Gov. Andrew Cuomo plans to green-light the return of the city’s school speed camera program and expand it to more streets.
The governor announced Monday that he will formally reinstate the program in his executive budget, and increase the number of monitored school zones from 140 to 290. The cameras were first approved in 2013 and installed throughout the city, however they were shut down last summer after the State Senate failed to vote on its renewal.
Cuomo issued a state of emergency and Mayor Bill de Blasio signed a bill that reactivated the cameras just before the start of the school year, sidestepping the stalled state renewal for a temporary solution.
"With this new proposal we will not only reinstate the program the way it should have been done in the first place — we will also expand the number of cameras to protect more children and prevent needless tragedies and heartbreak," Cuomo said in a statement.
Mayoral spokesman Seth Stein said the move is critical to the mayor’s Vision Zero plan to reduce traffic-related fatalities.
“When a speed camera is activated it reduces speeding in that area by over 60 percent," Stein said. "The program is a vital Vision Zero tool, and a strong contributor to the city’s five straight years of declining traffic deaths.”
Cuomo said the new camera zones would be determined by the city. In addition to the expansion, the governor’s plan would increase signage that would give drivers notice of the cameras.
