NYC School Zone Speed Cameras to Operate 24/7

By Hamodia Staff

New York City school zone speed cameras will now run 24/7, under legislation signed Friday by Governor Kathy Hochul.  Previously the cameras only operated from 6am until 10pm.  

If a car drives past a camera at speeds exceeding the limit, a picture is taken of the offending driver’s license plates, and a ticket is mailed to the address associated with the license.

Supporters of the change say that it will cut crashes and deaths.

“My number one priority as Governor is to keep New Yorkers safe, and that starts with ensuring our kids can make their way to and from school without being harmed,” Governor Hochul said. “New Yorkers don’t just deserve safe streets at certain hours of the day.”  

New York City Mayor Eric Adams had been pushing for the cameras to be extended past school times, citing statistics that most crashes happen late at night.

“Traffic safety is public safety, and speed cameras save lives — now we can use this proven tool 24/7,” Adams said. “If our streets aren’t safe, our city isn’t safe. This is how we protect our streets, save lives, and make New York City safer.” 

But critics of the legislation maintain that the program is just another way for the government to squeeze money out of New Yorkers.

“As far as I’m concerned, speed cameras are simply about generating revenue for New York City,” Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein told Hamodia.  “Speed cameras do not actually stop speeding drivers; all they do is generate violations that are sent in the mail weeks later. There are many tangible ways to actually stop speeders, such as speed bumps. There are areas within my district, particularly near schools, in which we have asked the city to install speed bumps; It took them three years to do so. Yet speed cameras that generate fines are up and running as soon as the city receives approval for them.”

“Standard political lies are that these cameras benefit public safety, “Councilman Kalman Yeger told Hamodia. “Fact is that they are all about the cash. Public safety isn’t helped when DOT [the Department of Transportation] refuses to install traffic signals, stop signs, speed bumps, or even do basic street and sidewalk maintenance.  DOT has approved countless filthy street dining shacks, which harm public safety for pedestrians and motorists.  DOT loves the cash-grabbing ticket cameras, and they install them as fast as they can.  I voted against requesting Albany’s approval for the new cameras, and I’m disgusted that Albany did this anyway.”

The new law will be in effect until July 1, 2025.