All State Senators From NYC, Plus Skelos, Voted for Speed Cameras

You can thank Marty Golden for speed cameras now.

The State Senate passed NYC's first speed camera demonstration program by a margin of 56-7, with the entire city delegation voting in favor. Senate Republican Co-Leader Dean Skelos was also among the "aye" votes.

Sources say Skelos was opposed to speed cameras pretty late in the game and had to be won over by Golden, the city's Republican leader in the Senate, whose imprimatur was essential in getting the program approved.

Skelos's Democratic counterpart Jeff Klein took up the cause earlier in the session, while long-time champion Deborah Glick shepherded the measure in the Assembly, where it passed 120-20.

The city will be allowed to deploy 20 cameras near schools throughout NYC, operable from one hour before the school day begins to one hour after it ends. A driver can go up to 10 mph over the speed limit without getting a ticket, and camera-enforced penalties will be limited to $50, regardless of how fast an offending motorist drives, with no license points attached. The legislature has attached a five-year sunset clause to the program.

Nevertheless, advocates hailed the program as a proverbial foot in the door. Speed cameras are proven to reduce traffic injuries and deaths, and DOT intends to maximize the impact of what, initially at least, will be a handful of cameras.

“The cameras are mobile so we’ll be able to move them around and address high-speed locations that may change over time," said DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan in June. "Any school where there’s excessive speeding will be fair game."

The Senate roll call hasn't posted online yet, so in case you're wondering, the "nay" votes were: Greg Ball (R-Patterson), John Bonacic (R-Mount Hope), John DeFrancisco (R-Syracuse), Joseph Griffo (R-Rome), Kenneth LaValle (R-Port Jefferson), Michael Ranzenhofer (R-Amherst), and Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley).