New law will allow Malta to set speed limits
MALTA, N.Y. » A new state law gives the Malta Town Board the discretion to set speed limits on roadways within the town’s jurisdiction.
The town will be able to reduce speed limits on local roads below the state statutory 55 miles per hour but no lower than 25 miles per hour, and no less than 15 miles per hour in school zones.
The measure was co-authored in the state Legis- lature by state Sen. James Tedisco, R-Glenville, Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, DRound Lake, and signed into law recently by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
This home rule legislation, which was requested by the town of Malta, requires the state Department of Transportation to defer to the Malta Town Board requests for speed limit signage and signal changes.
“This new law twill enable the town to have more control over making their local roads safer for passenger vehicles and pedestrians by giving them the power to lower speed limits when a higher road speed is deemed potentially hazardous to public safety,” Tedisco said in a statement.
Woerner said in a statement, “While existing speed limits work in most cases, the people who live here know what will work best for their neighborhoods. This bill will provide the town with the authority to more precisely adjust speed limits, ultimately making roads safer for Malta’s families.”
Separately, another bill Woerner authored and recently signed into law, will help fund new snowmobile trails and maintain current trails across New York state. It will support the existing trail system by directing increased revenues from fines for operating a snowmobile without a registration and/ or failing to renew a registration.
“The popularity of snowmobiling in this region and across upstate New York continues to grow,” Woerner said. “Thousands of snowmobilers enjoy our trail system every year, and it’s a huge economic driver, contributing nearly $900 million to our economy. This legislation encourages up-to-date snowmobile registration and investment in our trails.”