New York, NY – The speed camera program in New York City will be expanded and school zones increased.
Speed cameras have proven to be effective at reducing car crashes and increasing survivability rates in school zones, but in 2018 the Republican-led Senate blocked passage of legislation that would allow the program to continue. In response, Governor Cuomo declared a State of Emergency to temporarily reinstate the program. The Governor’s new budget proposal would reinstate and expand the program. The number of impacted school zones will go from 140 to 290.
“There is indisputable evidence that speed cameras save lives, and as public servants we must use every available tool to protect our children,” Governor Cuomo said. “After Senate Republicans shamefully refused to extend this life-saving program, I declared a State of Emergency before the start of the school year to temporarily keep the cameras operating. With this new proposal we will not only reinstate the program the way it should have been done in the first place – we will also expand the number of cameras to protect more children and prevent needless tragedies and heartbreak.”
In 2013, Governor Cuomo signed a bill into law authorizing the City of New York to develop a system to advance school zone highway safety utilizing camera technology to record and enforce speeding violations. The program was expanded to authorize the deployment of speed cameras in 140 school zones throughout the City of New York the following year.
In 2018, the New York State Senate concluded its legislative session without taking action to extend the speed camera program, thus ending an extremely effective program that demonstratively and successfully protected school children from dangerous drivers. In August, Governor Cuomo declared a State of Emergency to temporarily reinstate the program in order ensure the safety of school children and parents.
