2005-069E
RESOLUTION 2005-69
RESOLUTION FOR 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 the 23rd day of May, 2005, at 7:30 P.M.
The meeting was called to order by Joseph Ruggiero, Supervisor, and
upon roll being called, the following were present:
PRESENT: Supervisor- Joseph Ruggiero
Councilmembers- Robert L. Valdati
Vincent F. Bettina
Joseph P. Paoloni
Maureen McCarthy
ABSENT:
The following Resolution was introduced by Councilwoman McCarthy and
seconded by Councilman Bettina
WHEREAS, Assembly Bill A.02822 and Senate Bill S.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
WHEREAS, there are 852 towns in New York State that are prohibited from
addressing speed limit issues in their jurisdiction without petitioning New
York State Department of Transportation, and
WHEREAS, the New York State Department of Transportation can take as
much as two years to process requests for speed limit reductions and has, in
most instances, declined to reduce speed limits on town highways when
requested to do so by local officials, and
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 Wappinger
Town Board hereby urges the New York State Assembly to Approve
Assembly Bill A.02822 and Senate 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 Aye
Robert L. Valdati, Councilmember Voting Aye
Vincent F. Bettina, Councilmember Voting Aye
Joseph P. Paoloni, Councilmember Voting Aye
Maureen McCarthy, Councilmember Voting Aye
Dated: Wappingers Falls, New York
May 23, 2005
The Resolution is hereby duly declared adopted