NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – The largest expansion of New York City's red light camera program was approved in legislation signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday, quadrupling the number of cameras permitted in the city and creating a new red light camera program in the Hudson Valley.
"We're giving New York City the green light to quadruple the number of red light cameras docked at intersections around the city," Hochul said alongside advocates at her office in Midtown, calling the expansion "transformational" for safety.
The legislation, part of a package of road safety bills, extends NYC's existing red light camera program until 2027 and increases the maximum number of intersections with a red light camera from 150 to 600, according to the governor's office.
Gov. Hochul signed road safety-related legislation Wednesday.Susan Watts/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul
The package signed by the governor extends the red light camera programs in NYC, as well as similar programs in Nassau County and the cities of White Plains, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle and Albany. It also creates an entirely new red light camera program in the Town of Greenburgh in Westchester.
Various lawmakers and officials hailed the move by Hochul, with NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez saying, "Red-light running is a major contributing factor to traffic fatalities and the data speaks for itself: where we've installed these cameras, red-light running and related crashes have dropped 73%."
Rodriguez said the city will analyze data in the coming months to determine "the most effective and equitable way to expand the use of this critical safety tool."
While the red light programs are controversial among drivers, officials say they save lives by encouraging people to slow down.
"When there's a camera, drivers know about it, they're less likely to dart through—try to get through—a red light, and that means they're less likely to hurt or kill someone in a vehicle or on the street," Hochul said. "On the other hand, we know that the intersections that do not have red light cameras are, very simply, more dangerous"
Advocates joined Hochul for the signing of the legislative package at her Midtown office on Wednesday.Susan Watts/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul
Additional bills in the package increase the penalties for overtaking and passing a school bus; require all passengers on charter buses over the age of 8 to use seatbelts; and expand the reckless driving statue to include parking lots.
"A thousand dollars is a lot of money for a fine, but apparently it's not working, because people are still violating the law, putting our kids' lives in jeopardy," Hochul said. "If you're going to selfishly endanger the lives of someone else's kids, you're going to pay the price."
