The #EverySchool Campaign is a project of Transportation Alternatives and Families for Safe Streets
Explain what it’s like for your child to get to school. Add your personal story and your voice could have a big effect on state legislators who are debating speed safety cameras and the #EverySchool Campaign.
“My son is a student at M.S. 51, on often-dangerous Fifth Avenue in Park Slope. He gets to school around 8:30 in the morning, heads out to the neighborhood for lunch release mid-day, and leaves school sometimes as late as 6 pm. When he’s outside of the school building, regardless of time of day, he sees drivers speeding on Fifth and not driving safely, and I feel his life’s in danger.
His school — and every school in New York City — needs to have speed cameras set up in and around the community so students can stay safe. His school — and every school in New York City — needs those cameras on at all times throughout the day and into the evening to help enforce the law. If we as New Yorkers truly care about our kids, every school — all 2,000+ of them — must have speed cameras so our children stay alive and healthy.”
— David Herman, Brooklyn
“My daughter is 7. Twice a day my family is threatened by speeding drivers walking 8 blocks to our neighborhood school. Drivers fly down our streets seeking to avoid traffic, without regard for the safety of vulnerable road users near schools. Kids should be safe in and around schools—speed cameras would go along ways to take our streets back from speeders.”
— Toby Sheppard Bloch, Queens
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“Our family moved to W. 97th Street four years ago, primarily to be within the closest possible walking distance to the public elementary school our two daughters attend. Now that they are 8 and 10 years old, it seems reasonable that they might walk together across the three short blocks to PS 163 themselves occasionally. Yet, due to the horrendous traffic conditions that prevail in our neighborhood, that is unthinkable. This short walk would take them through some of the deadliest intersections in New York City, where two children and multiple adults have already fallen victim to speeding or out-of-control vehicles. If speed cameras will help make drivers feel more accountable for the lives of pedestrians – of all ages – then there is no question that these should be installed immediately.”
— Valerie Kathawala, Manhattan
“My 11-year old son now commutes alone from the subway to his school, Metropolitan Montessori on West 85th Street. Although he’s been trained to walk defensively, stay on the curb, watch for turning cars, and to never (ever) have a device out while he’s walking, he has no control over driver behavior. How can we put the onus of safe commuting on the 11-year old, but not hold drivers responsible for their choices? A speeding driver on West End Avenue could change our lives in an instant, and that’s not ok with me. Speed cameras would hold drivers responsible and allow school children and their families the peace of mind we all deserve.”
“My 13-year old daughter commutes alone from the subway to her school, Avenues: The World School on 10th Avenue in Chelsea. While walking, she has to cross four Avenues, all of which are fast-moving arteries through the Chelsea neighborhood (7th Avenue, 8th Avenue, 9th Avenue, and 10th Avenue). 10th Avenue is especially terrifying, because of both the speeds of the vehicles and the number of large trucks. With speed cameras, drivers would be forced to change their behavior and realize that they are putting lives, many of them school children, at risk. It’s a simple change of behavior that could save lives and create a saner commute for all.”
— Lisa Sladkus, Manhattan
“My 13 year-old son commutes each day by scooter from our home on 97th Street and Columbus Avenue to the Cathedral School on 112th Street and Amsterdam Avenue. Many of his classmates also commute on foot. Last spring, an adult pedestrian was killed by a bus right by the school entrance. While that fatality did not involve speeding, it showed us that pedestrians — especially youngsters just beginning to commute on their own — are extremely vulnerable. This fall, my son’s school hosted a street safety advocate, who spoke with students about how to protect themselves when walking the streets — by waiting for the light, being aware of turning cars, etc. Drivers must be held accountable, too. Millions of people walk New York City’s streets each and every day, making this one of the most unique and livable places in the world. Quite simply, pedestrians deserve more peace of mind, and to this end, I fully support increasing the number of speed cameras to help keep drivers accountable.”
— Edie Owen, Manhattan
“My son Oscar is eight, my daughter Madeleine is four. They travel to their school, Central Park East II in Manhattan, every day either by foot or by bike. To get there, they need to cross or ride on a number of busy streets where drivers seem to see any opening as a reason to speed. This is made even more treacherous by the fact that drivers seem to see a yellow signal as an excuse to go even faster—”to make the light,” as if going one block farther will make all the difference in their day. We need speed cameras outside schools to help discourage this reckless and deadly habit.”
