STARTING TODAY: MTA to Issue Fines to Motorists Who Speed Through Work Zones
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced that it will begin issuing fines for speeding in work zones starting on Sept. 22. The Automated Work Zone Safety Enforcement went into effect on June 30 and more than 15,780 warning notices have been issued since then. The Authority activated speed cameras at operational construction zones on MTA vehicular bridges and tunnels in June as part of the Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement Program. Building on programs already in place on state highways, the program is designed to reduce traffic accidents and road worker fatalities. Starting Sept. 22, motorists who are recorded driving more than 10 miles per hour above the posted speed limit will be subject to a fine.
Work zone speed cameras were originally authorized in 2021 by Governor Kathy Hochul to cover work zones on state highways. The program was expanded in 2025 by Governor Hochul and the New York State legislature to include MTA Bridges and Tunnels, which operates and maintains nine facilities in the five boroughs:
– Bronx-Whitestone Bridge
– Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge
– Henry Hudson Bridge
– Hugh L. Carey Tunnel
– Marine Parkway-Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge
– Queens Midtown Tunnel
– Robert F. Kennedy Bridge
– Throgs Neck Bridge
– Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge
The first phase, which began on June 30, issued written warnings to drivers that were caught speeding in work zones. In the second phase, which will begin on Tuesday, Sept. 22, fines will be issued. Since the program began, the speed cameras have been deployed in 200 work zones and more than 33,000 vehicles were captured exceeding the speed limit by more than 10 miles per hour. In some instances, drivers were recorded going as fast as 111 miles per hour in a 45 miles per hour work zone and 109 miles per hour in a 35 miles per hour work zone. On average, vehicles were traveling 14.5 miles per hour over the posted speed limits in those work zones.
Violations start at $50 for the first offense and $75 for the second offense, if within 18 months of the first violation. Drivers with three or more violations will be fined $100 for each subsequent offense, if within 18 months of the first violation. These fines are subject to additional late fees. All violations are validated by a certified technician before they are issued. Because these are considered non-moving infractions, they will not appear on driving records nor be reported to insurance providers. Fines can be paid online, via mobile app, by mail, or in person at the NYC Department of Finance Business Centers.
An unmarked vehicle equipped with radar and camera equipment is stationed in active work zones and will operate during work hours. There will be signs alerting drivers to the presence of cameras posted ahead of these active construction sites.
Almost 900 fatalities and 40,000 injuries occurred in U.S. work zones in 2023. The program has proven successful on New York State Department of Transportation roads and the New York State Thruway, with a majority of road workers reporting they feel safer working in zones where the program is enforced.
