Previously Published in The Messenger
By Matt Meduri
Suffolk County’s Red Light Safety Program was authorized in 2009 and took effect in 2010. For fourteen years, Suffolk drivers faced 216 cameras at various intersections through western Suffolk.
After a significant push from Hauppauge Republicans in the County Legislature, the program ended in December 2024. However, what remained was the legal ramifications of the administrative surcharge that was found to have been illegally applied.
Beginning in 2013, the $30 administrative fee was tacked onto the $50 fine. A State appeals court ruled in 2024 that the fee was illegal because it violated a “plain reading” of the State law authorizing such programs. State law authorized a $50 fine and a $25 late fee.
Now, the County has struck a $57.5 million class-action settlement that will repay drivers up to $36 for those administrative fees. $30 will be for the surcharge itself, $6 for interest. The County has agreed to pay up to $45 million, plus the admin costs of the program. The plaintiffs’ lawyers will receive $12.5 million.
Reimbursements per driver could be closer to $20 if all eligible drivers apply on the website, which has not yet been rolled out.