New NYC Speed Limit Signs Serve as Reminder: Slow Down or Pay Up

As SILive is reporting, new speed limit signs have been installed on Staten Island as part of the Department of Transportation’s goal to roll out 3,000 new signs citywide by the end of 2015. The citywide speed limit dropped from 30 MPH to 25 MPH back in November 2014, but the Department of Transportation said it would need time to manufacture the signs and install them at the appropriate locations.

The new limit stands as the biggest effort under Mayor Bill de Blasio’s ‘Vision Zero’ initiative to eliminate traffic-related deaths in the five boroughs. According to the Department of Transportation, if a pedestrian is struck by a car traveling 25 MPH, as opposed to 30 MPH, the chances of death are cut in half.

Many drivers may not realize that new speed limit signs have been posted, as ‘Vision Zero’ marks the first time New York City’s default 30 MPH speed limit has changed since its adoption in 1967. More signs in the five boroughs are expected to be added in the coming months. In the meantime, on roads without a posted limit, drivers are cautioned to assume that the limit is 25 MPH.

In addition, many of the new speed limit signs include a warning that reads, “photo enforced,” serving as a reminder that the Department can use a camera to monitor speeds in school zones, but does not necessarily mean a speed camera is in every area. (Mobile car-mounted speed cameras, however, do travel to school zones without fixed cameras.)

NYPD Chief of Transportation Thomas Han has stated that this new limit would not be utilized as a method to exploit drivers, and police officers were instructed to ‘use discretion.’  How that discretion is used is an issue which will likely cause additional controversy, with some critics viewing the program as a scheme to increase ticket revenue. While Staten Island traffic fines nearly doubled by the end of 2014, pedestrian fatalities reportedly plunged by 26%, compared with 2013 statistics for traffic-related deaths.

If you have received a speeding ticket in Staten Island or anywhere else in New York State, contact the experienced attorneys of Rosenblum Law at 888-434-0406 for a free consultation to discuss your rights.