The MTA is set to zoom in on drivers who recklessly speed through construction zones on its bridges and tunnels, and make them pay.
As part of the recently approved $254 million state budget, Gov. Kathy Hochul and lawmakers agreed to expand an existing construction-zone speed camera program to the MTA’s seven bridges and two tunnels: the Bronx-Whitestone, Cross Bay, Henry Hudson, Marine Parkway, Robert F. Kennedy, Throgs Neck and Verrazzano-Narrows Bridges; and the Hugh L. Carey and Midtown Tunnels.
It is unclear when the cameras will start collecting fines, but according to the rules, drivers who go over the designated speed limit at work zones on the crossings will be mailed fines starting at $50 for a first offense. Drivers who get a second violation within 18 months of the first one will get a $75 fine.
All other fines will be $100 if within 18 months of the first offense.
The governor said the cameras will improve safety for everyone on the roads, including workers.
“Governor Hochul has said since day one of this budget process that public safety is her top priority,” said Kara Cumoletti, a spokesperson for the governor. “Expanding this successful program to MTA Bridges and Tunnels is one more way the governor is working to improve safety on our roads and bridges for workers and travelers alike.”
Speed cameras are a ‘tool’ for maintaining safety at work zones
According to Crain’s, the governor first signed the five-year pilot program, called the Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement initiative, into law in September 2021. State statistics show that there were 378 “work zone intrusions” on NYS roads maintained by the state Department of Transportation in 2021 alone.
A work zone intrusion, according to state law, is an incident in which a vehicle has entered a portion of the roadway that is closed due to construction or maintenance activity.
Catherine Sheridan, president of MTA Bridges and Tunnels, reiterated the importance of protecting workers at construction sites.
“We want to make sure that our maintenance workers and contractors are safe, and this is another tool to accomplish that, for which we are grateful to the governor and the legislature, Sheridan said.
Money collected from the fines will mostly fund state worker safety programs, though 20% will go to the City of New York to defray adjudication costs.
The MTA’s nine crossings in NYC handle more than 336 million vehicle trips each year. The two tunnels — Hugh L. Carey (Brooklyn-Battery) and Queens-Midtown — are part of the MTA’s congestion pricing program and require a $9 base toll for vehicles entering Manhattan.
Although the fate of congestion pricing remains in the hands of the federal court ever since the U.S. Department of Transportation revoked its approval of the program, the tolls have brought in $159 million since they launched on Jan. 5.
The MTA has said the toll revenue will help pay for improvements to the city’s public transportation systems, such as train signal updates, new electric buses and structural repairs.
