NYC Speed Cameras Given Green Light To Be On 24/7

by CrownHeights.info

A deal has been struck in Albany giving the go ahead to keep on the city’s speed cameras 24/7, a steep jump from the present 6:00am to 10:00pm legally allowed today.

The three year deal, which includes adding thousands of additional speed cameras near schools, is intended to curb speeding deaths throughout the city.

“Make no mistake about it, this is a major victory for New Yorkers that will save lives and help stem the tide of traffic violence that has taken too many,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said. “We are investing a historic $900 million in street safety and redesigning 1,000 intersections across the city – but we cannot do this alone, and my team and I have been working closely with our partners in Albany for months to get this done. I want to thank Speaker Heastie, Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins, Senator Gounardes, Assemblymember Glick, and all of my colleagues who helped us take this significant step. I now look forward to working with our partners in the City Council to deliver safer streets and a safer city for New Yorkers.”

As traffic violence continues to spike in New York City and across the country, speed cameras have proven incredibly effective at discouraging repeat speeding behavior, according to the mayor.

In 2021, the majority of vehicles that received one violation did not receive a second. As of December 2020, speeding at camera locations during hours of operation had dropped by an average of 72 percent. But in 2018, one in three deaths or serious injuries occurred while the cameras were not allowed to operate.

This new agreement will eliminate the restrictions on when cameras can operate.