MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES THAT SINCE LAPSE OF SPEED-CAMERA LAW, MORE THAN 132,000 DRIVERS HAVE BEEN OBSERVED TRAVELING AT DANGEROUS SPEEDS NEAR SCHOOLS

Because of State Senate inaction, none of these drivers received a summons; just before the start of school in September, the final 20 mobile cameras will also go dark, leaving students at risk

  Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the first status report since the majority of New York City’s school safety speed-cameras went dark last month. According to the Department of Transportation (DOT), which is still collecting speed data from deactivated cameras, 132,253 drivers have been observed through Friday, August 10th exceeding the speed limit by more than 10 miles per hour during school hours. On July 25th, the City was required to shut off speed cameras in 120 school zones.

“In just over two weeks’ time since the cameras stopped issuing summonses, tens of thousands of drivers sped past schools. Even worse, because of State Senate inaction, these drivers will face absolutely no consequences for this lethal behavior,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “The State Senate must end their vacation early and act before the first day of school, which is just weeks away. Our children’s lives depend on it.”

“We at DOT know that speeding is a leading cause of traffic deaths – and so we are closely monitoring what the loss of speed cameras does to street safety,” said DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “But we already know this much: over 130,000 drivers felt comfortable putting their fellow New Yorkers at grave risk, and because of the State Senate, they will pay no penalty for it. The Senate must act now, before the inevitable consequence of their inaction hits.”

“This is a matter of life and death, and we need the Senate to return to Albany and turn the cameras back on,” said Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza. “As we get ready for a new school year, we can’t accept a reality where our kids will be less safe as they walk to and from school. The speed camera program is vital for our students, our families, and our City.”

“Today’s news is further evidence that we need speed cameras in school zones. Period. It is unbelievable that we have to continue begging Republicans in the State Senate to extend and expand the lifesaving school zone speed camera program, but that does not mean that we will give up. The Mayor, my colleagues in the Council and I are reinforcing our commitment to safe streets and letting it be known that we will continue to hold Senate Republicans accountable until they step up and do their jobs to protect our city’s children,” said Council Speaker Corey Johnson.

“It is long past time for the Senate to do the right thing and step up to protect school children,” saidAssembly Speaker Carl Heastie. “With students returning to school in just a few short weeks, it is simply unacceptable that the Senate has refused to pass the legislation necessary to keep our children safe and save lives. #passthebill.”

“New York became less safe the moment these speed cameras were turned off – and now we’re seeing how important these protections were. When 132,000 drivers speed through a school zone in three weeks, that represents 132,000 times that families, children, seniors, and everyone on the street were placed in danger,” said New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer. “When you put your neighbors at risk, you should be held accountable – and that goes for State Senators as well. Every second without these cameras is too long. We need action now.”

On July 25th, the first 120 speed camera school zones operated by DOT were deactivated and stopped issuing summonses. 20 mobile speed cameras will remain operational until August 30th. 

A bill to continue the use of the cameras and also to expand their use to other schools passed the Assembly and has the support of the Governor. The bill, A7798C/S6046C, has 35 co-sponsors in the Senate where only 32 votes are needed to pass any given bill. Nearly every Senator who represents New York City has supported the bill – however, it has not been brought up for a vote by the Senate leadership.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

At previous press conferences I stated that the NYCDOT surveyed a downward slopping road that was directly behind the Russian Mission in Riverdale, and not the street in front of PS 81 which everyone thought was surveyed by the DOT, including State Senator Jeff Klein who helped get the Speed Camera legislation passed in the state senate. 

I asked the mayor if he would now do a survey of the street in front of PS 81, telling him that when Senator Klein did two surveys of the street in front of PS 81 the results were much lower than the DOT's survey of Russian diplomats speeding downhill towards the Henry Hudson Parkway South to get to the U.N.

Mayor de Blasio responded "I am not going to cater to the constituents of a certain elected official because they do not like speed cameras." 

Last Thursday at the For-hire rally in Union Square Park I asked the Mayor if he was going to endorse the former IDC heads opponent Alessandra Biaggi since he is endorsing opponents of former IDC members. The mayor responded that he has only endorsed one person in Brooklyn who is running against a former IDC member. I countered by saying you also endorsed Ms. Jessica Ramos in Queens. The mayor said that he has not and will consider each candidate separately.

Three days later on Sunday Mayor Bill de Blasio endorsed Jessica Ramos for State Senate over her former IDC member opponent.

Perhaps the mayor should listen to me again by placing more police officers in cars equipped with radar speed monitoring machines. A much larger fine, points on a license, and possible suspension or revocation of a drivers license is much more of a deterrent than a fifty dollar summons to the owner of the vehicle.