Street Safety Advocates Rally With NYC DOT Commissioner and Elected Leaders From Across NYC In Support of 24/7 Speed Safety Cameras Before City Council Votes Overwhelmingly in Support of Measure

Measure passes Council with overwhelming super-majority support, 43-7

Today’s City Council vote sets up Albany lawmakers to take up this measure before legislative session ends on June 2  

 2022 could be the fourth straight year with increasing traffic fatalities — a first since 1990

NEW YORK — Ahead of a key City Council vote in support of turning on NYC’s speed safety cameras 24/7, Transportation Alternatives, Families for Safe Streets, and NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez rallied with other advocates and elected officials to highlight the program’s life-saving benefits and importance of lifting the current restrictrictions that limit the cameras’ use on nights and weekends. After the rally, the City Council overwhelmingly passed this measure, 43-7.

“Speeding doesn’t sleep and our speed safety cameras shouldn’t either,” said Danny Harris, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives. “As traffic violence increases across our city, we need to deploy every possible tool to keep people safe. By passing a message of ‘home rule’ today, the City Council is sending a strong message to New Yorkers and legislators in Albany: every neighborhood needs to be protected from speeding drivers every hour of the day, every day of the week. The implementation of 24/7 speed safety cameras, coupled with redesigning our streets, will get Vision Zero back on track and ensure that no one needs to fear death or injury when crossing the street in New York City.”

“The City Council has the power to save lives today. With rising speeding, crashes, and fatalities, our leaders must do everything in their power to protect people on our streets,” said Families for Safe Streets member Judy Kottick. “We know that investing in the redesign of dangerous corridors is the gold standard for saving lives on our streets. But until that can happen everywhere, we need our elected leaders to advance measures that are proven to reduce traffic violence, such as speed safety cameras. We are also focused on passing the entire Crash 

Victim Rights & Safety Act, including Sammy’s Law for safer speed limits in the five boroughs, and will continue working with legislators in Albany to pass these measures to make streets safe across the state. With today’s vote, the City Council can lead on street safety so no other family has to go through the pain of losing a loved one to traffic violence.”

Today’s rally followed last week’s announcement that lawmakers in Albany will vote on reauthorizing the speed safety camera program for three years and removing time and day restrictions that the cameras can operate. Today, the City Council is voting on a message of “home rule” telling state lawmakers they support S5602/A10438, to extend the speed safety camera program and remove operating hour restrictions. This local vote must happen before Albany lawmakers to take up the measure by the June 2 legislative deadline. The June 2 deadline is also the point by which Albany lawmakers must pass the Crash Victim Rights and Safety Act, a package of eight bills to make streets safer statewide, including Sammy’s Law to allow for lower speed limits in New York City. 

Speed safety cameras are currently limited from operating on weekends, and from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. on weekdays — more than half the hours of any given week — even though nearly 60 percent of all traffic fatalities occur when the cameras are off, and 100 percent of the recent rise in traffic fatalities is occurring when the cameras are off. Keeping cameras on between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. and for 56 hours straight on weekends will more than double the hours this program can operate, and more than double its effectiveness in protecting New Yorkers from speeding. 

When allowed to operate, speed safety cameras reduced speeding by as much as 89 percent, a recent Transportation Alternatives and Families for Safe Street report found.

“In the city that never sleeps, New Yorkers who are out late or on weekends should not have to worry about speeding drivers. Operating our speed cameras 24-hours a day will save lives by targeting this reckless behavior when it happens most often: overnight,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “This major victory wouldn’t be possible without the leadership of Mayor Adams, Senator Andrew Gounardes, Assembly Member Deborah Glick, tireless advocacy from groups like Transportation Alternatives and Families for Safe Streets, and our partners in Albany. We thank the City Council for its vote of support today as we continue working to reduce traffic deaths across the five boroughs.”

“We know that speed cameras save lives — plain and simple,” said Senator Andrew Gounardes. “I applaud the City Council for voting today to support my bill to renew and expand this life-saving program: these cameras must stay on and they must operate 24/7. After today’s vote, the Legislature can now take up S5602 and pass it next week, sending this crucial measure to the Governor’s desk. I am thankful for the persistence and support of advocates, community members, and fellow legislators working together to make sure we can get this done.”

​​“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 and Families for Safe Streets for their advocacy on this critical issue,” said Assemblymember Deborah J. Glick.

“Currently, speed cameras only operate during the weekday although almost 60% of traffic fatalities happen when the cameras are off," said Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams. "We’ve lost too many of our neighbors to traffic violence, and one of the tools we have to protect our communities is 24/7 speed cameras. I appreciate that Albany has finally addressed this issue, and now it’s time for City Council to first allow these cameras to operate at all times, then redesign our streets so that pedestrians can walk safely on every block in our city.”

“NYC’s speed camera system cannot be asleep at the wheel. Turning on speed safety cameras 24/7 will slow down drivers and dramatically reduce this violent cycle of traffic crashes and fatalities. We must continue to make our built environment safer for pedestrians and non-motorists, every day of the week,” said NYC Comptroller Brad Lander.

