Give NYC Speed Limit Power The Green Light, City Council Tells State

NEW YORK CITY — A long-running push to finally allow New York City to set its own speed limits, potentially even lower than 20 mph, got crucial support by the City Council.

Council members Thursday passed a resolution in support of Sammy's Law, a state bill named after a Park Slope youth who was killed in traffic.

The "home rule" message effectively puts the bill back on the state Legislature's plate before its session ends June 8.

“Sammy’s Law will be a game changer for street safety because it will finally allow New York City to set its own speed limits and save lives," said state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Assembly Member Linda B. Rosenthal, the bill's primary sponsors, in a joint statement.

The long-in-the-works bill is named after Samuel Cohen Eckstein, a 12-year-old Park Slope boy who was killed by a motorist when he ran after a soccer ball on Prospect Park West.

Advocates since Cohen Eckstein's 2013 death — including his parents — have argued that lowering neighborhood speed limits to would help prevent traffic fatalities.

"Driving 20 mph instead of 25 mph can be the difference between life and death and makes a negligible difference during your commute," said Danny Harris, the executive director of Transportation Alternatives, in a statement.

"Now it’s time for lawmakers in Albany to pass Sammy’s Law before the end of session."