New York City to launch speed cameras 24/7 starting Monday night
NEW YORK -- Beginning Monday night, thousands of speed cameras in New York City will start operating around the clock, seven days a week.
But as CBS2's Marcia Kramer discovered, that's just the start of a new "pedal to the metal" push to go after dangerous drivers.
Last year, speed cameras gave out more than 4.3 million tickets, and that was when they were only on 16 hours a day, five days a week.
Imagine what's going to happen now.
A ceremonial flip of the switch signaled all systems go, a green light for the expansion of the city's speed camera program. Starting Monday night, 2,000 speed cameras at 750 schools will operate 24/7 for the very first time.
"A city that never sleeps deserve a camera system that won't take a nap," Mayor Eric Adams said.
But the mayor who seemingly never sleeps said he's not satisfied with the program. He wants it expanded to traffic hot spots, not just school zones.
"When we identify locations where there are problems, that's where we should place the cameras, and then we should use some of the mobile technology that allows us if we have a particular hot spot at a particular location, let's move it there. We should not be afraid of the technology," Adams said.
Amy Cohen, co-founder of the group Families for Safe Streets, has been advocating for this since 2013, when her 12-year-old son, Sammy, was hit and killed by a car in Brooklyn.
"Speed cameras work," Cohen said.
"After these eight years, why have you never give up this fight to make this change?" CBS2's Ali Bauman asked.
"You know, eight years is a drop in the bucket when you look at the pain. It feels like yesterday. I kissed my son goodbye. He went off to school and I never got to see him again," Cohen said.
Now that the speed cameras are up and running, Albany lawmakers say the next step is to greatly increase the number of red-light cameras.
State Sen. Andrew Gounardes told CBS2 he wants to go from zero to 60, so to speak, in expanding the number of red-light cameras. Right now there are just 150. He calls that, "laughable."
Gounardes added, "I want to start with at least 1,300. That would give us about 10 percent of the intersections in New York City covered. There's 13,000 intersections in the city. Why should only 1 percent of them be covered with a red-light camera? Speeding, running red lights, taking turns quickly, all of these things contribute to fatalities."
Monique Williams, whos father was killed by a hit-and-run driver in the Bronx last year, praised the city for getting the speed cameras working round the clock.
"I cannot describe the pain that our family feels and how much we miss him. Nobody else should experience what I've been through. Nobody else should experience the pain of having to lose their loved one," Williams said.
Officials say 143 people have been killed in crashes on city roads so far this year. They insist drivers who get a $50 speeding ticket learn their lesson and stop speeding. Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez says more than 75 percent never get a third ticket.