NYC’s school zone speed camera program got an extra boost from Gov. Kathy Hochul after she signed legislation on Monday renewing the program through July 1, 2030 — a move prompting both applause and disappointment from New Yorkers around the city.
The governor signed S.8344/A.8787 on June 30; it updates home-rule provisions first enacted in 2013, authorizing automated speed-camera enforcement in school zones across the Big Apple.
“It’s simple: speed cameras save lives and keep New Yorkers safe,” Hochul said. “There is no greater priority for me than the safety of New Yorkers, and strengthening New York City’s speed camera program means safer streets for everyone, from kids walking to school to seniors crossing the street, to cyclists commuting home.”
According to a governor’s office press release, the law guarantees the continued use of the cameras, designed to crack down on reckless driving, at least until the expiration date.
‘Speed cameras save lives:’ Gounardes
State Senator Andrew Gounardes (D-Brooklyn) and Assembly Member Deborah Glick (D-Manhattan) sponsored the bill in their respective chambers and celebrated Hochul’s June 30 signature.
“At this point, there are no questions, just facts: speeding kills, and speed cameras save lives,” said Gouardes. “No New Yorker should fear for their life while traveling on our streets. The speed camera program works. Where there are cameras, drivers slow down and speeding plummets.”
Glick, whose district covers many Lower Manhattan neighborhoods, she was pleased that the governor renewed the program.
“New York City’s school zone speed camera program has been incredibly successful in slowing motorists down and drastically reducing injuries and deaths in the streets around our schools,” she said.
The governor is no stranger to renewing speed and other traffic camera enforcement programs. In 2022, she reauthorized and expanded the school speed camera program to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
And just last month, as part of the approved $254 million state budget, she and other lawmakers agreed to expand an existing construction-zone speed camera program to the MTA’s seven bridges and two tunnels.
Some drivers don’t see benefit
Meanwhile, not all New Yorkers, especially drivers, are on board with more speed-camera enforcement.
Manhattan resident Sean-Patrick Hillman told amNewYork that the speed-camera program, which charges leadfoot drivers $50 each time they blow through the surveillance speed traps, is more of a “cash grab” than a safety measure.
“Governor Hochul loves pushing revenue streams for the state that are disguised as ‘protecting the public.’ While, yes, they do some good in certain areas like schools, as usual, Albany has abused the program by rolling them out everywhere,” he said. “That isn’t safety, that is a cash grab.”
Staten Islander Linda DeForge said the cameras can be dangerous, as drivers might focus more on avoiding fines than on the road.
“They are not beneficial for New Yorkers and create driving hazards. People are more worried about the cameras than focusing on other cars and pedestrians,” she said “How about focusing on people with front tinted windows parking in handicap spots without a placard because you can’t see in to prove it.”
Despite the grousing, speed cameras have been shown to help improve street safety, largely because of drivers slowing down to avoid tickets.
As for statistics, with the exception of e-bikes, traffic collisions involving most vehicles are down over 10% compared to the same period in 2024.
E-bike collisions, meanwhile, increased over 8% during the same time comparison.
The NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) and transit advocates have actively pushed for the speed-camera program to be renewed this year.
“The data is clear: speed cameras save lives, and their use has made our streets safer for everyone, reducing deaths and serious injuries wherever they are located,” City Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said. “While one fatality is one too many, it is no coincidence that with the largest such network of cameras in the country, New York City is defying national rates of traffic fatalities, and we thank Governor Hochul, the legislature, and all the advocates who successfully fought for this renewal.”
The agency also advocated for the Stop Super Speeders legislation to pass during this legislative session, but it did not make it through.
The anti-speeding bill would mandate that drivers install speed-limiting devices in their vehicles if they meet certain legal requirements.
