Bill > A00167

This bill amends the vehicle and traffic law to allow cities with populations over one million (which effectively means New York City) to establish a five-mile-per-hour speed limit on designated "open streets". An open street is defined as a street or street segment where motor vehicle access is controlled by barriers and signage, and priority is given to pedestrians, bicyclists, and other non-vehicular street users. The bill modifies existing traffic calming provisions to explicitly permit these very low speed limits, ensuring that cities can create safe, pedestrian-friendly spaces where vehicles must move extremely slowly. Previously, speed limits could not be set below ten miles per hour, but this legislation creates an exception for open streets, allowing them to reduce speeds to as low as five miles per hour. The bill will take effect 90 days after becoming law, and allows for immediate preparation of any necessary regulations to implement these changes.

Transportation and Infrastructure

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A167