2006-125COPY
2006-125
Resolution Allowing Towns to Set Their Own Speed Limits
At a regular meeting of the Town Board of the Town of Wappinger, Dutchess County,
New York, held at Town Hall, 20 Middlebush Road, Wappingers Falls, New York, on May 8,
2006.
The meeting was called to order by Joseph Ruggiero, Supervisor, and upon roll being
called, the following were present:
PRESENT: Supervisor
Councilmembers
ABSENT:
Joseph Ruggiero
Robert L. Valdati
Vincent F. Bettina
Joseph P. Paoloni
Maureen McCarthy
The following Resolution was introduced by Councilman Bettina and seconded by
Councilman Valdati.
WHEREAS, Assembly Bill A.02822 and Senate Bill 5.723 concurrent resolutions of the
New York State Assembly and Senate proposing amendments to Section 1662-a, Vehicle and
Traffic Law of the State of New York in relation to certain municipalities establishing speed
limits on local roads within their jurisdiction and introduced in both houses of the New York
State Legislature, and
WHEREAS, current provisions of the Vehicle and Traffic Law Section 1662-a
authorize only certain towns (i.e., suburban towns and those with over 50,000 in population -
approximately 8.6 percent of towns) to set speed limits on all highways within a town other than
State highways maintained by the State, while all cities and villages regardless of classifications
of population set their own limits, and
towns in New York State that are prohibited from addressing
WHEREAS, there are 852
speed limit issues in their jurisdiction without petitioning New York State Department of
Transportation, and
WHEREAS, the New York State Department of Transport t ion ca take
much as
ned to reduce
e
years to process requests for speed limit reductions and has, m
ays when requested to do so by local officials, and
speed limits on town highw
WHEREAS, the need to address road safety issues through speed limits in a timely
fashion should not be limited and the current law presents an inequality among municipalities,
and
WHEREAS, town officials are legally required to set speed limits based upon the same
engineering standards and traffic investigation techniques as the State Department of
Transportation, cities, and villages are required to employ, and
WHEREAS, A.02822/S.723 would amend the Vehicle and Traffic Law in relation to
establishing speed limits on town highways which have been classified by the Department of
Transportation as local roads, and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Town of AW 2 22 and Sewn Board
hereby urges the New York State Assembly to Approve Assembly Bill
S.723 , and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Town of Wappinger Town Board urges the
State Legislature and Governor to extend to all towns an options -through adoption of a local law -
to assume responsibility and authority to set speed limits on town roads within their respective
jurisdictions, within the limits as defined in Section 1662-a of the Vehicle and Traffic Law, and
so long as those roads have been functionally classified by the Department of Transportation as
local roads, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to
Governor George E. Pataki, Senators Stephen M. Saland and Vincent Leibell, Assemblymen
Thomas Kirwan, Joel Miller, Patrick Manning, Willis H. Stephens Jr., and Kevin Cahill.
The foregoing was put to a vote which resulted as follows:
JOSEPH RUGGIERO, SUPERVISOR
Voting:
Voting:
AYE
AYE
ROBERT L. VALDATI, COUNCILMAN
Voting:
AYE
VINCENT F. BETTINA, COUNCILMAN
JOSEPH P. PAOLONI, COUNCILMAN
COUNCILWOMAN
Voting:.
Voting:
AYE
AYE
MAUREEN McCARTHY,
Dated: Wappingers Falls, New York
5/8/2006
The Resolution is hereby duly declared adopted.
jHNN C. MA TERSON, TOWN CLERK