CIVIC CENTER — The city’s streets are set to get a little bit bumpier for speedsters.
A new law passed by the City Council Tuesday would require the city to install speed humps — the wider, lower cousin of the speed bump — near schools.
“Speeding is the number one cause of deadly crashes in New York City and we must do everything we can to prevent fatalities,” Council Speaker Christine Quinn said in a statement announcing the legislation’s passage. "This legislation will help to protect pedestrians — especially our youngest pedestrians — through innovative roadway engineering. And by implementing safety devices like speed humps near schools, we can better protect our children.”
The legislation will require the city to install at least 50 humps annually on streets adjacent to public or private schools throughout the city.
According to the speaker’s office, speed humps have been shown to reduce speeds by nearly 20 percent and reduce crashes with pedestrians by more than 40 percent.
The bill passed the council by a vote of 41 to 0.
The bill’s sponsor, Staten Island Councilwoman Debi Rose, said the legislation was a response to the death of 13-year-old Aniya Williams, who was killed by a tractor-trailer as she ran to catch her bus on the last day of school in 2011.
“This bill is for Aniya Williams, and all the school children we have lost to traffic fatalities,” Rose said in a statement. “Sadly, we have all experienced in our districts that most horrific of tragedies — of a child being hit and killed or seriously injured by a speeding driver while crossing the street to or from school. What is most horrific about these tragedies is that they are easily avoidable.”
Mayor Michael Bloomberg is expected to sign the bill, Quinn's office said.