— J.P. Partland, Manhattan
“When you are a kid growing up in New York City, you learn the rules of the street, and you follow them. But as my very wise teenager says, no matter how much you follow the rules, when you are walking across the street, your life is in someone else’s hands, and most of those hands are on the steering wheel of a car. When drivers are speeding, they aren’t following the rules, and when rules are broken, people get hurt. Especially the people walking across the street.
Kids are crossing streets across this city, and we owe it to them to keep them safe. We need speed cameras to do this, because not everybody follows the rules.”
— Hilda Cohen, Brooklyn
“At PS139 kids I see kids as young as 7 walking home by themselves. On Booth Street, cars dare sometimes speeding by to get on 63rd Drive. A camera would help with enforcement of safety zone rules. ”
— Richard West, Queens
“At PS 175 cars sometimes cars go incredibly fast. What makes it it worse is there is also a playground open to the public. I think more cameras mean more enforcement. Sometimes people just don’t obey the laws unless they have a financial incentive.”
— Yvonne Shortt, Queens
There is nothing more important than your child’s and students’ safety. Right now, more than 1 million New York City schoolkids are at heightened risk.
Traffic crashes are a leading cause of injury-related death for children in New York City, but less than 10% of New York City schools are protected by speed safety cameras.
1. For teachers, PTA leaders, and student organizers, Families for Safe Streets has developed a student letter-writing and social media engagement kit, that also helps teach students about New York State government, how legislation is passed and traffic violence.
2. If you haven’t already, send a message to your state legislators asking them to support speed safety cameras for every New York City school.
3. Send an email to other parents or print out this paper petition. Mail any completed petitions to: Transportation Alternatives, 111 John Street, Suite 260, New York, NY 10038 and we’ll make sure the message gets to legislators.
4. Ask your PTA, daycare, church, synagogue, or mosque to sign on to the #EverySchool Coalition. Pledge your organization’s support, or find informational materials to share with other parents.
5. Tell your story. Testimonials from parents about dangerous speeding are very important.
How does New York City’s current speed safety camera program work?
NYC’s speed safety camera program is administered by the NYC Department of Transportation (not the NYPD). It uses the same radar and laser technology relied upon by law enforcement to measure a vehicle’s speed. Only if a laser-radar finds that a vehicle is exceeding the speed limit by more than ten miles per hour will it take images of the vehicle and the license plate. Images of the driver are not captured.
The violation is reviewed by a trained DOT staff technician. If the technician verifies that the identified vehicle was exceeding the speed limit by more than ten miles per hour, a ticket will be issued, provided that the speeding occurred within a school speed zone on a school day while a school speed limit was in effect (typically between 7AM and 6PM).
Under current state law, NYC can have cameras at a maximum of 140 school locations, so-called “school speed zones.” About two-thirds of cameras are fixed and remain in place, while about one-third are mobile and are moved between school zones. At any given time cameras are in operation at no more than 140 school zones.
What does the #EverySchool campaign want?
Backed by the Every School Coalition, including Transportation Alternatives and Families for Safe Streets, and thousands of parents, we are asking for speed safety cameras by as many schools as possible in New York City where speeding and crashes occur.
We currently back state legislation (S6046-C/A7798-C) that would allow speed safety cameras to operate in 290 school zones in New York City (up from the current 140) at a quarter mile from each such school, and would extend the program through 2022. Additionally, the legislation would prohibit cameras within 300 feet of a highway exit ramp, and would require signage within 300 feet of a camera to alert approaching drivers.
Aren’t speed cameras just a source of revenue for the city?
Speed safety cameras are installed to deter dangerous speeding by drivers. The only goal is to reduce injuries and fatalities.
Tickets from speed safety cameras generate revenue, just like tickets issued by NYPD and parking officers for speeding and illegal parking. In cities where cameras are used, including New York City, the revenue goes down over time because speeding goes down – with each camera issuing fewer tickets when drivers moderate their dangerous driving. The goal is to reach zero dollars in revenue as drivers stop speeding, not to make money. This is why New York City does not tie revenue from cameras to specific budget items.
