Advocates for street safety push for lower city speed limits

As the final touches of the state budget are being sorted out by New York lawmakers, advocates for transportation and street safety in Queens are urging for the approval of legislation granting the city authority over speed limits, following a series of tragic pedestrian accidents in the borough, - Spectrum News NY1 writes.

"My daughter Doniqueca Cooke was struck and killed at the intersection of Junction Boulevard and Horace Harding Expressway," Juliane Williams said about her late daughter, Doniqueca Cooke, nearly eight years after the 21-year-old was hit by a speeding driver in Queens. "Doniqueca was standing on the sidewalk," Williams added. "My daughter should not have been killed like that."

Williams, who has redirected her efforts towards preventing similar incidents, is spearheading the push for "Sammy's Law" in Albany. This proposed law would empower the city to reduce speed limits on its streets to 20 mph.

Alongside her advocacy for "Sammy's Law," Williams is also campaigning for the renaming of the intersection where her daughter tragically lost her life, in commemoration of her memory. She aims to accomplish this by June 30, the anniversary of her daughter's passing.

In solidarity with street safety advocates, Williams joined Queens Borough President Donovan Richards in East Elmhurst for a rally on Monday, calling on state legislators to enact "Sammy's Law." This rally follows a string of recent pedestrian fatalities in Queens, including an 8-year-old boy, a 43-year-old woman, and a 58-year-old woman, all struck and killed by vehicles within the past two weeks.

In 2014, the state legislature granted the city permission to lower its speed limit from 30 mph to 25 mph. Governor Kathy Hochul has expressed support for granting the city greater control over its speed limits in the past.