Recently-announced mayoral candidate and New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, along with Transportation Committe Chair Jimmy Vacca and Councilmembers Stephen Levin and Jimmy Van Bramer, announced their support for speed cameras today, something Tri-State and Transportation Alternatives have been calling for for over two years. At the press conference this morning, Speaker Quinn announced that the full City Council will vote soon on a home rule resolution in support of speed cameras. The New York State Legislature is considering a bill to establish a pilot speed camera program, and a supportive home rule resolution will indicate the City’s support for the program.
Tri-State Transportation Campaign’s Executive Director Veronica Vanterpool also spoke at today’s press conference:
“New York City’s streets are not speedways, but the way people drive on them would suggest they are. Every day, countless drivers are exceeding the 30 mph speed limit on New York City’s streets. And, because enforcement is lax, the best we can say is “countless” because the number of speeding tickets issued is a travesty. But, what is certain is that vulnerable lives are put in jeopardy every minute because the speed limit is ignored.
When someone is hit by a car traveling 30 mph, there is an 80 percent chance they’ll live. Hit someone at 40 mph and there is a 70 percent chance they will die.
Our streets are used by children, seniors, the disabled, motorists and bicyclists who put their lives in the hands of reckless drivers the minute their feet touch New York City pavement. Sidewalks, crosswalks or pedestrian islands will not stop a car that loses control at 60 mph. But speed cameras are a strong deterrent to putting the foot to the metal throughout our city. It’s simple: speed cameras save lives. And every day speed cameras are absent from New York City streets is another day needless deaths are allowed. It’s time for the State Legislature to pass the bill allowing speed cameras in New York City.”
Speaker Quinn tweeted after the press conference:
[…] Committee Chair James Vacca, and council members Jimmy Van Bramer, Stephen Levin, and Leroy Comrie joined street safety advocates in calling on Albany to pass legislation allowing a speed camera demonstration program in New York […]
I love how they are saying that your insurance company will not be notified. No municipality notifies the insurance companies of a speeding ticket……they notify DMV. Insurance companies pull DMV information upon your poicy renewals and that’s where they will find out that you have a ticket. You WILL get an increase in your premium.
Speeding cameras also can be the source of fraud. Will the camera company get percentage of every ticket? a fee per ticket? Will the speed limits be realistically set for conditions or arbitrarily low? Would the better thing be have properly timed traffic lights (I recall that many years ago the lights on Ninth and Tenth Avenues in Manhattan were set for 27 miles an hour)? What percentage of the collisions (including those with pedestrians and bicycles) are caused by excessive speed? What percentage of pedestrian collisions are caused by pedestrian inattention (texting while walking, etc.)? This may be a good idea but it has to be done right and not looked upon as a revenue bonanza.
[…] Speaker Christine Quinn, NY City Council Speaker […]
[…] Council passed a resolution earlier this week telling State lawmakers in Albany that the City supports speed cameras. The vote, however, was not […]
[…] Quinn, along with Transportation Committee Chair Jimmy Vacca and Councilmen Levin and Van Bramer announced their support for speed cameras on Tuesday. Their announcement sends a message to Albany that New York […]