Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 116; Flight Crew Total 9603; Flight Crew Type 6356
Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Speed All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Airspace Structure; Procedure
Arrival in Newark; ATC directed descent to 2;000 feet while maneuvering to [Runway] 4R approach. We were out far enough distance that those instructions plus direction to maintain 220 kts would put us in violation of FAR's. We openly discussed Class B and airspeed and flew accordingly.
Philbo3 STAR; EWR. Vectors after Metro- at about 8;000 feet [contacted] Approach Control; then cleared direct GRITY; descend/maintain 2;000 feet; intercept [Runway] 4R localizer. Complied with clearance; then realized we were well outside limits of Class B airspace when we reached 2;000 feet. Noted several other aircraft were given same type of clearance. The weather was IFR; with ceilings at 550 feet. Delaying the descent to comply the with Class B airspace would have made us stay higher much longer than the time normally expected to comply with an ATC clearance; and thinking this was a traffic issue with ATC; we complied with the issued clearance. No traffic advisories or conflicts were noted. Spoke with the Captain on the inbound ZZZ-EWR flight after arrival and he stated [he] had been given the same type of clearance.  My question: is an ATC clearance authorization to operate below the Class B airspace?
Flight crew reported EWR ATC instructed them to maneuver below Class B and exceed 200 kts.