
shall forthwith give notice thereof to the official, board or agency of
such city having jurisdiction to promulgate traffic regulations in
relation to any place affected by such suspension.