NYC Boosts Traffic Enforcement as School Year Starts

Posted on 
September 9, 2019
By 
No Comments

With New York City public schools now open, the NYPD is aggressively expanding traffic enforcement around school zones. “With schools reopening, we’re doubling down on our effort to protect the most vulnerable among us: our kids,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio in an announcement earlier this week. “With more officers patrolling around schools and hundreds of new speed cameras coming on line in the months ahead, reckless drivers will hear one thing loud and clear: slow down or pay the price.”

Throughout September, officers will be assigned specifically to enforce speeding violations, failure to yield to pedestrians, texting and cell phone use. These officers will prioritize traffic enforcement in areas used by children traveling to and from school and in particular those areas that still lack speed cameras. In addition, highway officers will be cracking down on speeding on the city’s major thruways. In areas of the city that have historically seen large numbers of pedestrian or bicyclist injuries, police will be targeting violations that endanger pedestrians or cyclists, such as failing to yield, disobeying traffic signals, and excessive speed. 

There will also be citywide enforcement against DWI offenses throughout the month.

Number of School Zone Speed Cameras Continues to Grow

Earlier this year, New York State approved the expansion of the city’s use of speed cameras, which began in July. By the end of August, the number of speed camera zones increased from 240 to 360. New cameras will continue to go up at a rate of about 40 per month through 2019, and 60 per month in 2020. The NYC Department of Transportation is expected to install a total of more than 800 cameras in 750 school zones by June 2020.

Speed cameras will also operate year-round on all weekdays between 6 a.m. until 10 p.m., including summer and school vacations. The cameras will also tag vehicles up to a quarter-mile from the school zone. 

“This is a major step toward our goal of achieving Vision Zero,” said De Blasio. “Speed cameras are an invaluable tool that helps us save the lives of countless children every year.” 

Drivers caught on a speed camera will be fined $50 but not see any points on their license. 

Getting the Word Out About the Increased Enforcement

A public education campaign will coincide with would alert New York City drivers of the increased use of speed cameras and other ongoing enforcement efforts. On June 11, the NYC DOT launched LinkNYC displays, ferry ads, billboards, and drive time radio announcements airing during traffic reports. Digital ads, newspaper notices, and bulk mailings have been going out all week. The DOT also initiated a social media campaign and distributed an electronic communications kit with flyers, postcards, and other shareable content.

Author Bio

Adam H. Rosenblum

Founding Attorney Of Rosenblum Law

Adam H. Rosenblum is an experienced and skilled traffic violations and criminal defense attorney. Mr. Rosenblum provides expert and aggressive representation to those facing points on their drivers’ licenses and the associated fines and surcharges.

Read Full Bio

No Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Free Consultation

Call us now for a quick, free, and no obligation colustion with one of our attorneys.
888-883-5529

Featured Experts

Kent Ng

NYPD (Ret.)
Read More

Mike Gheller

NYPD Officer
Read More

Travis Hall

NY State Police
Read More

Related Articles

Learn more about traffic tickets and criminal matters in New York and New Jersey.

Operating An Uninspected Motor Vehicle In New York – VTL 306

Life can get pretty busy, so for many drivers one of the last things on your mind is making sure...
Read More
January 21, 2013

Suffolk County Traffic and Parking Violations Authority Is Open For Business

We reported previously that Suffolk County was changing the way they handle traffic violations beginning April 1, 2013.  As of...
Read More
April 8, 2013

Are U.S Postal Service Workers Immune To Traffic Tickets?

The short answer is no. You may have seen police officers violating traffic laws in non-emergency situations, such as officers...
Read More
April 10, 2013

We've Fought Over 50,000 Traffic Ticket Cases

Call us now for a quick, free, and no-obligation consultation.
888-883-5529
chevron-down Free Consult Call Now linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram