I have noticed a proliferation of white 15- and 20-mile per hour speed limit signs in the Village of Westbury. The latest of these have appeared on Ellison Avenue. Article 39, section 1643 of New York State Vehicle and Traffic law clearly prohibits speed limits of less than 25 mph in villages. All of these illegal signs should be removed immediately. If village officials believe that state law is unreasonable or dangerous, they should work to change the law rather than simply ignore it. If village officials are being pressured by local residents to violate the law, they need to explain the law to those residents and enlist their aid in getting it changed. The Village of Westbury must not be allowed to place itself above the law, regardless of why it believes it should be doing that.
If a village official can produce evidence that these signs are legal despite the section of state law quoted below, I will be happy to discontinue this campaign. Otherwise, Mr. Cavallaro, TEAR DOWN THOSE SIGNS!
S 1643. Speed limits on highways in cities and villages. The legislative body of any city or village with respect to highways (which term for the purposes of this section shall include private roads open to public motor vehicle traffic) in such city or village, other than state highways maintained by the state on which the department of transportation shall have established higher or lower speed limits than the statutory fifty-five miles per hour speed limit as provided in section sixteen hundred twenty, or on which the department of transportation shall have designated that such city or village shall not establish any maximum speed limit as provided in section sixteen hundred twenty-four, subject to the limitations imposed by section sixteen hundred eighty-four may by local law, ordinance, order, rule or regulation establish maximum speed limits at which vehicles may proceed within such city or village, within designated areas of such city or village or on or along designated highways within such city or village higher or lower than the fifty-five miles per hour maximum statutory limit. No such speed limit applicable throughout such city or village or within designated areas of such city or village shall be established at less than thirty miles per hour. No such speed limit applicable on or along designated highways within such city or village shall be established at less than twenty-five miles per hour, except that school speed limits may be established at not less than fifteen miles per hour, for a distance not to exceed one thousand three hundred twenty feet, on a highway passing a school building, entrance or exit of a school abutting on the highway and except that within the cities of Buffalo and Rochester speed limits may be established at not less than fifteen miles per hour for any portion of a highway within a city park.