Camera tickets are $50, compared to over $200 in other cities and $190 when a cyclist runs a red light in NYC. Failure to pick up canine waste carries a $250 fine in NYC.
Which schools can have cameras?
Currently, speed safety cameras can be placed near just 140 of any K-12 school in New York City, including public, charter, private and parochial schools. Current state law allows no more than 7% of K-12 schools to have speed safety cameras.
Citywide, there are 1,835 public and charter schools and 811 private and parochial schools. The city’s speed safety camera program allows cameras in so-called “school speed zones”, defined as a ¼ mile stretch of road abutting a school. Since some schools share facilities and others are located in close proximity, we estimate the city has at least 2,000 schools in at least 1,400 school speed zones.
Why not announce camera locations?
Though it is illegal to exceed the speed limit anywhere in the City of New York, the number of speed safety cameras in operation is limited to 140, protecting only a small percentage of New York City’s school zones. To help these few cameras discourage widespread speeding, camera locations are generally not announced.
Can a speed safety camera ticket cause higher insurance payments or points on a driver’s license?
No. Unlike a speeding ticket issued by a police officer, speed safety camera tickets are not used by insurance companies, nor do they incur points on the driver’s license.
Do speed safety cameras photograph every vehicle that passes by them?
No. Speed safety cameras only photograph vehicles that exceed the speed limit by more than 10 mph within a school zone during school hours.
What if a speed safety camera issues a ticket erroneously?
Cameras are only triggered when the speed limit is exceeded. Equipment is evaluated regularly to ensure radar is collecting precise and accurate measurements.
The camera technology is capable of distinguishing between speeding vehicles and other, nearby vehicles, and gives drivers the benefit of the doubt, declining to issue a ticket if it is unclear which vehicle is exceeding the speed limit. Technicians who review speed camera violations do the same, rejecting all tickets where it is not readily evident which vehicle exceeded the speed limit.
What if someone else was driving my car when the violation occurred?
New York State law requires vehicle owners to be responsible for speed safety camera tickets. If your vehicle was stolen, you may provide a police report to contest the $50 fine.
Aren’t speed safety cameras unfair?
No. Drivers are only ticketed when they speed by at least 10 mph over the speed limit, and only asked to pay $50 civil fine, far less than the fine for speeding when the ticket is issued by a police officer which can exceed $500. For comparison, a bicyclist is ticketed $190 for running a red light and can risk being sent to jail for riding on the sidewalk.
Tickets given by speed safety cameras do not put points on the driver’s license, unlike tickets issued by police officers. Plus, speed safety cameras only monitor the speeding car, not the driver’s age, race or gender.
We don’t need more surveillance cameras in the city – don’t cameras add to this problem?
Speed safety cameras are not the problem. The NYPD operates more than 8,000 surveillance cameras throughout the city, every day, monitoring sidewalks, roads and other locations. Additionally, there are tens of thousands closed circuit cameras in stores, capturing images on both private and public property. Those cameras tend to record all the time and also lack the robust privacy protections of the speed camera program.
In stark contrast, there are currently just over 200 speed safety cameras (at 140 locations). With an expansion there would still be just a fraction compared to other cameras. Additionally, speed cameras only record an image when a laser detects that a vehicle on a road exceeds the speed limit by more than 10 mph, otherwise it doesn’t record or capture any images. Finally, the images captured by speed safety cameras do not capture any personal identifying features.
Parent groups and community organizations are standing up to protect kids against speeding. If your organization believes that New York City kids should be protected from speeding drivers, you can join the #EverySchool Coalition.
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams
Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer
Queens Borough President Melinda Katz
Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez
Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr.
