Hit the Brakes: NYC to Lower Speed Limit in Outer Boroughs
The local speed limit will decrease by five miles per hour in certain neighborhoods.
New York City drivers will have to slow down when driving in the outer boroughs following recent plans to change the speed limit.
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New Regional Slow Zones
On March 19, 2025, the Department of Transportation announced that the city will implement Regional Slow Zones in the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island, after launching the first Regional Slow Zone in Manhattan late last year. A Regional Slow Zone is a specific geographic area where speed limits will be set at 20 miles per hour. The speed limit reductions are targeted to improve traffic safety.
The Regional Slow Zones will target pedestrians in several areas in the four outer boroughs – Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and The Bronx.
“Lowering vehicle speed limits by even a few miles per hour could be the difference between life or death in a traffic crash,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez in a press release. “Our newest Regional Slow Zones will save lives and protect our most vulnerable New Yorkers in some of our busiest pedestrian communities.
The new Regional Slow Zones will be located in DUMBO, Brooklyn, an area that saw one traffic fatality and ten severe injuries during the last five years; Broad Channel, Queens; New Brighton, Staten Island; and on City Island, in the Bronx. By the end of 2025, the NYC DOT will lower speed limits in 250 locations, prioritizing areas such as schools, Open Streets, and Shared Streets.
“Children and elderly people are at even greater risk of death when they are hit by a car, so this really is a family safety issue,” says Assemblymember Emily Gallagher, representing District 50 in Brooklyn (Greenpoint and Williamsburg). “It’s so easy to get carried away in our own sense of urgency—especially as New Yorkers! But the reality is that going five mph slower doesn’t have much impact on how quickly you get somewhere. It does, however, have a major impact on how safely you arrive.”
Implementing Sammy’s Law
The change in speed limit will follow the implementation of Sammy’s Law, a legislation that allows New York City to lower speed limits on certain roads, with the goal of reducing traffic violence and protecting vulnerable road users. Sammy’s Law follows the death of 12-year-old Sammy Cohen Eckstein, who in 2013, passed away when he was hit by a speeding vehicle.
“Twenty mile per hour speed limits are a proven, internationally recognized best practice for roads in dense urban areas. As I know all too well, when it comes to survivability, every mile-per-hour counts,” says Amy Cohen, Founder & President of Families for Safe Streets and mother to Eckstein. “A year after my son Sammy was hit and killed in front of our home, a 5-year-old boy was hit in the exact same location, but that driver was going slower. That boy survived but my son did not. Since Sammy’s death, I have fought to prevent others from suffering this heartache.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, motor vehicle accidents are one of the leading causes of death in the nation. The city has seen a striking increase in traffic-related deaths and accidents since 2019, growing by nearly 17 percent. In 2023, a decade after Eckstein’s death, the city reported over 40 thousand crashes. Nine thousand of the crashes involved pedestrians, while five thousand involved cyclists.
“Your average pedestrian hit by a car going 20 mph has over a 90 percent chance of surviving the accident. When the speed jumps to 30 mph, that number drops to 80 percent,” Gallagher continues.
Slowing Down Saves Lives
Sammy’s Law took effect in October 2024. Speeds were lowered along Prospect Park West, where there is heavy traffic, including a busy and sometimes chaotic traffic circle, and where Eckstein was killed. The Department of Transportation has also reduced speed limits to 10 MPH on all current Shared Streets, as well as Open Streets that have undergone significant design upgrades.
“New Yorkers fought for and won Sammy’s Law because it benefits everyone. Whether you’re walking, biking, or driving, slower speeds keep us safe,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “I’m grateful to NYC DOT for implementing the policies proven to save lives, and I look forward to working together to keep up the momentum.”
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