In the waning days of this year‘s legislative session in Albany, lawmakers are reluctant to pass legislation authorizing Suffolk County to renew its contentious red light camera law. https://www.newsday.com/opinion/the-point/the-point-newsday-suffolk-county-red-light-cameras-state-senate-assembly-o7kc32fw
The reticence is undoubtedly due to the law’s unpopularity.
The law was first passed over a decade ago as a means to raise revenue and purportedly to enhance safety for motorists.
A review of the program years later shows it most certainly has raised significant revenue.
You can barely find any friends or family who have not gotten zapped with one of these fines over the years. At $50 a pop, Suffolk took in over $9 million a year.
Initial criticism of the system centered on how the yellow lights on these intersections were mysteriously shortened in a game of gotcha against the motorist. https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/suffolk-lawmakers-red-light-cameras/
Both Suffolk and Nassau have endured setbacks in legal challenges, claiming that the amount of fines and fees implemented were often disproportionate to the administrative tasks required to carry out the implementation
Both counties had to reduce their increases in mortgage fees that courts ruled to be excessive.
While there’s no doubt that the red light camera law has brought millions to the counties, the question of enhanced safety is being debated.
An initial study showed a reduction in accidents where the cameras were installed, but also showed evidence of an increase in rear-endings from motorists stopping short so as to avoid a potential fine. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/red-light-cameras-may-not-make-streets-safer/
https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/05049/
The question in the mind of the state legislators is whether any real or perceived enhancement of safety is worth the wrath that comes with constituents having to pay these fines.
As it looks right now, it appears the Suffolk County delegation in Albany does not believe it’s worth it.
When Suffolk implemented the red light camera law, it was in the midst of a recession where revenues were hard to come by. But after receiving hundreds of millions of dollars in COVID aid and a huge increase in sales tax revenues due to government-inspired spending, the county is awash in revenues.
Suffolk has also been receiving an enormous windfall from gambling revenue since Jake’s 58 Casino was authorized by the state legislators.
That may spell doom for the red light cameras. If it were to sunset, it is essential to look at the data a year from now to see what happens with the accident rate. If it doesn’t move much, the claim it was a money grab will have been proven to be prophetic.