Queens District Attorney Richard Brown
NYS Assembly Member Carmen Arroyo
NYS Assembly Member Jeffrion Aubry
NYS Assembly Member Charles Barron
NYS Assembly Member Michael Blake
NYS Assembly Member Michael Benedetto
NYS Assembly Member Rodneyese Bichotte
NYS Assembly Member Robert Carroll
NYS Assembly Member Vivian Cook
NYS Assembly Member Marcos Crespo
NYS Assembly Member Steven Cymbrowitz
NYS Assembly Member Michael DenDekker
NYS Assembly Member Inez Dickens
NYS Assembly Member Jeffrey Dinowitz
NYS Assembly Member Anthony D’Urso
NYS Assembly Member Harvey Epstein
NYS Assembly Member Sandy Galef
NYS Assembly Member Deborah Glick
NYS Assembly Member Richard Gottfried
NYS Assembly Member Pamela Harris
NYS Assembly Member Alicia Hyndman
NYS Assembly Member Andrew Hevesi
NYS Assembly Member Ellen Jaffee
NYS Assembly Member Latoya Joyner
NYS Assembly Member Ron Kim
NYS Assembly Member Joseph Lentol
NYS Assembly Member Michael Miller
NYS Assembly Member Walter Mosley
NYS Assembly Member Catherine Nolan
NYS Assembly Member Daniel O’Donnell
NYS Assembly Member Félix Ortiz
NYS Assembly Member Amy Paulin
NYS Assembly Member Christine Pellegrino
NYS Assembly Member Nick Perry
NYS Assembly Member Victor Pichardo
NYS Assembly Member Dan Quart
NYS Assembly Member Jose Rivera
NYS Assembly Member Robert Rodriguez
NYS Assembly Member Carmen De La Rosa
NYS Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal
NYS Assembly Member Nily Rozic
NYS Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright
NYS Assembly Member Luis Sepulveda
NYS Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon
NYS Assembly Member Aravella Simotas
NYS Assembly Member Alfred Taylor
NYS Assembly Member Fred Thiele
NYS Assembly Member Michele Titus
NYS Assembly Member Clyde Vanel
NYS Assembly Member Helene Weinstein
NYS Assembly Member Jaime Williams
US Congress Member Grace Meng
NYC Public Advocate Letitia James
NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer
NYS Senator Joseph Addabbo
NYS Senator Marisol Alcantara
NYS Senator Tony Avella
NYS Senator Jamaal Bailey
NYS Senator Brian Benjamin
NYS Senator Neil Breslin
NYS Senator John Brooks
NYS Senator David Carlucci
NYS Senator Leroy Comrie
NYS Senator Martin M. Dilan
NYS Senator Michael Gianaris
NYS Senator Jesse Hamilton
NYS Senator Brad Hoylman
NYS Senator Todd Kaminsky
NYS Senator Brian Kavanagh
NYS Senator Timothy Kennedy
NYS Senator Jeffrey Klein
NYS Senator Liz Krueger
NYS Senator George Latimer
NYS Senator Velmanette Montgomery
NYS Senator Jose Peralta
NYS Senator Patricia Ritchie
NYS Senator James Sanders
NYS Senator Diane Savino
NYS Senator Jose Serrano
NYS Senator Toby Ann Stavisky
NYS Senator David Valesky
NYC Council Speaker Corey Johnson
NYC Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer
NYC Council Member Justin Brannan
NYC Council Member Fernando Cabrera
NYC Council Member Margaret Chin
NYC Council Member Andrew Cohen
NYC Council Member Costa Constantinides
NYC Council Member Daniel Garodnick
NYC Council Member Vanessa Gibson
NYC Council Member Robert Holden
NYC Council Member Ben Kallos
NYC Council Member Andy King
NYC Council Member Peter Koo
NYC Council Member Brad Lander
NYC Council Member Stephen Levin
NYC Council Member Mark Levine
NYC Council Member Alan Maisel
NYC Council Member Carlos Menchaca
NYC Council Member Rosie Mendez
NYC Council Member Antonio Reynoso
NYC Council Member Donovan Richards
NYC Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez
NYC Council Member Helen Rosenthal
NYC Council Member Rafael Salamanca
NYC Council Member Ritchie Torres
NYC Council Member Mark Treyger
Judge Karen S. Burstein
Bob Kerrey, fmr. New School President and US Senator
Hon. Debra Cooper, NYS Democratic Committee
Hon. Trudy L. Mason, Vice Chair, NYS Democratic Cmtee
AARP NYS
Advocates for Highway & Auto Safety
Center for Popular Democracy
Chancellor’s Presidents Advisory Council (CPAC)
Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
The Cooper Union
Council of School Supervisors and Admin. (CSA)
Citizens Committee for New York City
Good Shepherd Services
JCCA
LaGuardia Community College
Local 372 School Crossing Guards Union
Lighthouse Guild
