Authorizes the town of Hempstead, in the county of Nassau, to establish a speed limit of less than 30 miles per hour on certain highways in the community of Lido Beach.
Summary
This bill amends the Vehicle and Traffic Law to give the Town of Hempstead additional authority to set very low local speed limits on specified streets in the community of Lido Beach, Nassau County. Under current law, towns generally may not set speed limits below 25 miles per hour, but the bill creates a special exception for Hempstead allowing limits as low as 15 miles per hour on listed Lido Beach roads, and it also preserves the existing special 15-mile-per-hour authority for Point Lookout.
The bill applies only to designated highways in Lido Beach, including Ocean Boulevard and a number of named local streets, and it requires that any such lower speed limit be requested by petition from a majority of residents in the affected community. It also keeps the existing requirement that speed limits be based on engineering considerations and certified by a licensed professional engineer specializing in traffic operations. The bill takes effect immediately if enacted.
Impact
If enacted, the bill would amend section 1662-a of the Vehicle and Traffic Law to create a narrow local exception for the Town of Hempstead, allowing it to establish speed limits below the usual 25-mile-per-hour floor on certain Lido Beach roads. It would not broadly change statewide speed-limit rules, but it would expand municipal authority in one town for a specific set of streets, while continuing to require resident petition support and engineering certification. The affected parties are the Town of Hempstead, Lido Beach residents, and drivers using the listed local roads.
Sentiment
The available record shows no committee transcript, vote tally, or recorded opposition, so there is no documented debate to indicate strong support or resistance. Based on the bill’s targeted scope and its requirement for a resident petition, the measure appears designed as a localized traffic-safety accommodation rather than a controversial statewide policy change. The absence of votes or discussion suggests the bill’s sentiment cannot be fully assessed from the provided materials.
Contention
The main substantive issue is the creation of a special lower-speed-limit exception for one community, which could raise concerns about consistency with statewide speed-limit standards and the potential for similar requests from other towns. Another point of possible contention is the threshold requirement that a majority of residents in each affected community petition the town board, which may be viewed as a safeguard by supporters but as a procedural hurdle by those seeking quicker traffic-calming measures. No specific opposing arguments or named opponents are included in the provided record.
Same As
Authorizes the town of Hempstead, in the county of Nassau, to establish a speed limit of less than 30 miles per hour on certain highways in the community of Lido Beach.
Authorizes the town of Hempstead, in the county of Nassau, to establish a speed limit of less than 30 miles per hour on certain highways in the community of Lido Beach.
Authorizes the town of Hempstead, in the county of Nassau, to establish a speed limit of less than 30 miles per hour on certain highways in the community of East Atlantic Beach.
Authorizes the town of Hempstead, in the county of Nassau, to establish a speed limit of less than 30 miles per hour on certain highways in the community of East Atlantic Beach.
Authorizes the town of Hempstead, in the county of Nassau, to establish a speed limit of less than 30 miles per hour on certain highways in the community of East Atlantic Beach.