BILL NUMBER: S7422A
SPONSOR: STEWART-COUSINS
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to the opera-
tion of traffic-control signal photo violation-monitoring devices in
certain intersections in the county of Westchester
 
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this bill is to authorize the County of Westchester to
implement a red-light camera program on certain intersections of the Saw
Mill River Parkway located in the Village of Pleasantville, so long as
the County reaches a written agreement to do so with the Commissioner of
the State Department of Transportation.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 of the bill amends the vehicle and traffic law to authorize
Westchester County to operate a red-light camera program at one inter-
section on the Saw Mill River Parkway in the Village of Pleasantville,
so long as the County comes to a written agreement with the Commissioner
of the State Department of Transportation regarding the program. This
additional intersection on the Saw Mill River Parkway would not count
toward the existing limit on the number of intersections the County is
authorized to operate red-light cameras at any time, and the Commission-
er of the Department of Transportation will have the ability to end or
change its agreement with the County over this red-light camera at any
time.
Section 2 authorizes Westchester County and the Commissioner of the
Department of Transportation to install signs on the Saw Mill River
Parkway notifying drivers that red-light cameras are installed at
certain intersections of the State-owned road. Westchester County is
required to receive approval from the Commissioner of the Department of
Transportation before installing any signs on State Roads, and the
Commissioner of the Department of Transportation will have the ability
to end or change its approval of posted signs at any time. Addi-
tionally, this section authorizes Westchester County to run a public
information campaign before the red-light cameras are used for fines to
prepare drivers for the changes at these intersections.
Section 3 is the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
The Grant Street intersection of the Saw Mill River Parkway, located in
the Village of Pleasantville, has experienced an uptick of drivers
moving through red lights. This uptick has caused at least seventy acci-
dents in the past eleven years, including twenty-seven accidents in
2019. Red-light camera programs have been effective in other jurisdic-
tions in reducing accidents and reckless driving and increasing the
safety of pedestrians. Westchester County seeks the State's permission
to implement a red-light camera system at the Grant Street intersection,
once it has come to a written agreement with the Commissioner of the
State Department of Transportation, in order to dissuade drivers of
unsafe driving habits.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
This is a new bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately; provided that the amendments to
sections 1111-g of the vehicle and traffic law made by section one of
this act shall not affect the repeal of such provision and shall be
deemed repealed therewith.

Statutes affected:
S7422: 1111-g vehicle and traffic law, 1803 vehicle and traffic law, 1803(13) vehicle and traffic law
S7422A: 1111-g vehicle and traffic law