After Crashes Kill 12 New Yorkers in 7 Days, New Report Highlights How State Law Restricts Operating Hours of NYC’s Speed Safety Cameras, Advocates Urge Lawmakers to Lift Limits to Save Lives
Nearly 60 percent of traffic fatalities occur when Albany requires cameras to be turned off
Speed safety cameras led to a 72 percent reduction in speeding at safety camera locations across New York City
78 percent of New York City voters support speed safety cameras in school zones, including majority of drivers, and New Yorkers of all age groups, races, and income levels, and in every borough.
NEW YORK — Nearly 60 percent of all traffic fatalities occur when speed safety cameras are required by state law to be turned off, according to a new Transportation Alternatives report released today, Speeding Doesn’t Sleep: The Deadly Practice of Restricting the Operating Hours of New York City’s Speed Safety Cameras, highlighting the safety crisis on New York City’s streets and the need for Albany lawmakers to lift restrictions on New York City’s speed safety camera program.
“Speeding doesn’t sleep, and neither should our life-saving speed safety cameras. Speed safety cameras are proven to protect New Yorkers from injury and death. And, when Albany forces New York City to turn them off, their absence kills.” said Danny Harris, Transportation Alternatives Executive Director. “We need Albany to allow New York City to operate speed safety cameras 24/7 so every neighborhood is protected from speeding drivers every hour of the day, every day of the week.”
“Gun-free and drug-free school zones operate 24/7 and so should speeding-free school zones,” said Families for Safe Streets founding member Debbie Kahn, mother of Seth Kahn, who was killed by a bus driver while crossing the street in Midtown in 2009. “Our leaders in Albany must take common-sense action and allow New York City to strengthen the speed safety camera program to save lives on our streets, while the Adams administration must invest in comprehensive street redesigns to prevent drivers from being able to speed in the first place.”
“The DOT operates the most successful automated enforcement programs in the nation and New Yorkers strongly support these efforts to make our streets safer,” said Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “Our speed and red light cameras have proven to change driver behavior and save lives. As we work to combat rising traffic deaths, Albany must act now to allow DOT to expand our camera enforcement. For speed cameras, this means allowing us to decide where to place them and to keep them on overnight and on weekends.”
This report comes on the heels of a horrific and deadly week on New York City streets. In the past week, crashes killed twelve New Yorkers. This includes 16-year-old Alissa Kolenovic walking to school in the Bronx, 35-year-old Eric Salitsky biking in Sunset Park, 38-year-old MTA employee Karina Larino crossing the street in Astoria, 72-year-old John Dellava crossing the street in his electric wheelchair in the Bronx, 49-year-old nurse Florence Ngwu on her way to a Mother’s Day celebration in South Jamaica, Queens, and seven others.
New Yorkers are seeing a spike in traffic violence in 2022, and this year is likely to be the fourth year in a row of rising fatalities — a pattern not seen since at least 1990. Crashes have killed at least 81 people so far in 2022, a 19 percent increase over 2021 and 21 percent higher than the Vision Zero-era average. The largest increases in fatalities are in the Bronx, an 18 percent increase over 2021, and in Manhattan, a 45 percent increase over 2021.
The report shows that limits on speed safety camera operation put all New Yorkers at risk: Nearly 60 percent of all traffic fatalities occur when speed safety cameras are required by state law to be turned off.
However, when permitted to operate, speed safety cameras are a powerful deterrent to reckless driving. New York City’s effective speed safety camera program:
Cut fatal crashes by 55 percent after its introduction, including a 19.6 percent reduction in crashes involving children walking or biking and a 17 percent drop in all crash-related injuries, at camera sites during hours of operation.
Led to a 72 percent decline in speeding at safety camera locations citywide. On the Grand Concourse in the Bronx and Union Turnpike in Queens, speed safety cameras led to an 89 percent decline in speeding; an 88 percent decline on Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn; and over 80 percent on Rockaway Boulevard, Gun Hill Road, Coney Island Avenue, Eastern Parkway, Hylan Boulevard, and Northern Boulevard.
Reduced reckless driving. In 2020, more than half of drivers who received one speed safety camera violation never received a second, even as the number of cameras (and therefore the odds of any speeding driver being ticketed) increased.
