NY Lawmakers Eye 70 MPH Speed Limit on I-87

Raising the Max Speed

While cities like Albany, Colonie, and Saratoga Springs have lowered speed limits on many local streets to 25 mph in recent years, New York lawmakers are considering doing the opposite on some highways.

Two bills — New York Senate Bill S1500 and New York Assembly Bill A3571 — would allow the state to raise the maximum speed limit from 65 mph to 70 mph on certain highways that meet safety and engineering standards.

The ADK Northway is currently 65 MPH when you pass the Twin Bridges. Is this fast enough? Photo: Google Maps

Faster Traffic on the Northway?

The change would not automatically apply everywhere. Instead, the New York State Department of Transportation and the Thruway Authority would determine which stretches qualify.

For drivers in the Capital Region, the big question is what to do on I-87, AKA the Northway. Anyone who regularly travels between Albany and Saratoga knows that 65 mph can sometimes feel like you’re standing still.

Some argue that raising the limit to 70 mph would better reflect real-world driving speeds and align New York with neighboring states. Critics say higher limits could increase crash severity and reduce safety.

Timeline for Approval?

At this moment, both S1500 and A3571 are active bills under consideration — meaning they have been introduced and referred to the appropriate transportation committees in the Senate and Assembly, respectively.

However, sources say that no official “approval date” has been set yet.

The bills must go through committee hearings, potential amendments, and votes in both chambers.
If passed by the Legislature, they would then go to the Governor for signing.
After that, the NYS Department of Transportation and the Thruway Authority would still decide which specific highway sections merit the new 70 mph limit based on safety and engineering studies.

Legislative processes like this can span weeks to months, and sometimes longer if there’s significant debate or pushback.

For better or worse, if it weren’t for strategically placed State Troopers, I'm not sure anyone would be traveling less than 80 MPH!

What do you think, should the Northway move to 70 mph?

New York State's 5 Most Dangerous Roads [RANKED]

With plenty of big cities and numerous busy highways, it should come as no surprise New York state is unfortunately home to some of the most dangerous roads in the nation. While you would expect New York City to be the home of such roadways (2 on this list), the danger is not limited to the Big Apple. According to Catalano Law, 3 New York State's 5 most dangerous roads live mostly Upstate and should be navigated with the most extreme caution. Here are the 5 most dangerous in the Empire State.

Gallery Credit: Matty Jeff