Governor Hochul Signs Legislation Expanding Use of New York City School Zone Speed Cameras

Press Release

Governor Kathy Hochul today signed legislation (S.5602B/A.10438) to reauthorize and expand the use of New York City school zone speed cameras to 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Governor signed the bill today alongside New York City Mayor Eric Adams, State Senator Andrew Gounardes, Assemblymember Deborah Glick, and safe streets advocates.

"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. "I want to thank all the lawmakers who have worked so hard to make this possible, because New Yorkers don't just deserve safe streets at certain hours of the day. We need to use every tool at our disposal, and far too many of our children have been killed by cars to not reauthorize and expand this life-saving program."

"It is incumbent upon us to do everything we can to keep our kids and our streets safe, especially around our schools. Too many have been injured and lives have been lost due to reckless drivers," said Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado. "The new speed camera legislation signed into law today not only protects pedestrians from speeding vehicles, but adds an extra layer of protection by deterring crimes from happening."

Currently, the Vehicle and Traffic Law limits the hours of operation for New York City school zone speed cameras from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM on weekdays. This legislation renews authorization for the use of these cameras until July 1, 2025 and amends the Vehicle and Traffic Law to eliminate the limitation on hours of operation.

In 2013, a five-year demonstration program allowed a small amount of speed safety cameras to be used near schools in New York City at certain hours of the day. This law was renewed and expanded in 2019, and the current extension is set to expire on July 1, 2022.

New York City has seen a tragic rise in traffic deaths, and it is clear that reckless driving is not limited to weekday daylight hours. More has to be done to protect New York families, and in signing this legislation, Governor Hochul is taking swift action to ensure the expansion of demonstrably life-saving policy.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said, "Traffic safety is public safety, and speed cameras save lives -- now we can use this proven tool 24/7. This Monday, we saw once again the reality of traffic violence in our city. 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."

State Senator Andrew Gounardes said, "Tonight at 10:01pm, for the first time since speed cameras were authorized in New York City nine years ago, the cameras will be operational during weekends and for 24 hours a day. This will undoubtedly save lives in New York City. I want to thank the Governor for signing my bill, but more importantly I want to thank the advocates who have fought long and hard to realize the full promise of this program."

Assemblymember Deborah Glick said, "As the original sponsor for the school zone speed camera legislation, I am proud to have enhanced this life-saving program back in 2019 and once again this year. By allowing this data-backed proven technology to encourage safe driving at all hours of the day, the streets around our schools will be safer and lives will be saved.This is a major victory for street safety, and could not have been realized without the fierce advocacy of Families for Safe Streets, Transportation Alternatives, and many others. I thank Governor Hochul for signing this critical bill into law."

NYC Council Majority Whip Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, Chair of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure said, "Proper implementation of traffic enforcement mechanisms, like speed cameras, and street infrastructure, can save lives. I applaud my fellow Council Members for passing Home Rule to ensure the passage of bills S5602/A10438. These bills send a clear message that New York is intent on curbing the increase in traffic fatalities and incidents plaguing our city."

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. said, "Speed safety cameras in school zones have been a documented deterrent against dangerous driving, with demonstrative success in saving the lives of New Yorkers of all ages. Expanding the use of these cameras will help prevent traffic violence and keep our families safe, representing a significant step forward in ensuring our streets truly belong to all who use them. Thank you to our partners in the state Legislature for passing such critical legislation and to Governor Hochul for signing it into law."

Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine said, "Now more than ever, as traffic deaths rise across Manhattan and NYC, we need common sense solutions, like speed cameras in school zones, to protect New Yorkers. There is no denying it. Speed cameras protect New Yorkers and I am thrilled that they can now be active at night, when speeding is most prevalent and New Yorkers are most in danger. I applaud the Governor and our colleagues in the State legislature for stepping up and passing this crucial legislation and look forward to working with them, advocates, and everyday residents to continue to push for safer streets."

NYC Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said, "We know speed cameras save lives, so we are very grateful for Governor Hochul's action today -- because current law did not allow us to curb deadly speeding in the hours it happens most. Under the leadership of Mayor Eric Adams, we will soon deliver a detailed and efficient plan to implement and publicize this critical new law in a way that will keep all New Yorkers safe."

Amy Cohen, Co-Founder, Families for Safe Streets, said, "Today, Governor Hochul is saving lives. Losing a loved one to horrific traffic violence is something no other New York family should go through. The pain is indescribable. That is why we work tirelessly to enact policies that will end traffic violence. 24/7 speed cameras will prevent more innocent lives lost on our street. Alongside Governor Hochul, we thank Senator Gounardes, Assemblymember Glick and all our legislative supporters for their commitment to this cause and doing their part to make streets safe across the five boroughs."

Danny Harris, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives said, "Speeding doesn't sleep and now, our speed safety cameras won't either. Proven tools to stop speeding drivers belong in every neighborhood, every hour of the day, every day of the week. The strengthening of automated enforcement by the state, coupled with safe street redesigns by the city, can ensure that no one fears death or injury when crossing the street. We thank Governor Hochul for signing this measure today and all the state legislators whose leadership helped advance this life saving tool."

Kate Slevin, Executive Vice President of Regional Plan Association said, "Tragically, traffic fatalities in New York City are up to levels not seen since 2015. That's why expanding the use of speed cameras is so vital-- they are a key part of a broader strategy that combines enforcement and street design to make streets safer for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers. We congratulate Governor Hochul, Senator Andrew Gounardes, Assemblywoman Deborah Glick, and Mayor Eric Adams and other elected leaders for advancing this legislation."

Renae Reynolds, Executive Director for Tri-State Transportation Campaign said, "It makes no sense for speed cameras to be turned off during nights and weekends. Streets are typically less congested during those periods, and that's when reckless drivers are more likely to speed. The last thing that our city's children, parents, elders, and pedestrians need to worry about is reckless drivers causing injuries and deaths on streets around schools. We commend Governor Hochul for reauthorizing and expanding the use of speed cameras in school zones across New York City. The Governor's full support is a crucial step towards ending street deaths in New York City."

Sara Lind, Director of Policy at Open Plans, said, "We applaud the Governor and the sponsors of this bill for taking action that will immediately make our streets safer. Expanding the speed camera program is a crucial first step to addressing this public health crisis. Cameras are an essential part of the toolkit for truly safe streets and by pursuing further common-sense solutions, like street redesigns and reduced speed limits, we can fully address deadly traffic violence."

Ken Podziba, President and CEO of Bike New York, said, "With traffic deaths at an all-time high, especially in overnight hours, we're heartened that Governor Hochul and our state leaders have taken action to expand the speed camera program. Curbing the traffic violence crisis must be the highest priority of elected officials at both the city and state levels, and we thank the governor for her leadership in helping to combat dangerous driving and stop preventable deaths."

Eric McClure, Executive Director, StreetsPAC, said, "We're grateful to Governor Hochul for quickly signing this life-saving legislation into law, and to Senator Gounardes and Assemblymember Glick for the steadfast work to pass the bill. Drivers will no longer have a green light to speed late at night or on weekends, and all New Yorkers will be safer for it. Data shows clearly how much dangerous driving has occurred when cameras were turned off, as well as how much speeding is reduced when cameras are operating. This common-sense law will have a monumental effect on the safety of our streets."

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