My name is Joshua Berman and I am the campaigns manager for Regional Plan Association. For those that don’t know, RPA is a research planning and advocacy organization that focuses on improving the quality of life for the whole tri-state area. We’re known for our long range plans that look at how our metropolitan region can grow 30 or 40 years down the road and develop strategies that chart the course to get there.

Now you might be thinking, what does speeding have anything to do with long term regional growth? To us at RPA, we see our streets as one of our greatest public resources – and we have spent decades advocating for policies that reduce our reliance on private automobiles and prioritize pedestrians, cyclists and transit riders.

In New York, our streets aren’t just a way for cars to get around– they are our front yards, our meet up spots, our public space. Many of us love and choose to live in this City because of what our streets give us. So why should we let a handful of reckless individuals threaten this critical resource through persistent and recurring speeding?

Allowing these drivers to continue endangering our communities is a political choice. But with the Stop Super Speeders bill we can choose a different path. A path that holds bad drivers accountable and limits their ability to speed, while protecting our children, our friends and our neighbors from repeat reckless drivers.

For over 100 years, RPA has been advocating for more liveable and walkable streets and passing this bill is crucial to that goal. We are proud to stand with Families for Safe Streets, Transportation Alternatives, our champions in the City Council and advocates across the city in support of safer streets. The state legislature should act now to save lives and pass the Stop Super Speeders bill through the budget this year.