While school speed cameras helps increase safety and saves lives surrounding schools, a lot more can be done on the issue if the ticket revenue garnered from the cameras was earmarked towards more school safety.
That is the brunt of legislation that City Council Member Chaim Deutsch (D-Sheepshead Bay, Manhattan Beach, Brighton Beach, Homecrest, Midwood) is crafting following yesterday’s council vote to effectively turn back on the 140 speed cameras that are positioned adjacent to schools throughout the city.
“I will be voting in support of this bill, but I want to be clear that I believe that this is only one step towards protecting our school children,” said Deutsch before the vote, adding the funds collected from the speed cameras should be re-invested into other initiatives to keep school children safe.
“There are more than 800 public school facilities throughout the five boroughs, and several hundred nonpublic schools – less than 20% of these buildings have speed cameras. We need multiple layers of security to protect the children of our City as they are traveling to and from school,” he added.
Deutsch explained that currently the funds generated from the speed cameras go into the city’s general coffers instead of being earmarked for increased traffic safety around schools.
According to a 2018 city Department of Transportation report, the city netted out about $84 million between 2014-17 in revenue from school safety speed cameras.
Under Deutsch’s proposal this money would go towards three items to shore up safety around schools. They are:
- Expanding busing for public and nonpublic school students to reduce the amount of foot and car traffic around school facilities. For example, 3rd grade students are only eligible for a school bus if they live more than a mile from the school. Most parents will not allow an 8-year-old to walk or take public transit on their own, so many wind up driving or bringing the child themselves.
“If we increase bus options for the kids, there will be less congestion around schools, making it safer for everyone.,” said Deutsch. The other two things are:
- Every single school should have a crossing guard. A camera isn’t going to help a child make it across the street safely.
- Traffic control officers will be assigned busy intersections near schools, directing the flow of traffic to make it run smoother. Children walking to school are likely going to be crossing more than one street, even if they live just a couple of blocks away. Traffic control officers in the surrounding areas, focused on traffic-prone intersections, will be an added protection for these students.
“Our children deserve a thorough, robust plan that will improve safety around schools, because we cannot rely only on technology to keep them safe,” said Deutsch.
De Blasio spokesperson Raul Contreras said the administration is still reviewing all legislation involving the school safety cameras.
