Speed Cameras to Operate 24/7, Gov. Hochul Announces

New York City's speed cameras will operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week starting July 1st, now that Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a law Friday that expanded the program that previously only allowed the cameras to operate on weekdays, from 6am to 10 pm.

Advocates for the speed cameras argued that, since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, NYC drivers have been speeding, driving recklessly, and driving under the influence at all hours, creating what Mayor Eric Adams calls skyrocketing “traffic violence.” 

All speed camera violations will result in $50 fines, with no threat of suspended registrations.

While critics of the speed cameras argue they merely serve as tools to generate revenue for the city, Mayor Adams and Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez have repeatedly emphasized that the fines help to deter repeat offenders.

In 2021, for instance, more than half of the drivers that received speed camera violations did not receive second ones.

Other evidence that shows that the speed cameras provide critical public safety measures is that in locations where speed cameras have been installed since December 2020, city data show that speeding has dropped by an average of 72% and injuries have decreased by 14%, sillive reported.

Mayor Eric Adams, who has been pushing the New York Legislature for 24/7 speed cameras since he took office in January called the new law “a major victory that will save lives and help stem the tide of traffic violence that has taken too many."