Squadron CoSponsored Legislation Allowing NYC to Install More Red Light Cameras, Now Calls on DOT to Take Next Step
New York, NY—State Senator Daniel Squadron joined Chinatown community leaders today to advocate for a red light camera at the corner of Bowery and Canal Streets, where more than 40 pedestrians have been injured and two have been killed since 1995. He also released a "danger spot" list of three more places in the 25th Senate District where community residents have highlighted pedestrian safety concerns and asked that the Department of Transportation place red light cameras there as well.
"All too often, we are reminded that New York City's streets are not nearly safe enough for pedestrians. The legislation we passed last week will give the City a chance to protect more pedestrians at more intersections. Red light cameras are an effective and low‐cost way to curb dangerous driving in the heart of our city. Now I'm asking the Department of Transportation‐‐a partner in our effort to make our streets safer‐‐to work with the local community and place red light cameras at the intersections that need them most. With multiple pedestrian fatalities and literally dozens of injuries, the corner of Bowery and Canal Streets is clearly one of those intersections," said State Senator Daniel Squadron.
The new red light cameras are possible because of recently passed legislation, which
Senator Squadron co‐sponsored in the Senate, allowing New York City to increase the
number of active cameras it deploys. The cameras, officially called "traffic‐control signal
photo violation monitoring devices," snap license plate photos of cars that drive illegally
through red lights, allowing the City to send a violation notice to the driver in the mail. The legislation was sponsored by State Senator Martin Dilan and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.
Senator Squadron recognized the work that the Department of Transportation has done to make Chinatown's streets safer for pedestrians, including the Safe Streets for Seniors and Safe Routes to School projects, the installation of Muni‐meters, and implementation of the Canal Area Transportation Study.
He also highlighted a "danger spot" short list of three more sites in his district that he has
received numerous complaints about from constituents, and asked the Department of
Transportation to install red light cameras at those intersections as well. The list of
"danger spot" intersections includes:
‐Essex and Delancey Streets in Manhattan (87 pedestrians injured and one killed from
1995‐2005)
‐targeted intersections on West Street between Canal Street and the entrance to the
Brooklyn‐Battery Tunnel, also in Manhattan (114 pedestrians injured from 1995‐2005)
‐Tillary Street from Adams Street to Flatbush Avenue Extension in Brooklyn (81
pedestrians injured and one killed from 1995‐2005)
"Red light cameras will make our streets safer, but only if we use them well," said Senator Squadron. "I look forward to working with the Department of Transportation to make sure the new red light camera locations reflect community priorities, so we can improve traffic enforcement at the intersections that need it most."
