Let’s give the Democrats in Albany a little nudge: they’re actually going to let New York City use its speed cameras to catch speeders.
Mayor Eric Adams hails the Legislature’s offer as a big win, but it leaves a lot to be desired. Bill extends city’s speed camera program by three years and allows cameras to run 24/7 (instead of being off from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., like now).
The latter is vital. Data analyzed by information site The City confirms that 41% of collisions occur at night and on weekends, and 60% of all fatal accidents. More: 71% of deaths in vehicles and 40% of pedestrian fatalities in 2022 so far happened when the cameras were legally non-operational.
And last year was the city’s deadliest traffic year since 2014, with nearly 300 fatalities – and a series of horrific recent incidents suggest the carnage is on the rise.
Yet this bill does nothing to solve a central problem: that the legislator controls these cameras at all.
Speeding and car accidents are local issues that require local control. Yet to make changes — like, say, running his red-light cameras 24/7, which this bill doesn’t address — the mayor still has to go hat in hand to Albany and ask permission. It is beyond absurd.
Plus, a simple three-year extension ensures that the cameras will remain a bargaining chip. Albany is rushing to save lives while ensuring state lawmakers will keep toying with them.
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