MASK (Mothers and Fathers Aligned Saving Kids)
MercyFirst
New York League of Conservation Voters
New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA)
New York State United Teachers (NYSUT)
New York University
Pratt Center for Community Development
Save Kids Lives campaign (UN Road Safety Collaboration)
SCO Family of Services
Uber
UJA Federation of New York
United Federation of Teachers
United Neighborhood Houses
YMCA of Greater New York
Bronx Health Link
Bronx Health REACH
Bronx House
Downtown Women OB/GYN Associates
Family Health Center of Harlem
Health Point Chiropractic and Nutrition
HeartShare Human Services of New York
Independence Care System
Institute for Family Health
Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center
Metro New York Health Care for All Campaign
Montefiore Health System
Mount Sinai Health Systems
National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS (NBLCA)
NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue
NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County
NYS Academy of Family Physicians – NYC Cty Chapter
NYU Langone Health
Planned Parenthood of New York City
Slope Pediatrics
SBH Health System– St. Barnabas Hospital
Staten Island Partnership for Community Wellness
StrataDx
A.R. Walker & Company
Academy for Careers in Television & Film
Appalachian Mountain Club New York-North Jersey Chapter
The Architects Council of New York (ACNY)
Asociación de Mujeres Progresistas
B.R.A.K.E.S. Bay Ridge Brooklyn
Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation
Big Reuse
Bike New York
Biking Public Project
Broadway Housing Communities
The Broadway Mall Association
The Bronx Museum of the Arts
Bronx River Alliance
BronxWorks
The Brooklyn Historical Society
Brooklyn Arts Exchange
Brooklyn Heights Association
Brownsville Community Justice Center
Brownsville Partnership
Caldwell Enrichment Programs, Inc
CHEKPEDS
CIVITAS
Coalition for a Livable West Side
Community League of the Heights
Cooper Stock’s Way
Cyprus Hill Local Development Corp.
Dutch Kills Centraal
Easy Español
Families for Safe Streets
Five Borough Bike Club
Friends of Bushwick Inlet Park
Friends of Morningside Park
Friends of Stryker Park
Generation Q – Queens House
Get Women Cycling
Gray Panthers NYC
Groundswell
Harlem Mothers S.A.V.E.
HENRY’s Restaurant
Information for Action
Institute for Rational Urban Mobility
InTandem
Inwood Canoe Club
Island Voice
J. Liff Co.
Jackson Democratic Club
JCC Manhattan
JCC of Staten Island
Jewish Voice for Peace – New York City
Jews for Racial and Economic Justice
Kingsbridge Heights Community Center
Kips Bay Neighborhood Alliance
Lincoln Square Neighborhood Center
Long Island Streets
L.I.C. Community Boathouse
Make Brooklyn Safer
Make Queens Safer
Maple Street Community Garden
NAG – Neighbors Allied for Good Growth
New York Bicycling Coalition
New York Bike Lawyers
New York Cycle Club
New Settlement Apartment Houses – Bronx
The New York Flyers
New York Walkers Club
New Yorkers for Parks
NYC Mechanical Gardens Bike Coop
Nikhil Badlani Foundation
The Noguchi Museum
The North Star Neighborhood Association
Northern Manhattan Improvement Corp. (NMIC)
Partnership for After School Education
Park Slope Neighbors
Park Slope Street Safety Partnership
Pomonok Senior Center
Presbyterian Senior Services (PSS)
Project for Public Spaces
Prospect Heights Neighborhood Dev. Council
Prospect Lefferts Gardens Neighborhood Assn.
Queens Bike Initiative
Queens Community House
Queensboro Hill Flushing Civic Association
Redbeard Bikes
Recycle-A-Bicycle
Rego Park Alliance
Safe Roads Alliance
Sara D. Roosevelt Park Coalition
Silver Lake Park Conservancy
Socrates Sculpture Park
South Bronx Overall Economic Dev. Corp. (SoBRO)
Staten Island Athletic Club
Staten Island Bicycle Association
Staten Island MakerSpace
StartUp Box #SouthBronx
StreetsAcademy
The 145th Street Alliance
Transportation Alternatives
Tri-State Transportation Campaign
Vaccaro & White
Veselka
WE Bike NYC (Women’s Empowerment through Bicycles)
Weeksville Heritage Center
West 75th Street Block Association
West 80s Neighborhood Association
West Side Federation of Community and Block Assos.
