Yesterday, Assembly Member O’Donnell shepherded a bill to lower the New York City speed limit to 25 mph, A10144, through the Assembly. Senator Jeffrey Klein’s version of the bill, S7892, passed today, so the speed limit reduction now awaits only Governor Cuomo’s signature before becoming law. This bill reflects weeks of negotiations among both city and state officials as well as advocates. After the vote, O’Donnell announced:

"When a pedestrian and car collide, the pedestrian always loses. The statistics show just how true this is: over the past 10 years, cars have killed nearly 2,000 New Yorkers; 30,000 were hospitalized. I am proud to have introduced the bill to lower NYC’s speed limit in the New York State Assembly, and thank my elected colleagues at the state and city levels, especially Speaker Silver, for their vital work and support. This bill gives New York City much-needed control over its own streets, and will make the city safer for all who inhabit it."

Paul Steely White, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives, added:

"The Assembly and the Senate are lifesavers. We would like to thank Assembly Member O'Donnell, Speaker Silver and Senator Klein for introducing these bills, and we commend their colleagues for stepping up to support a 25 mph speed limit to make New York City's streets safer. We also thank Senators Avella, Dilan and Felder. Because they did the right thing, we'll be able to save scores of lives and prevent thousands of injuries every year."