To combat the rise in traffic violence, New York City needs access to every Vision Zero tool available, every hour of the day, including speed safety cameras. However, lawmakers in Albany restrict the hours speed safety cameras can operate, forcing them to be off for nights and weekends, a full 52 percent of the hours in a week. Transportation Alternatives and Families for Safe Streets are calling on lawmakers in Albany to lift these limits to save lives before the program reauthorization deadline on July 1, 2022.
Doing so will also be popular, as New Yorkers overwhelmingly support speed safety cameras. According to polling by Siena College, 78 percent of New York City voters support speed safety cameras in school zones, including majorities of all age groups, races, and income levels, and in every borough. Even 73 percent of households that own cars support speed safety cameras. Support has only grown in the years since the program was introduced, even as the number of cameras installed grew — including 93 percent of Latino voters and 75 percent of Black voters, up from 88 and 67 percent support, respectively, in 2016.
Additionally, the new report by Transportation Alternatives offers additional recommendations that would make the speed safety camera program more equitable, while providing funding to invest in comprehensive street redesigns. Recommendations include:
Earmarking fines collected by speed safety cameras to:
Fund safety improvements on streets where the violation occurred, allowing the consequences of unsafe streets to be put toward a solution.
Support people injured in traffic crashes on the street and the families of those killed.
Developing an income-based fines system, so the financial consequences of speeding are equitable to the offender.
“New York’s pedestrians and cyclists deserve to move around our city without fear. This data proves that speed safety cameras and other speeding disincentives save lives – plain and simple. I am grateful for Transportation Alternatives and Families for Safe Street for continuing to raise the alarm on the street safety crisis. This legislative session, Albany must enact Sammy’s Law and all eight bills under the Crash Victim Rights and Safety Act to keep New Yorkers safe and stop these preventable deaths,” said Senator Brad Hoylman.
"We have just 11 days in Albany left to save our speed cameras — and to save New Yorkers’ lives," said Senator Andrew Gounardes. "Turning off these speed cameras when we know they keep New Yorkers safer is reckless endangerment. It is our moral responsibility as legislators to what we can to save lives. We can’t leave Albany this year without doing so."
“Over the past few months, we have seen an appalling increase in the severity of danger in our streets. We must act swiftly to address the crisis of traffic violence. I urge my colleagues in the Legislature to support and prioritize passage of my bill to authorize school zone speed cameras be in operation at all times of day. We know that speed cameras save lives. We cannot delay the utilization of this life-saving measure, and I thank Transportation Alternatives for their advocacy on this critical issue,” said Assemblymember Deborah J. Glick.
“Our city streets are facing a car violence epidemic at an unrelenting pace. Speeding doesn’t stop when the cameras turn off, and keeping speed cameras on is proven to deter reckless driving. Albany needs to keep the lights on to save lives,” said New York City Comptroller Brad Lander.
"Traffic violence in New York City is continuing to rise, and lives are being lost on our streets. this report comes at a crucial time, after a week of tragedy that saw six New Yorkers killed by cars in three days, with no slowing down. The city needs the tools to take on traffic violence, and we need Albany to act now to enable us to use tools like speed cameras in a way that will save lives and stop the harm, not confine it to nights and weekends,” said New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams.
“Speed Safety Cameras work and stats that show an increase in deadly traffic crashes while they're off on nights and weekends further prove this. We should be doing more to keep New Yorkers safe, by keeping them on 24/7,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “New York City local elected officials, including myself, have been advocating for our Governor to grant us ‘home rule’ over traffic laws. This would allow us to take the right steps, implement necessary safety measures, and keep our streets safe.”
“The tragic deaths of pedestrians and cyclists in our City is heartbreaking and truly a call to action and attention. Last week, our Borough saw a 16-year old fatally struck by a truck while going to school and we have seen other pedestrians and cyclists injured or killed due to traffic violence,” said Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson. “I stand in solidarity with Transportation Alternatives, advocates and families affected by traffic violence, in calling on our state lawmakers to lift the restrictions on New York City’s speed camera program. These cameras have the ability to save lives, protect New Yorkers and would be a great step of progress in our collective efforts to keep our families safe and ensure that our streets are safe for everyone. Anything less is unacceptable.”
