New Law Gives Green Light for NYC Speed ​​Cameras to Operate 24 Hours – NBC New York

Governor Kathy Hochul signed on Friday to clear the way for New York City’s speed cameras to operate 24/7, marking a major victory for safe streets advocates who have lobbied Albany. in recent years by stricter regulations in order to reduce pedestrian fatalities.

Before the new law, the cameras, which work in school zones, could only stay on between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. on school days, but legislation Hochul signed into law on Friday morning gives the green light for them to stay on. turned on at all hours.

“New Yorkers don’t just deserve safe streets at certain times of the day,” Hochul said after signing the bill at the Clinton School in Manhattan. “We need to use every tool at our disposal, and too many of our children have been killed by cars not to reauthorize and expand this life-saving program.”

Mayor Eric Adams, who has long advocated expanding the city’s speed camera program, said the law will save lives and pointed to data showing speeding rates are significantly lower in the monitored areas.

“People thought that cameras are a form of punishment. They are not. They are a form of deterrence,” she said.

The new rule is expected to be officially implemented in the coming months, a spokesman for the city’s Transportation Department said. First, the department needs to expand staff and build a structure to carry out the program effectively, the spokesperson added.

Fines will remain at $50 for violations, including running red lights and speeding. The bill Hochul signed extends the expanded speed camera program for three years, through July 1, 2025.

According to City Hall data, the speeding rate in areas with camera surveillance was 72% lower during operating hours in December 2020. The data also shows that speeding rates increased during nighttime hours when the cameras were off.

Data from the Department for Transport shows fatalities rose 44% in the first three months of 2022 compared to the same period last year.

The 24-hour speed camera program is authorized by state law, which means the state Legislature had to pass an extension by July 1 to keep it from lapsing. Lawmakers did so just before the end of their annual legislative session earlier this month.

Previous versions of the bill, sponsored by Democratic Sen. Andrew Gounardes and Assemblywoman Deborah Glick, would have included tougher penalties for repeat offenders, including license suspension for those hit with a sixth ticket.

Supporters of the measure, including Safe Streets advocates, say the cameras improve pedestrian safety by ensuring vehicles slow down in areas traveled by students. Those who oppose speed cameras and red light cameras dismiss them as a way to increase revenue for the city.

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