Multi-Agency, Multimedia Outreach Campaign in 11 Languages Will Remind Drivers About Coming Change
Speed Cameras Are Proven Preventive Tools That Save Lives, Reduce Speeding by 72 Percent
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez today announced that New York City’s speed cameras will begin operating 24/7 on August 1, 2022, following a month-long public awareness campaign starting tomorrow to prepare drivers and all New Yorkers for the change. The city’s 2,000 automated speed cameras were previously authorized by the state to operate only on weekdays, between 6:00 AM and 10:00 PM, missing the 59 percent of traffic fatalities that occurred when the cameras were previously required to be turned off. A state law signed last week by New York Governor Kathy Hochul now allows the cameras to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Speed cameras and automated traffic enforcement are proven, effective safety tools shown to reduce speeding by 72 percent.
“New Yorkers deserve to be safe on our streets 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and keeping our cameras on is a critical step in that direction,” said Mayor Adams. “Speed cameras work: They save lives, reduce speeding, and help protect New Yorkers all across the city. And we are expanding this proven program to ensure that New Yorkers have that protection at any time of any day.”
“Sadly, we know reckless drivers are on our streets 24/7 — so our cameras must be on 24/7 too,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “Thanks to the hard work of many people, our cameras will now be on at all hours, helping to keep our streets safer.”
“Overnight and weekend crashes have become far too prevalent in recent years, and we are so grateful that state legislators heard our call for 24/7 speed-camera coverage,” said DOT Commissioner Rodriguez. “We thank the mayor for his support as we put together an aggressive plan to get this critical law up and running. As we make the nation’s largest automated enforcement network even more effective, we will get out the word about this new law, which will allow us to start saving lives on our streets as soon as possible.”
The city’s automated enforcement program has been highly effective at both reducing speeding and changing driver behavior when cameras are active. Since the start of the speed camera program in 2014, speeding violations are down 72 percent on average at camera locations in the 750 school zones citywide during the hours they operate. Most vehicles caught speeding have only received one or two tickets since the start of the program. Still, traffic violence and rampant speeding have skyrocketed nationwide during the COVID-19 pandemic, including in New York City — and 31 percent of on-street traffic fatalities now occur in camera zones during hours when the city’s speed cameras could not previously operate, inhibiting the city’s ability to identify drivers and take appropriate action.
Starting tomorrow, July 1, DOT will launch a month-long messaging and outreach campaign to inform New Yorkers of the program’s expansion ahead of the August 1st implementation date. Digital and print materials will be available in 11 languages.
The campaign will include:
- Paid Media: The city will leverage paid and pro-bono media to amplify speed camera expansion communications, with a total investment of $500,000 and a special focus on community and ethnic media.
- Digital Communications: The city will deploy a 30-day “countdown” social media campaign to provide details of the speed camera expansion and explain the program’s benefits.
- Physical Outreach: DOT has produced postcards that will be distributed by DOT Street Teams. Ahead of the August 1st change, Vision Zero agency partners will partner on a Day of Awareness — a large-scale, five-borough, on-street event. Finally, DOT will produce a notice that will be included in all speed camera violations.
- Education Programs: DOT will modify its summer and fall programs in schools, senior centers, and community centers to specifically address the change in the law and the safety benefits of the program.
The new effort follows Mayor Adams’ historic investment of more than $900 million in street safety announced in his Fiscal Year 2023 Executive Budget. Earlier this year, Mayor Adams also announced a plan to redesign 1,000 intersections across New York City to protect pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers.
“Speed cameras are an essential tool to keep all New Yorkers, from pedestrians and cyclists to TLC-licensed drivers and passengers, safe from traffic violence — but they can’t be effective when they’re turned off,” said New York City Taxi and Limousine Commissioner (TLC) and Chair David Do. “We are grateful to Mayor Adams, Commissioner Rodriguez, Governor Hochul, and the state Legislature for expanding the city’s speed camera program and ensuring that road users are protected from reckless drivers regardless of the time of day.”
“Turning speed cameras on 24/7, 365 days a year is a critical step towards improving safety and protecting all New Yorkers,” said New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) Commissioner Dawn M. Pinnock. “As a Vision Zero Task Force member agency, we believe that decreasing speed can lead to an increase in traffic safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and other motorists. Expanding camera hours is one of many tools we can lean on to improve our city and promote safe driving. At DCAS, we expect all of our fleet operators to remain focused and abide by traffic laws, and we encourage all motorists to do the same.”
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