In the future, drivers who speed in construction zones under the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) may automatically receive fines. According to a budget agreement reached between New York Governor Hochu and the State Legislature, the state government will expand the existing pilot program of speed cameras in construction zones, allowing MTA to install automatic speed cameras on its bridges and tunnels. The budget proposal will be voted on by the State Legislature this week.
According to the agreement obtained by Gothamist, MTA will be able to install speed cameras on seven bridges and two tunnels under its jurisdiction, including the Verrazzano Bridge, Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, and the Queens-Midtown Tunnel. If drivers speed in construction zones, the system will automatically record the violation and send the fine to the registered owner’s address.
Currently, there are 30 construction zones with speed cameras on highways under the jurisdiction of the New York State Department of Transportation, and the new agreement will double that number.
In addition, the New York State Bridge Authority, which oversees five bridges spanning the upper Hudson River, is also included as one of the agencies that can install speed cameras.
According to the current terms, if a vehicle is caught speeding by the cameras, the owner will be fined $50 for the first violation, $75 for the second violation within 18 months, and $100 for subsequent violations. Governor Hochu proposed increasing the fines for repeat offenders, but did not receive support from the State Legislature.
Hochu proposed this plan two years ago, but it faced opposition from the State Legislature at that time. While the goal of permanently implementing the plan has not yet been achieved, a compromise has been reached, extending the plan until 2031 with a reassessment at that time.
In addition to the speed camera system, the budget proposal also includes expanding the automated penalty system for overweight trucks. The Brooklyn-Queens Expressway already has automatic detection devices, and in the future, New York City will be allowed to expand this technology to bridges including the Queensboro Bridge and the Greenpoint Avenue Bridge.