BILL NUMBER: S2812A
SPONSOR: GOUNARDES
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law and the administrative code
of the city of New York, in relation to increasing the number of inter-
sections where traffic-control signal photo violation-monitoring systems
may be installed and operated; to amend chapter 746 of the laws of 1988,
amending the vehicle and traffic law, the general municipal law and the
public officers law relating to the civil liability of vehicle owners
for traffic control signal violations, in relation to extending the
effectiveness thereof; and to amend local law number 46 of the city of
New York for the year 1989, amending the administrative code of the city
of New York relating to civil liability of vehicle owners for traffic
control signal violations, in relation to extending the effectiveness
thereof
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To renew and expand New York City's red light camera program
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one of this bill amends paragraph one of subdivision (a) of
section 1111-a of the Vehicle and Traffic Law to expand the number of
authorized intersections for New York City red light cameras from 150 to
600.
Section two makes conforming amendments to the New York City Administra-
tive Code.
Sections three and four set the effective date and provide that the
authorization for this program shall expire on December 1st, 2027.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
New York City's first-in-the-nation red light camera program, launched
in 1994, has been extended by the state legislature eight times, most
recently in the FY20 Enacted Budget (Section 10 of Part TT of Chapter 58
of 2019). Despite the overwhelming margins of support by which this
program is regularly extended, it has yet to expand in scope and remains
active at only 150 intersections across the City of New York. This
leaves the vast majority of New York City intersections, which number
13,250, without any guarantee that drivers are complying with red light
camera signals beyond piecemeal stops by police officers.
The intersections which do enjoy automated camera enforcement have seen
a 58% decline in the number of severe injuries from collisions compared
to three years prior to the camera's installation, according to a 2021
report from the NYC Department of Transportation, as drivers become
aware of the cameras and learn to obey them or risk a $50 fine. Further-
more, a 2020 Siena College Research Institute Poll found that 85% of NYC
voters, including 84% who own cars, were supportive of the program and
willing to expand its reach.
This bill would increase the NYC red light camera program to expand the
number of authorized intersections from 150 to 600. This commonsense
reform would allow the cameras to be placed at significantly more city
intersections, helping to arrest a worsening trend of traffic violence
in what is the deadliest year for street safety since the launch of
then-Mayor Bill de Blasio's Vision Zero initiative in 2013. Expanding
these lifesaving intersection cameras will greatly enhance safety for
drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians while reducing the number of unnec-
essary stops by individual police officers. It will provide some peace
of mind to low-income families across the City who live disproportion-
ately near wide, speedway-like arterials that generate a high number of
traffic infractions and receive no red light camera protection at all.
The expansion of NYC's red light camera program will help to ensure a
safer and more equitable streetscape for all road users by reducing
fatalities and injuries in all corners.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023: S2812 - Referred to Transportation
2022: S8328 - Referred to Transportation
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
TBD
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately; provided that sections one and
two of this act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
have become a law.

Statutes affected:
S2812: 1111-a vehicle and traffic law
S2812A: 1111-a vehicle and traffic law