By Hank Russell
Local elected officials from both Suffolk and Nassau Counties expressed approval of the New York State high court’s decisions regarding their respective red-light camera programs. While Nassau saw the elimination of ticket fees, Suffolk decided to get rid of the program altogether following the court’s ruling.
On December 4, the state Court of Appeals determined that the additional fees on red-light camera tickets were illegal. Nassau had been charging motorists $50 per violation, but added $45 in public safety fees and $55 in driver responsibility fees.
Nassau County Legislator Seth I. Koslow (D-Merrick) said his colleagues in the Democratic minority are working on legislation that would help those who paid these fees are reimbursed and “to ensure this [being charged fees] doesn’t happen again.”
Koslow said, in addition to the $50 penalty, motorists can be charged an additional $25 if their payment is late. “Some people can be charged up to $150,” he said, adding these fees are “just another tax that the Republican majority supports.”
Long Island Life & Politics has reached out to the Republican Legislative Majority and County Executive Bruce Blakeman for comment, but did not hear back as of press time.
On November 27 — the day before Thanksgiving — drivers in Suffolk were thankful to learn that the appellate court’s decision to add a $30 administrative fee on top of a $75 ticket was also illegal. Three days later, it was announced that, after 14 years, the red-light camera program was no more.
In response to the program’s closure, Suffolk County Legislator Kevin McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst) said in a statement, “For years, I have publicly called into question the merit of the Suffolk County Red Light Camera Program, particularly due to a significant increase in accidents at red light camera intersections in my legislative district.”
He pointed out that a one-mile stretch of road in his district of Route 109 and Great East Neck Road in West Babylon as “Scam Alley” because of the cameras at five interactions alone. Further, the county issued a report that the number of accidents and accidents with injuries at the intersections of Montauk Highway and Great East Neck Road/Bergen Avenue and Route 109 and Great East Neck Road increased 100%.
McCaffrey said both intersections are in the top five of intersections that showed the most significant increase in accidents and accidents with injuries in the red-light camera program. “It became clear to me and to many that safety on this stretch of roadway was not the priority, but revenue was,” McCaffrey said.
According to the county Department of Public Works’ review of the program:
- Overall, there was a 59.6% increase in the total number of accidents from pre-enforcement to active enforcement.
- The total number of accidents during the active enforcement period exceeded the projected number of accidents based on Countywide growth rates.
- Countywide, the number of rear end and overtaking accidents was higher than projected.
- The total number of accidents that involved fatalities was unchanged.
While he said he does not oppose a program like this, McCaffrey said he does oppose it when it’s used for the sake of collecting revenue. “The Red-Light Camera Program was sold to the public as a public safety program, but the ‘gotcha,’ profit-minded goals of the program provided an undue tax on the hard-working men and women of our county. It was my intention to eliminate the revenue-generating goals of the program, and today we say mission accomplished.”