of New Yorkers last year, commissioned by Transportation Alternatives and conducted by Emerson College, found 72.5% of respondents support giving New York City control over its speed limits, while 68.4% back lowering speed limits to 20 miles per hour on residential streets in their neighborhoods.
“We believe we definitely have support in the Assembly, but it just needs to be brought to a vote,” said Alexa Sledge, a spokesperson for Transportation Alternatives. “Which, obviously, only Heastie can do.”The bill was first introduced back in 2020, and passed the Senate in 2021, but has never passed the Assembly.
Reps for the Speaker’s office did not return a request for comment from amNewYork Metro, nor did reps for Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins.contending Heastie was putting his “thumb on the scale” to keep support for the bill low among his conference. Families for Safe Streets members rallied outside Heastie’s district office in the Bronx on Monday, calling for a vote on the bill ahead of their trip up to Albany this week., when the de Blasio administration persuaded state lawmakers to allow the city to lower it from 30 mph, where it had been since 1964. The city is not allowed to set speed limits below 25 mph, nor is any other municipality in the state.