“Speed cameras help save lives, and turning them off puts New Yorkers at risk,” said Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. “The data doesn’t lie – these cameras reduce speeding and fatal crashes significantly. As we work to tackle the increase in traffic violence on our streets, we must use every tool available to achieve our Vision Zero goals. The time of day or week shouldn’t determine how we keep our streets safe, and we must have the authority to operate speed safety cameras 24/7.”
"Safer streets mean a safer New York,” said Council Majority Whip Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, Chair of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. “New Yorkers deserve greater equity and oversight of the NYC Streets Plan that sufficiently funds Vision Zero and other automated traffic enforcement. Proper investment in Vision Zero and the NYC Streets Plan will help to curb an increase in traffic fatalities and incidents plaguing our city. We cannot wait until another Alissa or Davina is killed in our frenzied intersections, to implement these vital changes."
“We must make our streets safer. And, to do so, it’s imperative that the State grant the City the authority to control the operation of speed cameras in our communities. We know that speed cameras are an essential enforcement mechanism and a vital life saving tool in our fight against traffic violence, as demonstrated by the ‘Speeding Doesn’t Sleep’ study conducted by Transportation Alternatives,” said Council Member Crystal Hudson.” The study further highlights the dire need to ensure speed cameras are operating 24 hours, 7 days a week if we’re to take an intentional step to curb traffic violence. I stand firm with Transportation Alternatives in their commitment to make our City’s streets safer and more accessible for all New Yorkers.”
“The data is clear that speed cameras disincentivize speeding, reduce reckless driving, and – most importantly – save lives. While New York City should control the rules on its own roads, we need allies in Albany to step up and lift the restrictions on when speed cameras can be in effect to reduce deadly crashes,” said Council Member Lincoln Restler.
“It is time we address this epidemic of traffic violence! We need Albany to pass the Crash Victim Rights and Safety Act and lift the limits on life saving automated traffic safety programs. On May 4th at a vigil, I held the mother of Everton Stewart who died in a motor vehicle accident, and my heart goes out to all mourning the loss of a loved one. This should not be a political decision but the moral and right thing to do; we need to cure this crisis and make our streets safer for all,” said Council Member Mercedes Narcisse.
“It is unacceptable not to use life-saving speed cameras, especially as traffic fatalities rise. We have the tools to make our streets safer for pedestrians, bikers, and drivers alike - we should be able to use them,” said Councilwoman Carlina Rivera. “As we address a growing crisis of car crashes and traffic fatalities, we must do all we can to protect lives and make New York safe for everyone.”
"Street safety has been declining in New York since 2018. The Legislature needs to be part of the solution and allow the city to use the tools and methods we all know can be effective in stopping traffic deaths and getting us back on the right track," said Jon Orcutt, Bike New York advocacy director.
"Speed cameras save lives, especially in historically underinvested neighborhoods that have been passed over for design improvements that make streets safer. Lives are at stake — we need the cameras on 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” said Sara Lind, Director of Policy for Open Plans.
“Having authority to monitor the how, where and when of speed and other traffic enforcement cameras will help the city create safer streets,” said Tiffany-Ann Taylor, VP for Transportation for RPA. “We look forward to working with state and local leaders to pass legislation for greater autonomy for New York City to deploy these tools.”
"New York is the city that never sleeps," said Riders Alliance Policy & Communications Director Danny Pearlstein. "Subway riders fought hard last year and won the return of 24/7 service. Now, beyond all the attention given to subway crime, it's increasingly dangerous just to walk to the train, especially early in the morning when so many essential workers commute. Automated enforcement is a crucial defense against reckless drivers mowing down New Yorkers late at night and early in the morning. Like our city itself, our speed cameras should never go dark."
"It makes no sense for speed cameras to be turned off on nights and weekends. The roads are less congested during those times, and that's when reckless drivers are most likely to speed," said Liam Blank, Policy & Communications Manager for Tri-State Transportation Campaign. "Since NYC launched the Vision Zero campaign in 2014, traffic deaths in the city have surged to their highest levels. Albany must allow NYC to operate speed cameras 24/7 to help reverse this troubling trend."
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