Speed Cameras

Slow down or get a speeding ticket

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Since 2009, there has been a 38 percent reduction in the number of accidents in Nassau County, thanks to the red light camera program, said the Hon. John G. Marks, executive director of the Nassau County Traffic and Parking Violations Agency. He told residents at a meeting of the Forest City Community Association on Oct. 7 that the introduction of speed cameras in school zones would also enhance safety by ensuring that drivers slow down for school children and pedestrians.

But residents said signage around schools was confusing and arbitrary. Some residents called the speed camera program a back-door tax, aimed at bringing in millions to Nassau County’s coffers.

Fifty six speed zone cameras — one for each school district — are to be placed in school zones. Thirty-six cameras are at fixed sites, along with 20 mobile units to be moved around as needed. The school speed camera in the Levittown School District is located on Old Jerusalem Road by MacArthur High School and Jonas Salk Middle School, with a red light camera around the corner on Wantagh Avenue. Resident Tom Kohlman questioned the county’s decision to place the camera at a site where there are four crossing guards to assist students and pedestrians. “We don’t have any problems there,” Kohlman said.


Marks said the decision to place the camera at that site was determined by “usage, geometry and neighborhood safety factors.”

Dr. Tonie McDonald, Levittown’s Superintendent of Schools said at a recent Board of Education meeting that the district “was not consulted in any way. We were told it would be at MacArthur.”

David Rich, assistant executive director of the traffic and parking agency, added that the county also looked for clearly marked school zones in the area. He said that if a district felt another location was more hazardous, they can take a mobile camera and place it there.

“Great, so let’s say you switch off the camera at MacArthur and place it [the mobile camera] at Gardiners [Avenue Elementary School], and we don’t know it’s there, that’s a gotcha!” said one woman.

“What does the placement of the camera have to do with your speeding?” replied Judge Marks. “If you break the law, you get a ticket.”

School signage

Signage as well as the school zone length and speed are not determined by Nassau County but by the local municipality, explained Judge Marks. In Wantagh, Seaford and Levittown, that is the Town of Hempstead.

When the legislation was passed by the state Legislature to permit the speed cameras in school zones, there were several stipulations. The state required that the county provide a 10-mile grace in school zones. Additionally, the Nassau County Legislature requested that the area be photo and video enforced.

Some school zones have a flashing yellow light to indicate to drivers to reduce speed while school is in session, while other zones do not. Marks said that if the county were to place flashing lights at all 400 schools, it would cost $6.9 million. “The county Legislature said ‘no,’” he said.

Additionally, New York state vehicle traffic law defines school time “as seven days a week plus 30 minutes before and after every school activity,” Marks said. But Nassau County is enforcing 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday and only when school is in session. “If we wanted to ‘gotcha,’ we would have added Saturday and Sunday,” Marks said.

Residents asked about school breaks and evening activities. Marks said that evening activities are outside the time of enforcement and if residents have concerns about when school is session or on holiday, “go to the newspaper and get the information.”

Several residents said the signage approaching school zones didn’t give drivers enough time to slow down.

“If you are not familiar with the area, it’s very easy to be over the speed limit in a school zone,” said one woman who explained that she had received four speeding tickets last week in unfamiliar school zones. “Meanwhile, I see all these potholes in our roads that create flat tires.”

“If you are approaching at road speed and started to slow down, you should have enough time,” Marks said. “Signs are 1,300 feet up and downstream from where we place our cameras. Our equipment is placed in the middle of a school zone.”

Rich added that pictures were taken to show that all proper signs are in place.

“This is supposed to be about safety of our children but I’ve noticed that people are now diverting onto residential streets to avoid these cameras,” Kohlman said. “This is where our children play. How is this about safety?”