As Manhattan BP Mark Levine rails against speeding, his drivers put pedal to metal
In a one year period from 2023 to 2024, the beep's car racked up six speeding in school zone violations, per data from How's My Driving — a stat that means his vehicle could be required to have intelligent speed assistance technology installed under a bill he's advocated for that would crack down on 'super speeders.'
'Reckless drivers are killing New Yorkers,' Levine wrote on social media in April. '… This legislation would mandate speed limiter technology for the most dangerous drivers on our streets. Albany must act now!'
A spokesperson for Levine blamed the beep's drivers, saying that the speeding violations were done on their commutes, when Levine wasn't in the car. A side-by-side comparison revealed many of the after-hours violations occurred, for example in Brooklyn at times when where Levine is marked down as being in Manhattan or at the office.
After the Daily News asked about the violations, a spokesperson said that 'disciplinary actions' were taken with the relevant staffers.
'The Borough President is committed to traffic safety, which is why he supports laws like the Stop Super Speeder bill and efforts to crack down on ghost plates, and advocated for the passage of Sammy's Law, among other priorities,' a spokesperson for Levine said.
'In fact, he has already requested a speed limiter for the MBPO vehicle, so that staff cannot continue this pattern of behavior.'
The law to crack down on drivers with the most violations would require a speed-limiting device to be installed in the cars of motorists with six or more camera-issued speeding tickets in 12 months.
The beep's city-issued car has racked up a total of 28 violations since he started in the post in 2022, including 10 for speeding in school zones. Manhattan accounted for just 16 of those total violations, with Brooklyn seeing 10 violations and Queens and the Bronx recording one each.
In an interview with the New York Editorial Board last week, Levine, said he prefers to take the subway and said he has 'rarely left the island for the most part' during his tenure.
'It's more fun and usually faster,' he said of the subway. 'But there's times where there's just no way to make the schedule work and in those cases it's helpful to have that option.'
Levine is running for City Comptroller against current Councilmember Justin Brannan. Sitting Comptroller Brad Lander is running for mayor.
The 'Super Speeder' bill advanced in a state Senate Transportation Committee on Tuesday.
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