Menands Village adopts 25 mph speed limit on village-owned roads
April 06, 2026 | Menands Village, Albany County, New York
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Trustees in Menands voted to adopt Local Law No. 2 of 2026, lowering the speed limit to 25 miles per hour on village-owned roads while excluding state-maintained roads. The board opened the ordinance for a public hearing before taking the vote.
Residents at the hearing favored the change as a public-safety measure. ‘‘I do support the idea of reducing the speed limit from 30 to 25 miles an hour on most village streets,’’ resident Bill said, urging the board to ‘‘go ahead, let's get this ordinance passed.’’ Scott Hopson, whose written letter was entered into the record and who spoke remotely, called the law ‘‘a great first step’’ and recommended low-cost traffic-calming measures — including four-way stops at hilltop intersections and curb extensions — to slow drivers in dense South End neighborhoods.
Board members and staff discussed how school-zone speeds are set under state Department of Transportation standards and noted a school-zone is typically set relative to the prevailing (85th-percentile) speed. A trustee said the village can pursue complementary steps — such as changing code to ban parking on Wards Lane and adding curb extensions — without a separate public hearing, and staff estimated the initial cost to order signage at roughly $1,500.
The ordinance was introduced by the chair as "Local Law No. 2 of 2026, lowering the village speed limit to 25 miles per hour as submitted in the appropriate village code section." A trustee moved to adopt the law and the board called the vote; the motion carried. Trustees clarified that state roads (including Route 378 and other state-owned streets) remain under state jurisdiction and will not be changed by the village law.
The board directed staff to coordinate with DOT on school-zone determinations, begin ordering signs after mailing the required notice to the state, and consider neighborhood-specific calming projects mentioned by residents. The village clerk will include written public comments from Scott Hopson and Judy Shapiro in the meeting minutes.
The law takes effect according to the village's standard local-law processes; staff said signage can be posted and enforcement can begin after the state is notified.
Residents at the hearing favored the change as a public-safety measure. ‘‘I do support the idea of reducing the speed limit from 30 to 25 miles an hour on most village streets,’’ resident Bill said, urging the board to ‘‘go ahead, let's get this ordinance passed.’’ Scott Hopson, whose written letter was entered into the record and who spoke remotely, called the law ‘‘a great first step’’ and recommended low-cost traffic-calming measures — including four-way stops at hilltop intersections and curb extensions — to slow drivers in dense South End neighborhoods.
Board members and staff discussed how school-zone speeds are set under state Department of Transportation standards and noted a school-zone is typically set relative to the prevailing (85th-percentile) speed. A trustee said the village can pursue complementary steps — such as changing code to ban parking on Wards Lane and adding curb extensions — without a separate public hearing, and staff estimated the initial cost to order signage at roughly $1,500.
The ordinance was introduced by the chair as "Local Law No. 2 of 2026, lowering the village speed limit to 25 miles per hour as submitted in the appropriate village code section." A trustee moved to adopt the law and the board called the vote; the motion carried. Trustees clarified that state roads (including Route 378 and other state-owned streets) remain under state jurisdiction and will not be changed by the village law.
The board directed staff to coordinate with DOT on school-zone determinations, begin ordering signs after mailing the required notice to the state, and consider neighborhood-specific calming projects mentioned by residents. The village clerk will include written public comments from Scott Hopson and Judy Shapiro in the meeting minutes.
The law takes effect according to the village's standard local-law processes; staff said signage can be posted and enforcement can begin after the state is notified.
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