(Photo: Courtesy of Office of Jose Peralta)
July 13, 2018 By Tara Law
State Senator Jose Peralta is calling on his colleagues to convene for a special session in Albany to save the school speed camera program before its expiration on July 25.
Peralta’s bill to renew and expand the speed camera program currently has 34 co-sponsors, including the entire Democratic Conference, more than enough for the bill to pass. The bill has already been passed by the Assembly.
Peralta, at a press conference in East Elmhurst Thursday, urged Sen. Majority Leader John Flanagan, a Republican, to call a special session in order for the bill to be passed. He was critical of Senate Republicans for failing to get behind it.
If implemented, Peralta’s bill would extend the program, increase the number of street cameras from 140 to 290, and expand the hours when the cameras are operational. If the bill isn’t passed, the speed cameras will be shut down after July 25.
“We cannot play politics with schoolchildren and New Yorker’s lives, and this is why we must ensure we renew and expand the program,” Peralta said. “If the Republicans let this initiative expire, kids in summer school will travel to and from school on more dangerous streets. The same will occur when more than one million schoolchildren return to school after the summer vacation.”
Speed camera advocates argue that the program discourages cars from speeding near schools. There has been about a 63 percent decline in speeding violations in the camera areas since implementation of the program, according to report issued by the mayor’s office.
Attendees at the rally included representatives from advocacy group Transportation Alternatives, Families for Safe Streets and the loved ones of crash victims.
Lisa Rahman, who co-founded the group Families for Safe Streets, invoked the memory of her 22-year-old son, Asif Rahman, who was killed by a truck while riding a bike on Queens Boulevard in 2008.
“There is no excuse for allowing politics to get in the way of saving lives,” Rahman said. “My son, Asif, would still be alive today were it not for a reckless driver. I have prayed and fought to save other families from this loss. No one has a right to speed and put our lives at risk! Speed safety cameras save lives and I call upon the New York State Senate to reconvene and pass this bill now.”
Other attendees included the family of Giovanni Ampuero, a 9-year-old boy who was struck and killed by a vehicle at the intersection of 70th Street and Northern Boulevard in April.
There are five schools within an eight-block radius of the intersection of where Ampuero was killed.
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7 Comments
Riiiiiiiiidiculous …
NYPD does not have
that type of room
in it’s budget to
place hundreds and
hundreds of Cops
throughout the City
to monitor speeds
Besides,
We need these cameras
in other areas as well
Speed Kills
Cameras
+
Increase Fine
Deterants work !
Viva Cameras
Great effort by
Senator Peralta
Richie V
The Rabid Activist
of Jackson Hts
A camera can not stop a reckless driver , drunk driver .
A cop can , put more NYPD or Traffic Enforcement agent on those streets .
“A camera can not stop a reckless driver , drunk driver.”
This is moving the goalposts. Speed cameras are meant to reduce driving at excessive speed, something that they are effective at doing, with positive effects on road safety.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0012902/
Some drivers don’t even stop at red lights , some roll right by Stop Signs, How will anyone knows if the cameras are operating ?
Someone physically has to be out there.
First, the fact that some people are not deterred by speed cameras is irrelevant as long as some are, and those people who ignore them are certainly going to be aware of them after they get their first ticket. Second, there is no reason why you can’t have both speed cameras and additional police presence, so citing an alternative isn’t really relevant. Third, proposing additional police isn’t a serious proposal given that you are well aware that it isn’t going to happen. It’s a bad faith alternative meant to muddy the waters and sound like you actually care about traffic safety when you don’t.
School speed cameras do nothing to prevent accidents, a police present will deter anyone from speeding & also there should be more crossing guards.
Go Peralta
Victory for All
Victory in the Fall