The Department of Transportation (DOT) is set to expand the number of school zones encompassed by the program by more than five-fold, while also extending the hours of operation and increasing the radial distance in which they can operate.
DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg recently penned a letter to Borough President James Oddo to update Staten Islanders about the program’s expansion, offering details of the changes and echoing the long-held claim that speed cameras have been effective in improving school zone safety.
“School speed zone cameras are a proven technology that play a crucial role in Mayor de Blasio’s Vision Zero initiative and have greatly contributed to the city’s 33% reduction in traffic fatalities over the past five years. Since the city launched the program in 2014, speeding at locations with cameras decreased by more than 60% with over 80% of violators not receiving a second ticket," Trottenberg wrote.
Here’s what you need to know about the program’s expansion:
- When does it start? The new law allowing for the program’s expansion takes effect on Thursday.
- How many more cameras? The number of school zones housing speed cameras will increase from 140 to 750, an increase of approximately 436 percent. The New York Times has reported that the program could ultimately result in over 2,000 cameras placed throughout the 750 zones, though the DOT would not confirm this.
- When will the new cameras be installed? The DOT is expected to install cameras at a rate of 40 per month through the end of 2019, increasing the rate to 60 per month in 2020. DOT expects to reach the maximum 750 school zones by June 2020, according to the letter.
Extended hours
The expanded program will feature extended hours, with cameras now permitted to operate year-round on weekdays, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., including school and summer vacations. Under the previous programs, cameras were only permitted to operate during school activity hours.Increasing radial distance
The language in the new law will now allow cameras to be placed within a quarter-mile radial distance of a school, as opposed to the previous law that required the cameras to be placed within a quarter-mile of the school along an abutted street.“This change to the law allows cameras to be installed on a much larger number of streets near schools. In coming months, new cameras will be installed on a number of new high-crash corridors throughout the city," Trottenberg wrote.
Fines unchanged
Motorists who are photographed exceeding the speed limit by more than 10 miles per hour at a speed camera location will continue to receive a $50 fine.Reporting requirements
The law will update the annual reporting requirements to include information related to the effectiveness of operating hours, in addition to information regarding city government funding allocations to improve traffic and pedestrian safety.How we got here
In late March, the Democratic-led New York State Senate and Assembly passed measures to expand the controversial program, which had struggled to pass in recent years.The total number of zones in the expansion dwarfs the number previously proposed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in January, when the governor included language in the state budget to expand the program to 290 zones.
Last year, the Republican-led state Senate refused to vote on a bill that would have extended the speed camera program, forcing Cuomo to declare a State of Emergency, working with Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Council Speaker Corey Johnson to temporarily reinstate and expand the program.
“We are excited about the opportunity to broaden the reach of this life saving program and remain committed to implementing the program in a fair manner guided by speeding and crash data,” Trottenberg concluded.
©2019 Staten Island Advance, N.Y. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
