Wednesday’s Headlines: ‘Sammy’s Law’ Momentum in Albany Edition

The effort to allow New York City to set speed limits below 25 miles per hour has a new backer — state Assembly Transportation Chair Bill Magnarelli (D-Syracuse), who endorsed the bill package known as “Sammy’s Law” during a meeting in Albany with members of Families for Safe Streets on Tuesday.

Magnarelli had previously said he would only support the legislation if the City Council passed a home rule message asking for its passage. The Council has yet to pass such a message, but last week the chair of its own Transportation Committee, Selvena Brooks-Powers (D-Queens), said she would vote in favor.

Gov. Hochul also gave a boost to the bill in a statement posted Tuesday on Twitter.

“Giving New York City the ability to lower its speed limit will prevent crashes and save lives,” she wrote.

In other news:

• Streetsblog’s Jesse Coburn appeared on NJ Spotlight News to talk about his investigation into used car dealers in New Jersey and Georgia who print and sell fraudulent temporary license plates.
• New York’s neighbors to the northeast are talking big on transit-oriented development … while also cutting transit service. (CT Mirror)
• Great minds? Like Streetsblog, the War on Cars podcast interviewed Henry Grabar about his new book, “Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World.” (TWOC)
• WPIX dove into the MTA’s fare proposals.
• Cops arrested a homeless man for shoving a woman into a moving train car, causing severe injuries. (NY Post, amNY, NBC New York)
• Transit advocates push “fair fares” expansion ahead of looming fare hike. (NYDN)
• An ex-firefighter pleads guilty to wrong-way, drunk killing of Queens teacher. (News 12 Long Island)
• NYC’s least-appreciated civil servants fight for better working conditions. (Gothamist)
• Zero injuries after school bus carrying six kids bursts into flames in Queens. (CBS New York)