State Senate Republicans are blasting back at city Democrats who are calling them heartless for leaving Albany this week at the end of the 2018 legislative session without re-authorizing and/or expanding the use of school speed zone safety cameras.
Mayor Bill de Blasio, with help from the state legislature rolled out the cameras in 2014 on a trial run and there are currently 140 cameras around city schools. The photo equipment has been used to ticket drivers going at least 10 mph above the speed limit during school hours.
The pilot program is set to expire next month, and there has been a bill passed in the assembly with de Blasio’s strong support to not only keep the 140 cameras in place, but to add another 150 at other schools. The de Blasio Administration says the cameras have reduced speeding by an average of 63 percent and pedestrian injuries by 23 percent as part of his Vision Zero plan to reduce traffic-related pedestrian deaths.
“The failure to preserve and expand life-saving speed cameras near New York City schools represents a massive failure of leadership. Kids will be in danger. Kids will lose their lives,” said de Blasio of the senate’s ending their session without dealing with either the reauthorization or expansion of the program.
“The State Assembly majority has shown the way with their expansion bill. Senate Republicans haven’t done their job until they pass the bill, which has majority support. Our families now need the Governor to do all he can to aid its passage and sign it into law. The Senate must return next week to keep our children safe,” he added in calling for a special session to pass the measure.
But Senate Republicans, and others maintain the cameras are cash cows for the city coffers, and the cameras are more about generating revenue for the city than about school safety.
“Some would say we are putting politics in front of safety I would say that others are putting money above the lives of children,” said State Sen. Andrew Lanza (R-Staten Island), who has introduced legislation (s6212) this session which would create traffic control zones around schools with traffic lights and stop signs and doubles the penalty for speeding in the zone.
“That legislation has not become law in the state of New York for one simple reason, because the city of New York and my good friend, Mayor de Blasio has oppossed it and has asked the assembly to oppose it,” he said.
Meanwhile, State Sen. Simcha Felder (D-Boro Park, Flatbush, Kensington, Bensonhurst), who caucuses with Senate Republicans and is chair of the Cities Committee, has introduced legislation to reauthorize the city’s use of speed cameras in front of schools as long as all the revenue generated from its enforcement go to funding an armed New York City Police member in front of public schools.
Felder maintains that having an armed police officer in front of every school will deter possible school shootings that have been happening all over the country.
While Felder refused to comment for this story, a source close to him said Felder would consider coming back for a special session to address and negotiate the issues surrounding school safety.
But Gov. Andrew Cuomo told State of Politics that calling a special session for speed cameras is not so simple.
“My position is I want the cameras, but I’ll accept the signs and the lights,” Cuomo told the publication. “The more safety the better as far as I’m concerned. But the Republicans have not moved off their position. I doubt that they will move off their position between now and the election.”
Cuomo said the speed cameras have been effective, but they also have been a revenue raiser for the city.
