I guess New York isn’t making enough money with speed cameras.
That could be why one New York lawmaker is pushing for red light cameras to be put in place at more intersections here.
State Sen. Andrew Gounardes (D-Bklyn.) has a bill that would allow the city to increase the number of red light cameras from the current 150 intersections in the five boroughs, Fox 5 New York reported.
With 13,500 intersections in the city, according to Gounardes, having red light cameras at just 1% of intersections isn’t nearly enough for public safety.
Pointing to figures from the city Department of Transportation, the news report said that the number of violations has declined by 77% since the red light camera program was introduced here in 1994.
That’s a pretty good number, no? Do we really need to expand the red light program if it’s already working that well? Maybe the cameras are already doing their job.
But nothing is good enough for the Vision Zero types. If something is working, they want more of it. And if something isn’t working, they want more of it. Because the idea is zero traffic deaths. A nice goal but one that’s likely unattainable without taking every car and truck off the road.
We’re also told that speed cameras are doing their job and making city streets safer. If that’s the case, why do we need to put red light cameras at more intersections?
While advocates say that red light cameras make intersections safer, others say that they actually increase the danger because drivers stop short at those intersections, leading to more rear-end collisions. So there’s an irony that a safety measure could actually lead to roads that are less safe, just in a different way.
So why the push for more red light cameras? The money that will no doubt be generated is no doubt enticing.
Speed cameras showed lawmakers how easy it is to generate income with very little effort. And lawmakers are always looking for more money to spend. And if someone breaks the law and has to pay a fine, either by speeding or by running a red light, nobody’s going to feel sorry for that motorist.
We can see how quickly the speed camera program expanded over a relatively short period, to the point where the cameras are now in operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Long gone are the days when the cameras were in operation only in school zones and only during certain times of the day.
We’ve also seen speed cameras placed in highway work zones. Lawmakers know easy money when they see it.
And for all the claims that speed cameras have made roads safer, the speed camera picture is actually warped because the installation of the cameras in New York City came along with reduced speed limits. That made it easier for drivers to break the law and get a summons. What used to be safe speeds to drive were suddenly deemed hazardous.
More and more, drivers are becoming big fat cash cows for government. If you doubt it, just look at the coming congestion pricing tax, where a $15 fee will be charged to those entering Manhattan below 60th Street.
You think it’ll end there? You think that motorists couldn’t someday be charged for driving into congested areas of other boroughs, including Staten Island? You have more faith than I do.
And Port Authority bridge tolls just went up again.
It’s just too easy to target drivers. After all, what are we going to do? Not drive? Some of us don’t have a choice.
And the powers that be know that. And they’re profiting from it.
Red light cameras at more NYC intersections the next driver rip-off (opinion)
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07.01.2024
I guess New York isn’t making enough money with speed cameras.
That could be why one New York lawmaker is pushing for red light cameras to be put in place at more intersections here.
State Sen. Andrew Gounardes (D-Bklyn.) has a bill that would allow the city to increase the number of red light cameras from the current 150 intersections in the five boroughs, Fox 5 New York reported.
With 13,500 intersections in the city, according to Gounardes, having red light cameras at just 1% of intersections isn’t nearly enough for public safety.
Pointing to figures from the city Department of Transportation, the news report said that the number of violations has declined by 77% since the red light camera program was introduced here in 1994.
That’s a pretty good number, no? Do we really need to expand the red light program if it’s already working........
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