West End Preservation Society
Wingspan Arts, Inc.
Word Of Life International, Inc.
Academy for Careers in Television and Film PTA
The Baccalaureate School for Global Education PTA
Bais Fruma Chinuch Center
Bais Sarah – Education School for Girls
Bais Yaakov D’Chassidei Gur
Bais Yitzchak Yeshiva
Bay Ridge Prep
The Beacon School Parents Association
Bet Yaakov Ateret Torah
Beth Jacob Of Boro Park
Bnos Leah Prospect Park Yeshiva
Bnos Yaakov Educational Center/ Bnos Yakov of Pupa
Bnos Yerushalayim D’Chasidei Belz
Brooklyn Heights Montessori School
Brooklyn Kids Academy
Brooklyn Prospect Charter School
Brooklyn Prospect Charter School PTSO
The Calhoun School
Community Education Council District 9 – Bronx
Community Health Academy of the Heights
School District 14 President’s Council (Brooklyn)
DREAM Charter School
El Puente Academy for Peace and Justice
Explore Charter School
Gaynor McCown Expeditionary Learning School
Gerrer Yeshiva Mesivta Bais Yisroel
Hastings-on-Hudson PTSA
IS 318 Academy of the Arts and Sciences
Immaculate Conception School – E. 151st Street, Bronx
Inwood Academy
Intermediate School 318
International Academy of New York
Launch Expeditionary Learning Charter School
Mary McDowell Friends School
Metropolitan Montessori School
MS 2 Parkside Preparatory Academy
MS 50 John D. Wells
MS 51 William Alexander
MS 51 Parents Association
MS 447 The Math and Science Exploratory School PTA
NYC iSchool PTA
Our Lady of Mount Carmel School
Parkside Prep Academy
Poly Prep Country Day School
P141K At Is 71 School
PS 1 Courtlandt School PTA
PS 8 The Robert Fulton School PTA
PS 9 Teunis G. Bergen PTA
PS 18 John Peter Zenger PTA
PS 29 John M. Harrigan School
PS/MS 29 Melrose School PTA
PS/MS 31 the William Lloyd Garrison PTA
PS 34 Oliver H. Perry School
PS 39 Henry Bristow PTA
PS 58 Carroll School
PS 84(M) Lillian Weber School of the Arts
PS 84(M) Lillian Weber School of the Arts PTA
PS 87 William T. Sherman School PTA
PS 110 Florence Nightingale School PTA
PS 116 The Mary Lindley Murray School
PS 118 The Maurice Sendak Community School PTA
PS 130 The Parkside
PS 132 The Conselyea School
PS 133K William A. Butler PTA
PS 139 Alexine A. Fenty
PS 139 Parents Association
PS K141 Brooklyn
PS 146 The Brooklyn New School PTA
PS 173 Fresh Meadows
PS 173 Fresh Meadows PTA
PS 261 Philip Livingston School
PS 294 The Walton Avenue School
PS 294 The Walton Avenue School PTA
PS 321 The William Penn School
PS 321 The William Penn School PTA
PS 373K The Brooklyn Transition Center
PS 705 Brooklyn Arts & Science Elementary School
Queens High School Presidents’ Council (QHSPC)
South Brooklyn Community High School
The Renaissance Charter High School for Innovation
The Renaissance Charter School
The Uni Project
Tomer Devorah D’Skwere High School
Viznitzer Chaider Tiferes Yisroel
VOICE Charter School of New York
Williamsburg Northside Schools
Williamsburg Northside Schools Parents Assn.
