New York Legislature Approves Massive Traffic Camera Expansion

The Newspaper
by The Newspaper

As budget deficits continue to soar at all levels of New York government, the state legislature on Tuesday approved a package of bills to provide relief through the use of red light cameras. The package of six bills extends new authority to use red light cameras to Buffalo, Nassau County, Rochester, Suffolk County and Yonkers. The legislature also gave the nod to New York City’s long-held desire to increase by half the number of automated ticketing machines already installed.

Each project is called a “demonstration program” that will produce detailed reports on an annual basis until the program expiration date of 2014. New York City began its demonstration project in 1994 and has never yet produced this report as required by law. Moreover, the city conceals the locations of cameras and allows no independent study of the effects on traffic safety.

The proposed expansions were approved in the state Assembly by a margin of around 100 to 35 and were adopted by the State Senate by a margin of about 54-8. The bills’ passage was made possible when state Assembly Transportation Committee Chairman, David Gantt (D-Rochester), converted from camera opponent to promoter of red light cameras.

This conversion happened last year after Sensys Traffic, a Swedish company interested in breaking into the US traffic camera market through the Albany firm CMA Consulting Services, paid $80,000 to Gantt’s former legislative counsel, Robert Scott Gaddy. The Buffalo News exposed the link after noticing that Gantt introduced legislation specifically designed to force local jurisdictions to use the technology offered by the client of his former employee.

Although Gantt’s legislation is now technology-neutral, it opens the door for Sensys to bid for the lucrative red light camera contracts throughout the state. After procedural approval in the state Assembly, the bills will become law with the signature of Governor David Paterson (D), an enthusiastic supporter of photo ticketing.

Independent studies of the use of red light cameras show that the devices tend to create an increase in the total number of injuries and accidents ( view studies). On the other hand, New York City has cleared more than $75 million in net profit on its program. The text of the New York City and Rochester bills is available in a 100K PDF file at the source link below.

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  • Adam Adam on Apr 10, 2009

    This is exactly like the NYS Thruway toll booths that were only there "...until the state has paid off the debt...". Yeah, right. Tell me another one.

  • AlmightyPants AlmightyPants on Apr 11, 2009

    Both my state Senator and Assemblywoman voted in favor of this trash. I was sure to give both of their offices phone calls as soon as I read the news in the paper this week. I know the state is deep in the red, but making dangerous intersections MORE dangerous by way of red light cameras is an awful idea. People are going to get seriously hurt and even die due to these cameras. It's a damn shame.

  • The Oracle Well, we’re 3-4 years in with the Telluride and right around the time the long term durability issues start to really take hold. This is sad.
  • CoastieLenn No idea why, but nothing about a 4Runner excites me post-2004. To me, they're peak "try-hard", even above the Wrangler and Gladiator.
  • AZFelix A well earned anniversary.Can they also attend to the Mach-E?
  • Jalop1991 The intermediate shaft and right front driveshaft may not be fully engaged due to suspected improper assembly by the supplier. Over time, partial engagement can cause damage to the intermediate shaft splines. Damaged shaft splines may result in unintended vehicle movement while in Park if the parking brake is not engagedGee, my Chrysler van automatically engages the parking brake when we put it in Park. Do you mean to tell me that the idjits at Kia, and the idjit buyers, couldn't figure out wanting this in THEIR MOST EXPENSIVE VEHICLE????
  • Dukeisduke I've been waiting to see if they were going to do something special for the 60th Anniversary. I was four years old when the Mustang was introduced. I can remember that one of our neighbors bought a '65 coupe (they were all titled as '65 models, even the '64-1/2 cars), and it's the first one I can remember seeing. In the '90s I knew an older gentleman that owned a '64-1/2 model coupe with the 260 V8.
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