[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.injuryclaimnyclaw.com\/blog\/9-major-nyc-roads-get-lower-speed-limits-as-traffic-deaths-surge\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.injuryclaimnyclaw.com\/blog\/9-major-nyc-roads-get-lower-speed-limits-as-traffic-deaths-surge\/","headline":"9 Major NYC Roads Get Lower Speed Limits as Traffic Deaths Surge","name":"9 Major NYC Roads Get Lower Speed Limits as Traffic Deaths Surge","description":"New York City leaders say dangerous driving during the COVID-19 pandemic has led them to reduce speed limits on nine major streets that have had some the highest rates of accidents across the five boroughs. A\u00a0NYC news release published September 1\u00a0says the reduced speed limits will go into effect as new speed limit signs are […]","datePublished":"2020-09-25","dateModified":"2025-09-04","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.injuryclaimnyclaw.com\/blog\/author\/davidresnick\/#Person","name":"David Resnick & Associates, P.C.","url":"https:\/\/www.injuryclaimnyclaw.com\/blog\/author\/davidresnick\/","identifier":12,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9a3013950d41a44d6b0e6763649a50fe204ed95d3b6159870ec7dc3bb33ff2c6?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9a3013950d41a44d6b0e6763649a50fe204ed95d3b6159870ec7dc3bb33ff2c6?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"David Resnick & Associates","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.injuryclaimnyclaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/david-resnick-logo.png","url":"https:\/\/www.injuryclaimnyclaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/david-resnick-logo.png","width":287,"height":87}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.injuryclaimnyclaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/traffic-lights-in-broadway-NYC-768x480-1.webp","url":"https:\/\/www.injuryclaimnyclaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/traffic-lights-in-broadway-NYC-768x480-1.webp","height":480,"width":768},"url":"https:\/\/www.injuryclaimnyclaw.com\/blog\/9-major-nyc-roads-get-lower-speed-limits-as-traffic-deaths-surge\/","about":["Car Accidents"],"wordCount":952,"articleBody":"New York City leaders say dangerous driving during the COVID-19 pandemic has led them to reduce speed limits on nine major streets that have had some the highest rates of accidents across the five boroughs.A\u00a0NYC news release published September 1\u00a0says the reduced speed limits will go into effect as new speed limit signs are posted over the next 4-6 weeks.The streets and miles of roadway with lowered speed limits are:BrooklynFlatbush Avenue from Grand Army Plaza to Empire Boulevard, .8 mile (30 mph to 25 mph)Shore Parkway Service Road from Bay 8th Street to Plumb 3rd Street, 4.8 miles (30 mph to 25 mph)Dahlgren Place from 86th Street to 92nd Street, .3 miles (30 mph to 25 mph)ManhattanRiverside Drive from 165th Street to 181st Street, .8 mile (30 mph to 25 mph)BronxBruckner Boulevard from East 135th Street to Pelham Bay Park, 6.5 miles (30 mph to 25 mph)Webster Avenue from East 233 Street to East Gun Hill Road, 1.2 miles (30 mph to 25 mph)QueensRockaway Boulevard from 150th Avenue to 3rd Street (Nassau County border), 2.5 miles (40 mph to 35 mph)Northern Boulevard from 114th Street to Glenwood Street (Nassau County border), 7 miles (30 mph to 25 mph)Staten IslandTargee Street from West Fingerboard Road to Broad Street, 1.8 miles (30 mph to 25 mph)The city also announced that the Department of Transportation had reached its goal of activating cameras in all 750 school zones.\u201cSpeeding is a leading cause of traffic fatalities. Even under COVID-19, this administration has maintained our commitment to keep our streets safe for all users, especially the most vulnerable,\u201d DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg said in the news release. \u201cWe are reducing speed limits on some of the city\u2019s most crash-prone corridors\u2026.\u201dNYC Traffic Deaths Due To High SpeedIn a report about the speed limit changes,\u00a0The New York Times said\u00a0that more passengers, drivers and motorcyclists have been killed in car crashes so far this year than in all of last year: 28 drivers, 16 passengers and 26 motorcyclists have died, according to city data.The Times said that in June, when traffic in New York City returned to around 80 percent of pre-pandemic levels, there was a 22 percent increase in the number of passengers and drivers killed in crashes compared with the same month last year, according to data from the city and INRIX, a data collection firm.\u201cPeople got in the habit of driving too fast and\u00a0too recklessly\u00a0when roads were more open, and unfortunately, we\u2019re still seeing that behavior,\u201d DOT Commissioner Trottenberg told The Times. \u201cWe\u2019re starting to get almost back to normal, but there are still times and places in the city where traffic levels are lower and drivers are able to get up to higher speeds.\u201dThe National Safety Council (NSC) has repeatedly warned about the soaring rates of traffic fatalities across the country as COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns reduced traffic on the nation\u2019s roads. With fewer cars on the roads, some drivers chose to drive at much higher speeds.The NSC said in September\u00a0that the U.S. experienced an estimated 20% jump in the motor vehicle death rate per mile driven between January and June 2020 compared to the same six-month period in 2019. The increase comes in spite of a 17% drop in the number of miles driven between January and June.The 20% increase in the death rate for the first six months of the year is the highest jump the NSC has calculated for a six-month period since 1999.\u201cBecause of COVID-19 and states\u2019 shelter-in-place orders earlier this year, the country should have reaped a safety benefit from less traffic,\u201d said Lorraine M. Martin, the NSC\u2019s president and CEO. \u201cInstead, our soaring rate of deaths speaks to our need to improve safety on our roads. Clearly, we must work harder as a society to reverse this trend, especially since the pandemic is not nearly over.\u201dNYPD says Enforcement, Cameras Reducing Traffic DeathsWhile motor vehicle and motorcycle fatalities have increased this year, motor vehicle occupant injuries are down 34 percent year-to-date and motorcycle injuries are down 9 percent year-to- date, the city\u2019s release says.The release says the city\u2019s speed camera program has deterred speeding in school zones by more than 60 percent and that the New York Police Department has conducted targeted operations focused on keeping motorcyclists safe through enforcement and education.The city\u2019s \u201cprecision policing\u201d as it pertains to addressing traffic violations is viewed as being more effective in accomplishing the Vision Zero goal of saving lives.Vision Zero\u00a0is an initiative to end traffic\u00a0deaths\u00a0and\u00a0injuries\u00a0on New York City streets. Since the program\u2019s inaugural year in 2014, the City\u2019s traffic fatalities have declined more than 25 percent \u2014 bucking national fatality trends, which have increased 15 percent over the same period, the city says.Speak to a Car Accident Lawyer in New York CityIf you or a loved one has been seriously\u00a0injured in a car wreck, car crash statistics don\u2019t matter. You need help recovering from the accident medically and financially. A knowledgeable NYC car crash lawyer is available to review your case and discuss your legal options.The\u00a0car accident attorneys\u00a0of\u00a0David Resnick & Associates, P.C., understand the disruption that a serious car accident can have on your life. We have helped many families in Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, Brooklyn and the Bronx move forward after car accidents. We will work to help you seek the full insurance compensation you need to recover fully if you\u2019ve been injured by another driver. It\u2019s important that you are compensated for the full financial and emotional impact of your injuries and losses.For a free initial evaluation of your case, contact our firm today at 212-279-2000 or by filling out our online contact form."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.injuryclaimnyclaw.com\/blog\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"9 Major NYC Roads Get Lower Speed Limits as Traffic Deaths Surge","item":"https:\/\/www.injuryclaimnyclaw.com\/blog\/9-major-nyc-roads-get-lower-speed-limits-as-traffic-deaths-surge\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]