Hit Gas On Speed Limit Law Named After Slain Park Slope Boy, Pols Say

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN — A long-awaited speed limit law named after a slain Park Slope boy remains stuck in governmental traffic with just weeks before New York's lawmakers end their legislative session.

New York City elected officials and advocates rallied Thursday to pressure those lawmakers to effectively hit the gas on Sammy's Law, which would allow the city to finally set its own speed limits.

The state Legislature's session is due to end June 8.

“Sammy’s Law needs to pass before the end of the legislative session," said City Council Member Gale Brewer, in a statement.

"Dangerous drivers who drive too fast still pose a threat to the safety of all New Yorkers. There is no good reason to prevent New York City from establishing its own lower speed limits."

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

That was in 2013, and advocates since then — including Cohen Eckstein's parents — have argued that lowering neighborhood speed limits to 20 mph would help prevent traffic deaths.

But New York City officials have no power to lower speed limits. Only state officials in Albany can do so.

Sammy's Law, which was first introduced in 2020, aimed to change that. Advocates and many lawmakers had hoped the bill would be included in this year's budget, but it wasn't.

That effectively passed the buck to the City Council, which would have to pass a "home rule" message to press the state Legislature to take it up, rallygoers said.

"We need a home rule from the City Council as soon as possible so that we can finally enact Sammy’s Law and save lives this session,” said State Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal in a statement.

Park Slope's Council Member Shanana Hanif was among the rallygoers.