Flanked by traffic signs reading “Speed Limit 25,” Governor Andrew Cuomo on Saturday signed legislation to lower New York City’s speed limit from 30 mph to 25 mph, saying slowing down will cut down on pedestrian and motorist deaths.
“New Yorkers are fast, New Yorkers like to do things fast, everything is time, everything is pressure, but this says slow down and save a life,” the governor told an audience at Manhattan’s Jacob Javits Convention Center that included families who have lost loved ones in traffic accidents. “New York has a crisis when it comes to pedestrian deaths.”
Last year, the city had 176 pedestrian deaths. Cuomo called that a frightening statistic and said a speed reduction of even 5 mph cuts the numbers in half.
The new limit is expected to go into effect in three months, once the city approves its own law formalizing it.