NYC Automated Speed Enforcement pilot sees a 14 percent decline in the overall number of people injured in crashes in school zones where speed cameras were activated.

New York City piloted an automated speed enforcement program to deter speeding in 140 school zones in pursuit of the City’s Vision Zero goal to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries.

Date Posted
01/25/2019
Identifier
2019-B01344
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Automated Speed Enforcement Program Report

Summary Information

Combating excessive speeding was the leading recommendation provided by New York City residents during the Vision Zero town halls and workshops held by the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) and New York City Police Department (NYPD) in 2014. That same year, NYC launched an automated speed enforcement pilot that implemented speed cameras to help manage speeds in school zones.



The speed cameras use the same radar and laser technology relied upon by law enforcement to measure a vehicle’s speed. If a vehicle is found to be exceeding the speed limit by more than ten miles per hour within a school speed zone during school hours, the driver of the vehicle will be issued a Notice of Liability (NOL).



It should be noted that City-law only permitted the use of speed cameras for enforcement within school speed zones, which are defined by law as the street abutting the school building or property within 1,320 feet of the school. Additionally, the City was only allowed to deter speeding with speed cameras when school/students activities were in session.



Methodology



For the pilot, fixed speed cameras were installed at 140 of the City’s 2,300 school zones. In order to prioritize where the City would install the fixed speed cameras, DOT analyzed each school zone and ranked them according to the number of traffic injuries during school hours on school days. In addition, 40 mobile cameras were repositioned frequently throughout the City, resulting in the activation of the mobile units at an additional 875 school zone locations since the program’s inception.



An evaluation of the speed cameras was performed that compared crash data compiled by New York City police officers from before installation (2011-2014) to crash data from after the installation (2014-2016).

Findings

 

  • Total crashes decreased by nearly 8 percent following the installation of the speed cameras.
  • Crashes resulting in injuries dropped over 14 percent, including a 23 percent reduction in pedestrian injuries.

 

Goal Areas
Results Type
Deployment Locations