BUFFALO (WBEN) - The school zone speed camera saga in the City of Buffalo appears close to reaching a conclusion.
The Buffalo Common Council voted 6-3 Tuesday to remove the speed zone cameras by September 1. While Mayor Byron Brown, who has been an outspoken proponent of the program, could still veto, the Council currently has the votes to override that veto, making it a moot point.
"The biggest contention is that when we rolled it out, it was not what the Council had voted on," said Councilman Rasheed N.C. Wyatt, who's been a major opponent of the program for several months. "We did not vote for it to be an entire school day; we did not vote for it to be different times in different areas - it really was supposed to be uniform."
Wyatt emphasized that the program is still in place and will be in place through the duration of this school year, meaning residents still need to abide by the school zone laws to avoid automatic fines.
Brown maintains that the program has produced the results that were originally desired when instituting the program, and he doesn't understand why some members of the Common Council have since changed their minds.
"Ultimately, the school safety speed zone camera program is working," said Brown. "We're seeing people slowing down; we're seeing less citations being issued, and we're seeing our children and other members of our community that are walking, that are driving, that are in school zones, safer in those areas of the City of Buffalo.
"I continue to outreach to the Council, to talk to the Council, to look at the information, to look at the data, and see that this program is working as it was intended to work," the mayor continued. "It's important to note that when this program initially moved forward, it was with the support and approval of the members of the City Council."
While Wyatt was intent on removing the speed cameras and punitive measures that came with it, that doesn't mean he's giving up on trying to get residents to comply with school speed zone laws.
"The other piece was to make certain that we had the other measures in place, which many of my colleagues got some neighborhood funding so that they could put speed humps and beacons in place of the cameras," said Wyatt. "We're hopeful that everyone will do that because we talked about the safety of children, and we need to be certain that still continues."
But is he sure these non-punitive measures will ensure compliance?
"I want to give it a shot," he replied. "I want to make certain that we don't abandon the aspect of making sure our children are safe. I'm hopeful that people will be very receptive because it was a hard fight to get these cameras down, and I think the other measures we put in place can be just as effective."