“There aren’t many issues in New York City that defy common sense more than turning off life-saving speed cameras at certain times of day,” said Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. “Thankfully our colleagues in the state legislature have corrected this error and our colleagues in the council are poised to do the same. I applaud our city and state elected officials and look forward to the safety benefits that 24/7 speed cameras will bring to our streets.”

“Speed cameras don't work if they don't work when people speed,” said Council Member Shaun Abreu. “When the sun goes down, Albany forces us to shut off our safety cameras, unleashing reckless driving. This morning, we’re calling on the state to let us uphold the law 24/7 and keep our pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers safe.”

“Traffic-related deaths are increasing at an alarming rate and speed is a factor in four out of five fatal crashes. It is critical that we leverage every tool available to make streets safer and meet the goals of Vision Zero. It is common sense to operate 24/7 speed cameras in New York City,” said Council Member Gale A. Brewer.

“Proper implementation of traffic enforcement mechanisms, like speed cameras, and street infrastructure, can save lives,” said NYC Council Majority Whip Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, Chair of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. “The passage of Home Rule for bills S5602/A10438 sends a clear message that the New York City Council is intent on curbing the increase in traffic fatalities and incidents plaguing our city.”

"District 22 has lost far too many beloved constituents to vehicular collisions. It is time we fully invested in a comprehensive approach to street safety, including protected bike lanes, speed humps, and other data-driven, evidence-based traffic calming measures. Speed safety cameras are a key component of the multi-pronged strategy we need to get Vision Zero back on track, but only if we can operate them all day and all night, every day and night. Albany can act now to grant the city home rule on this vital priority, and save lives. As always, if it saves lives, it's worth doing," said Council Member Tiffany Cabán. 

“With continuing increases to traffic deaths across the city, I’m incredibly thankful that we are finally bringing these messages of home rule to vote in NYC. We know, thanks to a report from  Transportation Alternatives, that in 2020, 40% of non-highway traffic fatalities occurred in speed safety camera zones during the hours in which they were non-operational so allowing city speed cameras to operate 24/7 will quite literally save lives,” said Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez.

"In New York City, traffic violence happens 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, which is why we need speed cameras to be operating at all times if we're serious about saving lives. The state legislature must grant us home rule to do so, because it doesn't make sense for politicians in Buffalo to decide what times Brooklyn speed cameras are on," said Council Member Rita Joseph.

"Our family members, friends, and neighbors die in traffic accidents almost daily because New York City's hands are tied behind its back when it comes to traffic safety. I fully support local control of speed cameras, and extending camera hours to the most dangerous overnight and weekend periods. If we are going to save lives and keep communities safe, vehicles must slow down. As a parent of two small children, I cannot say enough how urgent the issue of pedestrian safety is in our city,” said Council Member Shekar Krishnan.

"In the past year, seven people lost their lives and over 1100 more were injured in my district alone," said Council Member Julie Won, "No mother should lose their child or grieve a parent that was lost too soon in traffic violence. DOT should be doing everything in its power to protect our children and seniors, and that includes street safety cameras that are proven to reduce deaths and injuries in school zones."

“The ability to walk to the corner bodega, public library, or doctor’s office is part of what makes New York a great place to grow older,” said AARP New York State Director Beth Finkel. “But tragically, our older neighbors account for 47 percent of traffic fatalities. The Council’s vote today takes another step toward expanding speed cameras in the city and making our city safer for all New Yorkers.”

“Lifting limits to keep speed cameras operating 24 hours a day is urgent for everyone who walks or rides along New York City's streets, and it's critical for the environment. To make our streets safer and more accessible supports micromobility and ultimately reduces transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. The New York League of Conservation Voters urges the Council to take action so that our state lawmakers can take up this measure,” said Patrick McClellan, Director of Policy for the  New York League of Conservation Voters.

"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 Renae Reynolds, Executive Director of 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, 365 days a year, to help reverse this troubling trend."

"Street safety has been declining in New York since 2018. We need the Council to pitch in and back the Legislature's proposed expansion of speed camera hours. We know it will work to reduce traffic deaths and get us back on the right track," said Jon Orcutt, Bike New York advocacy director

“Speed cameras have proven to create safer streets and keeping them on around the clock is just common sense,” said Tiffany-Ann Taylor, Vice President for Transportation, Regional Plan Association. “We applaud state leaders for their support to allow New York City to deploy them as needed and encourage the City Council to send a clear message that we are invested in all efforts to reduce injuries and save lives.”

“Just as with gun violence, the time for ’thoughts and prayers’ for victims of traffic violence has long passed. We have proven means for holding speeding drivers accountable, and we’re sick and tired of excuses. We need the Council to pass a home rule message today, we need lawmakers in Albany ratify their agreement to extend the speed camera program and remove all operational restrictions, and we need them to pass all aspects of the Crash Victim Rights and Safety Act by next week. At the same time, we need to speed up the redesign of the city’s streets to protect pedestrians and cyclists and other road users from drivers who refuse to slow down," said Eric McClure, Executive Director of StreetsPAC.

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