The city Department of Transportation announced plans to limit speeds to 20 mph on 15 streets in Brooklyn, as well as others throughout the city, to comply with Sammy’s Law.

The law, which was passed during this year’s legislative session, was named after 12-year-old Sammy Cohen Eckstein, who was fatally struck by a speeding van in 2012 while retrieving a ball near his Brooklyn home.  

Since that time, his mother, Amy Cohen, has been campaigning for such a law, which gives the city the authority to reduce speed limits near schools, Open Streets (reserved for pedestrians and cyclists during certain hours), Shared Streets (where cyclists, walkers and autos all share the right of way and where built-in design features slow down traffic) and similar areas.

Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the law in April in front of Sammy’s old school, M.S. 51 on Fifth Avenue in Park Slope. “This isn’t just Sammy’s Law. It’s Giovanni’s Law and Ally’s Law and Niiqua’s Law and Henry’s Law — it’s for every child, parent, spouse and loved one killed by a reckless driver,” Ms. Cohen said at the time.

Brooklyn locations proposed by the DOT include:

• Prospect Park West, Grand Army Plaza to Bartel Pritchard Square 
• Fort Greene Place, Fulton Street to DeKalb Avenue 
• Lewis Avenue, Hart Street to Willoughby Avenue 
• Ninth Avenue, 63rd Street to 64th Street 
• 45th Street, Fort Hamilton Parkway to Tenth Avenue 
• Seventh Avenue, 43rd Street to 44th Street 
• Dean Street, Saratoga Avenue to Thomas Boyland Street 
• MacDonough Street, Lewis Avenue to Marcus Garvey Boulevard 
• Christopher Avenue, Sutter Avenue to Belmont Avenue 
• Ashford Street, Belmont Avenue to Pitkin Avenue 
• East 94th Street, East New York Avenue to Rutland Road 
• Fenimore Street, Brooklyn Avenue to Rutland Road 
• Lenox Road, East 39th Street to East 40th Street 
• East 96th Street, Avenue D to Foster Avenue 
• Sackman Street, Belmont Avenue to Sutter Avenue 

Incidentally, longtime readers of the Eagle will recognize Prospect Park West as the center of a bitter controversy in the early 2010s over whether to install a bike lane. Satirizing the controversy, then-Borough President Marty Markowitz rode a tricycle onto the stage at one of his “State of the Borough” messages. Eventually, the bike lane was installed.

In addition to the 20-mph streets, the DOT has recommended a 10-mph speed limit for several Shared Streets. In Brooklyn, these include:

• Willoughby Avenue from Washington Park to Washington Avenue 
• Berry Street from Broadway to North 12th Street 
• Underhill Avenue from Pacific Street to Eastern Parkway 
• Sharon Street from Olive Street to Morgan Avenue 

All in all, the DOT will begin publicly notifying community boards of its proposals this summer, with a 60-day comment period to follow. Then, it plans to implement the new speed limits. 

Eventually, it plans to lower speed limits in 250 locations throughout the city — which will also include new “Regional Slow Zones.”

“New Yorkers deserve safe streets, no matter how they travel. Whether it’s via car, bus, bike, or walking, Sammy’s Law provided a tool to make sure everyone arrives safely to their destination,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “I thank the Department of Transportation for putting this tool to use and using a data-driven and targeted approach as we continue to make our streets safer.”

Currently, the city’s speed limit is 25 mph. Some public officials have been pushing to have it lowered.

The announcement by DOT comes on the heels of a report by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli showing that motor vehicle fatalities in the entire state rose 25.8% from 2019 to 2022 after decreasing steadily since 2015. Within New York City, however, traffic deaths only increased 2.9%.