It is off to Albany to change a bad state law that forbids local speed limits below 30 mph.

As a result of this law, many of the traffic calming improvements sought by New Yorkers are effectively illegal, because they will result in a "design" speed below the legal minimum. According to the DOT, people frequently complain about cars "speeding" on their neighborhood streets when the vehicles are in fact travelling at 30 mph. In fact, 30 mph is too fast for many NYC streets and people sense it. However, as a result of the state law, the City is not allowed to design speed humps or other traffic calming devices for lower than 30 - though the City sometimes does anyway.

The law is based on paranoia that every small town in NY will set its own limit resulting in a crazy quilt of speed traps and motorist confusion. We find that rationale unpersuasive and we will be working with a broad coalition of city and town groups to establish a new law which gives cities and towns the right to determine how to make slow speeds and traffic calming work for them.

For New York City, the first step toward this is a home rule message of support from the City Council. Fill out the enclosed postcard and mail it to City Council Speaker Vallone.

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