The New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) is expanding its Regional Slow Zones initiative to Queens, reducing speed limits to 20 miles per hour in Broad Channel as part of a broader citywide effort to enhance traffic safety.
The move follows the passage of Sammy’s Law, which grants the city greater authority to lower speed limits.
Broad Channel’s new slow zone spans 0.16 square miles from East Sixth Road to West 22nd Road. Over the past five years, the area recorded one traffic fatality and six severe injuries.
“Lowering vehicle speed limits by even a few miles per hour could be the difference between life or death in a traffic crash,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez.
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards praised the initiative, emphasizing its importance for local safety.“The implementation of a Regional Slow Zone in Broad Channel is fitting and appropriate and is certain to improve safety in the neighborhood,” said Richards. “I thank Commissioner Rodriguez and his team at DOT for continuing to make safety a top priority for all who use our city’s streets, as we look forward to the further implementation of Sammy’s Law on additional streets in Queens.”
Broad Channel, a waterfront community in southern Queens, is largely a nature preserve along Cross Bay Boulevard, the main route connecting mainland Queens to the Rockaways. Surrounded by the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, the area sees heavy pedestrian, cyclist, and motorist traffic. The new Regional Slow Zone aims to improve safety along this vital corridor.
Alongside Broad Channel, new slow zones are being implemented in DUMBO, Brooklyn; City Island, Bronx; and St. George, Staten Island. The expansion follows the first Regional Slow Zone launched in Lower Manhattan last year.
NYC DOT also plans to reduce speeds in 250 locations by the end of 2025, prioritizing areas with high pedestrian activity, such as schools, Open Streets and Shared Streets.
These new zones build on previous slow zone efforts, including the initial implementation in Lower Manhattan and a recent reduction of speed limits along 1.4 miles of Audubon Avenue in Northern Manhattan. The city has also committed to lowering speeds to 10 MPH on all Shared Streets and certain redesigned Open Streets to enhance pedestrian and cyclist safety.
State Senator James Sanders Jr., whose district includes parts of southeast Queens, applauded the city’s efforts to prioritize pedestrian safety.
“Lowering speed limits in key areas across the city is a crucial step toward making our streets safer for everyone,” said Sanders. “I commend NYC DOT for expanding the Regional Slow Zones, prioritizing pedestrian safety, and taking meaningful action to reduce traffic injuries and fatalities. A safer New York is a stronger New York.”
Under Sammy’s Law, named after 12-year-old Sammy Cohen Eckstein, who was fatally struck by a vehicle in 2013, NYC can reduce speed limits to 20 MPH with proper signage. For streets undergoing safety redesigns, limits may be lowered to 10 MPH. Since last fall, NYC DOT has reduced speed limits at 70 locations citywide.
By the end of 2025, the agency plans to lower speed limits in 250 locations, focusing on areas with high pedestrian activity. DOT will notify community boards this month, with a 60-day public comment period before implementation.
Advocates, including Families for Safe Streets and Transportation Alternatives, welcomed the expansion, calling for additional slow zones in more neighborhoods.
“Slower speeds save lives; they also create a more livable, accessible city for everyone,” said Sara Lind, co-executive director at Open Plans. “These slow zones will give children and seniors more time at crosswalks, reduce chaos, and create a street culture that welcomes everyone.”
