On June 24, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation that will allow speed cameras in New York City to operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Previously the cameras only operated on weekdays from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm. New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced the change will go into effect on August 1st, 2022. NYC has 2,000 active cameras operating in 750 school zones throughout the city. A school zone is a quarter mile radius from a school.
Per NYC, most vehicles caught speeding have only received one or two tickets since the start of the program. The fine for all speed camera violations remains $50 and will continue to be issued to those who exceed the posted speed limit (25 miles per hour for most streets) by more than 10 miles per hour. There are no points associated with these tickets. It is important to note that there have been instances of speed cameras erroneously issuing tickets to motorists who were well within the limit.
In advance of the change NYC Department of Transportation will be running a month-long messaging and outreach campaign.
The campaign will include:
- Paid Media: The city will leverage paid and pro-bono media to amplify speed camera expansion communications, with a total investment of $500,000 and a special focus on community and ethnic media.
- Digital Communications: The city will deploy a 30-day “countdown” social media campaign to provide details of the speed camera expansion and explain the program’s benefits.
- Physical Outreach: DOT has produced postcards that will be distributed by DOT Street Teams. Ahead of the August 1st change, Vision Zero agency partners will partner on a Day of Awareness, a large-scale, five-borough, on-street event. Finally, DOT will produce a notice that will be included in all speed camera violations.
- Education Programs: DOT will modify its summer and fall programs in schools, senior centers, and community centers to specifically address the change in the law and the safety benefits of the program.
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