A speed camera program near school zones in Nassau County on Long Island provides a cautionary tale about the limits of surveillance and fines in curbing speeding.
"The Nassau County Legislature appears poised to repeal its controversial school zone speed camera program," reports Mona Rivera for CBS New York on Long Island. Both Democrats and Republicans support the repeal, and a vote scheduled on Monday is expected to be unanimous.
Apparently the implementation of the program was too aggressive: "The county issued $80 speeding tickets during summer school… but cameras kept clicking away even in zones with no children crossing and no warning lights." Offenders were actually granted amnesty for the summer school tickets. The public viewed the cameras as a cash grab despite claims by Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano's office that speeding had decreased by 70 percent since the cameras began enforcing speed limits. A report by American Traffic Solutions, cited in a separate article by Celeste Hadrick, found that speeds had dropped by 12 percent as a result of the program.
In another article, CBS New York discussed options for the county to make up the $30 million budget gap that will open should the program be repealed. "Cuts to social services, police and the county medical center are among the suggestions," and "County Executive Ed Mangano is also suggesting selling billboard advertising on county roads and facilities," according to the article.
FULL STORY: Nassau County School Zone Speed Cameras Likely To Be Repealed
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