Yeshiva & Mesivta Torah Temimah
Yeshiva & Misivta Tiferes Elimelech
Yeshiva Chsan Sofer
Yeshiva Machzikei Hadas
Yeshiva Meor Hatalmud
Yeshiva Mevakshai Hashem
Yeshiva Shaare Torat
Yeshiva Sharei Hatzlucha
Yeshivah of Flatbush
Yeshivas Novominsk
Yeshivat Ateret Torah
Abigail Jewels Vega Ministry
All Saints’ Episcopal Church
American Ministerial Association
B’nai Jeshurun
Boro Park YM-YWHA
Bronx Clergy Task Force
Catholic Guardian Services
Church of God’s Children
Cosmopolitan Church of the Lord Jesus
Congregation B’nai Jacob
Congregation Beth Elohim
Congregation Ramath Orah
Ebenezer United Pentecostal Church
Fulton Avenue Church of God
Hillcrest Jewish Center
Islamic Leadership School
Kehillat Tikvah: A Jewish Community of Hope
Kolot Chayeinu/Voices of Our Lives
Mt. Zion CME Church
The New Generation Spirit Church of Jesus Christ
Art For A Start, NYC
Bronx Helpers After-School Program
Chai Tots Preschool
Children’s Aid Society
The Child Center of NY
The Children’s Village
Chinese Hawaiian Kenpo Academy
Citizens’ Committee for Children of NY
Cub Scout Pack 174
Eden II Programs
I Challenge Myself
Girl Scout Troop 4089
Kidical Mass
Kids Ride Club
M’kekado School of Karate
Mosholu Montefiore Community Center
Phipps Neighborhoods
THE POINT Community Development Corporation
Sporting Club Gjøa Youth Soccer
Sunnyside Artworks
2018
Dear New York State Legislator,
New York City is on pace to lose as many children in traffic crashes in 2018 as in the prior two years combined. On behalf of the EverySchool coalition, we urge you to help ensure enactment of state legislation that will help bring the life-saving protection of speed safety cameras to more New York City students and schools – improving an already successful speed camera program. Last year, the Assembly passed A7798-B. This year, we need both Senate and Assembly passage.
Between 2010 and 2014 more than 16,000 people were either killed or severely injured in traffic on NYC streets. Speeding kills more New Yorkers than drunk driving and cell phone use combined, while motor vehicles remain a leading cause of injury-related death for our children. In recognition of this tragic trend, you and your colleagues first authorized speed enforcement cameras for 20 school zones in NYC as a demonstration program in 2013. Because of its success, in 2014 you expanded the program to 140 school zones in the city.
The existing limited program has been overwhelmingly effective: Speeding violations have dropped 63% and pedestrian crash-injuries are down more than 23% in locations with speed safety cameras. 81% of vehicle owners ticketed in school zones do not receive a second violation at the same location within at least two years.
Yet today, despite the program’s effectiveness, under state law cameras are prevented from operating at the times and locations where 85% of traffic fatalities and severe injuries occur: Cameras are only allowed to operate at 140 school zones even though there are more than 2,000 schools – preventing more than 90% of New York City’s schools the life-saving benefits of speed safety cameras, and forcing the DOT to ration this proven vaccine to select neighborhoods.
Please support this legislation to protect more New York students and communities.
The few speed safety cameras already in operation are making major safety gains, reducing injury-crashes, preserving police resources and avoiding dangerous police traffic stops. Vehicle owners are ticketed just $50 and only when the speed limit is exceeded by more than 10 mph during school hours. Drivers do not receive points on their license, cameras only capture the vehicle – they do not monitor the race, age or gender of the driver; and dangerous high-speed police vehicle pursuits are avoided – to the benefit of all road users.
The proposed legislation would allow speed safety cameras to operate in significantly more NYC school zones than the current 140 allowed, it would allow cameras to operate a quarter mile from each such school, and would extend the program to prevent it from expiring in 2018. Additionally, the legislation would prohibit cameras within 300 feet of a highway exit ramp, and would require signage within 300 feet of a school location to alert drivers of upcoming cameras.
Last year, the Assembly passed A7798-B. This year, we need both Senate and Assembly passage! Please stand up for NYC students and prevent rationing cameras to just 140 school zones of this effective and fair technology – a proven vaccine to the lethal epidemic of speeding.
Please help enact speed safety camera legislation for NYC students this session!
Sincerely,
Families for Safe Streets
Transportation Alternatives
*A7798-B/S6046-B
