Tomorrow the State Senate can make up for its inaction during the regular 2017 legislative session and vote to expand New York City's automated enforcement program, but it won't happen without public pressure.
With mayoral control of NYC schools in danger of lapsing, Governor Cuomo is calling a special session tomorrow to ensure the city doesn't slip back to the dysfunctional days of the Board of Education. The Daily News reports that Cuomo wants to limit other business during the special session, meaning speed cameras would not be on the table. But with enough phone calls, that could change.
Transportation Alternatives is urging supporters to call their state senators and tell them to pass S6046-B. You can look up your representative in the State Senate here.
Speed cameras have saved lives and reduced the incidence of speeding by more than 60 percent where they are installed. But under current law, most streets are ineligible for speed camera enforcement.
The speed cam bill would, over three years, roughly double the number of NYC school zones where the enforcement cameras are allowed to operate. Based on feedback from the Republican conference in the State Senate, the Assembly passed a version that enabled fewer speed camera zones than the original draft, but the Senate still didn't take up the bill before it adjourned last week.
"The bill currently reflects extensive compromise and negotiation," said TransAlt Deputy Director Caroline Samponaro. "For it not to move forward would just be playing politics."
