Speed Enforcement Camera “Lite” May Pass Muster

The proposed installation of speed enforcement cameras across the city has been touted by some legislators and opposed by others, but now there is a chance that a slimmed down version of the plan has a chance of actually happening. Streetsblog is reporting that legislation to install cameras in school zones might have enough support to pass.

The battle over installing a network of speed enforcement cameras across the city has been between politicians like Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who believes it’s a common sense measure that will cut down on accidents and hit-and-runs, and politicians like State Senator Marty Golden, who believes that the cameras will make mistakes and also serve as an excuse to cut cop jobs. A deal to approve the cameras was nixed when Bloomberg refused to back funding that would pay for private Yeshiva busing in the districts of Golden and State Senator Simcha Felder.

Now, a new deal might get passed that is significantly less extensive then a comprehensive citywide installation of cameras. Under the new legislation, only 20 cameras would be installed and only in school zones and would only be active one hour before and after the school day starts and ends. Fines for drivers caught on the cameras would be $50 and they would receive no points on their licenses. While limited, proponents of speed enforcement cameras see this legislation as a necessary first step.

“What we are doing is getting our foot in the door. This is the start of the program,” Transportation Alternatives general counsel Juan Martinez told Streets Blog. “The key is to get the authorization so we can start eliminating these needless deaths.”

While Golden has not yet thrown his support behind the new measure, Martinez believes there is hope that he will change his mind on this slimmed down version of the legislation.

“He’s been on the right side of these issues for a long time,” Martinez told Streets Blog. “I think he gets the speeding issue.”