Fastest Road In America & Maximum Speed Limits In New York

The highest speed limit in New York is 65 mph. However, it is not the highest in the land.

The NY Times recently reported that the State Transportation Commission (STC) in Texas approved raising the speed limit along a stretch of State Highway 130 (between Austin and San Antonio) to 85 mph. The STC justified its decision by explaining that the roadway is designed and tested for high-speed travel.

The only other state with a speed limit close to 85 mph is Utah’s 80 mph on stretches of I-15.

In contrast, New York City’s maximum speed limit is 50 mph (not 55 mph as many motorists assume). On a bridge, it is usually 40 mph and in tunnels 25 mph. If no speed limit sign is posted (other than on a highway), then the speed limit on a city street is 30 mph.

Below are areas of strict speed enforcement in New York City. Police in New York City use radar, laser, pacing techniques and/or visual estimates in determining whether to stop a motorist for speeding.

Manhattan

* Outside the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, heading toward the FDR Drive underpass.

* Riverside Drive at 135th Street side (the posted speed limit is only 30 mph).

* FDR Drive: The police wait just south of the Brooklyn Bridge on the southbound side.

* First Avenue Tunnel/Underpass from 41st Street to 49th Street: At the end of the tunnel, police with laser and radar guns in hand enforcing the 30 mile per hour limit.

* FDR Service Road at 23rd Street: Northbound on the service road just before 23rd Street, the police actively conduct speed enforcement of the 40 mile per hour limit.

* FDR North between the Battery Park Underpass and the Brooklyn Bridge, police watch for motorists exceeding the 40 mile per hour speed limit.

* FDR Drive North of 96th Street.

* West Side Highway, North of the Lincoln Tunnel.

* Henry Hudson Parkway (50 mph speed limit drops to 35 mph)

Bronx

* New England Thruway in Baychester, where it intersects with the Hutchinson River Parkway.

* Throgs Neck Bridge Expressway

* Hutchinson River Parkway in North Pelham, near the Westchester border (either direction).

* Major Deegan Highway near the George Washington Bridge (either direction)

Brooklyn

* Belt Parkway in Bay Ridge, westbound between 92nd and 65th streets.

* Fountain Avenue in East New York (where drag racers attract cops.)

* Southern end of Flatbush Avenue, from Avenue U to the Marine Parkway Bridge.

* Prospect Expressway and northern end of Ocean Parkway where it intersects Church Avenue.

* Neptune Avenue westbound between West 12th Street and Stillwell Avenue.

* Laurel Hill Blvd between 48th and 58th street. Police sit in the cemetary with a radar gun.

Queens

* Grand Central Parkway, between the Long Island Expressway and Little Neck Parkway.

* Long Island Expressway just past Little Neck Parkway (Westbound)

* Rockaway Boulevard near 150th Street, North of JFK Airport (known drag racing area).

* Francis Lewis Boulevard (known drag racing area)

* Clearview Expressway (anywhere, anytime)

* Jackie Robinson Parkway (anywhere)

* Triboro Bridge: On the Queens-bound side, police sit around the curve and at the very end of the bridge waiting for vehicles exceeding the 40 mph limit.

* 164th Street and Underhill Avenue in Fresh Meadows catching Northbound motorists coming out of the bend

* Whitestone Expressway Service Road (southbound) between 20th Ave. and Linden Place

* Westbound North Conduit Avenue, 3/10 of a mile west of Brookville Blvd (East of 225th Street)

Staten Island

* Hyland Boulevard in Tottenville.

* Entire length of the Staten Island Expressway.

* Stretches of Victory Boulevard.