New York City expands 15 mph school slow zones

New York City has launched a major expansion of its ‘School Slow Zones’ program, implementing 15 mph speed limits near hundreds of schools. This initiative is part of the largest rollout of ‘Sammy’s Law,’ named after 12-year-old Sammy Cohen Eckstein, who died in a 2013 traffic accident. The city aims to have these slow zones active near approximately 800 schools by the end of 2026.

In addition to lower speed limits, the New York City Department of Transportation is redesigning streets near over 300 schools to enhance pedestrian safety through expanded sidewalks, safer crossings, and speed-reduction infrastructure. The city is also testing physical gates on certain streets to prevent vehicle entry during specific times.

In the Hudson Valley, the City of Poughkeepsie has also implemented speed limit changes, lowering its default citywide limit from 30 mph to 25 mph. Legislation signed by Governor Hochul will also allow Poughkeepsie to install speed cameras in three school zones and red-light cameras at nine intersections by early 2027.