Mayor Zohran Mamdani and New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn announced a major expansion of street safety measures around schools as students returned to class this week, including the installation of more than 200 new 15 mph school slow zones and the city’s first gated open street outside a school.
The city DOT has installed 15 mile-per-hour school slow zones at more than 200 school locations this year, with roughly 800 expected to be in place by the end of 2026. The expansion represents the largest-ever implementation of Sammy’s Law, which grants New York City the authority to reduce speed limits near schools.
The city announced eight new slow zones on Staten Island that cover 12 schools. This is in addition to the existing 40 school slow zones in the borough that cover 42 schools. Many of the school slow zones in the borough overlap to include multiple schools in an area. The DOT has also announced plans to construct several raised crosswalks near and adjacent to Staten Island schools.
“Every student deserves to feel safe when they make their way to school, and every parent deserves the same peace of mind,” said Mamdani. “From Sammy’s Law and Open Streets to installing street redesigns near 300 City schools, our administration will continue to take action to ensure our streets are safe, especially those surrounding our children’s schools.”
This month, the DOT will install the city’s first open streets gate outside a school on Clarkson Street in Tribeca as part of an ongoing redesign of the street between Hudson Street and Varick Street. The gate draws inspiration from Paris’ Rues aux Écoles, which use street gates to create safer spaces for students and expand opportunities for play and outdoor learning.
The Clarkson Street project will add public seating, expand pedestrian space, create safer crossings, improve visibility and slow down drivers.
“As a parent of two NYC public school students, I understand the importance of Open Streets as an opportunity to provide safe, open-air environments for children to learn and play — while also providing parents and guardians calmer and more social pick-ups and drop-offs,” said Flynn.
Clarkson Street is one of 77 open streets at schools launching across the city for the 2026-2027 school year. The program builds on New York City’s roughly century-long tradition of closing streets for children to play and learn by allowing participating schools to temporarily close streets to vehicles for drop-off and pick-up, recess and outdoor learning.
The DOT is implementing street safety upgrades on streets adjacent to more than 300 schools in 2026. This month, the agency will begin major bike and pedestrian improvements on Courtlandt Avenue, Park Avenue and Morris Avenue in the Bronx, benefitting more than 10 schools in the area. The project includes a large sidewalk extension with asphalt art in front of PS 1 on East 153rd Street, as well as 3.7 miles of bike lanes and a protected bike lane loop around the NYCHA Andrew Jackson Houses.
The agency is also advancing safety projects on Coney Island Avenue adjacent to PS 889 and MS 890, Beach Channel Drive and Rockaway Beach Boulevard in collaboration with adjacent schools, and Elton Avenue adjacent to the Earl Monroe New Renaissance Basketball Charter School.
