Data shows speed camera violations have soared
in NYC during lockdown
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TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | JULY 31-AUG. 6, 2020 9
BY MARK HALLUM
Not that New Yorkers did not generally
notice an increase in speeding at
the height of the pandemic, but new
data illustrates that speed camera
violations were nearly off the charts
when the few motorists left in the five
boroughs ripped through deserted
streets.
The Independent Budget Office says
that although parking violations were
issued despite restrictions being lifted
during the March 23 to May 31 period
in question, 77 percent of all summonses
were for speed. The IBO report compares
March 1 through March 22 with
just under 15,000 speed camera violations
to the over two month period on
lockdown which saw over 22,000 issued.
Not only was speeding up, revenue
from fines was also down across the
board for the city which had collected
over $70 million from parking and
speed camera violations in March until
it came crashing down to $30 million
in May. The IBO analysis based its
findings on data from the city Department
of Finance.
“The data is new, but we’ve known
since March and April that there’s
been a big uptick in speeding,” Jon
Orcutt, Director of Communications
for Bike New York said. “It seems like
there’s more of a joyriding thing going
on, just around my neighborhood in
Brooklyn I’m seeing more people doing
stupid stuff in cars. A couple times
I’ve rented cars I’ve seen people doing
crazy things on the highways too.”
June would become the deadliest
month for traffic deaths in nearly two
years with 29 fatalities on New York
City roadways, four of these were cyclists.
Orcutt says the city is tracking
ahead of 2018 for overall traffic deaths,
something Orcutt said demands action
from Mayor Bill de Blasio.
“Four bike deaths in June is a lot for
the city without that much activity and
certainly with Manhattan still being
pretty dead, every time I’ve gone in,”
Orcutt added. “New York has actually
led the country for most of the mayor’s
term in terms of bucking the trend…
Traffic deaths are going up all over the
country and the mayor’s driven them
down until last year. And now, looks
like there’s another dynamic that may
cause another uptick this year. We
need a policy response.”
De Blasio’s effort to grab street
space for social distancing and cycling
so that New Yorkers could stretch their
legs safely during quarantine has not
been aggressive enough for critics who
believe too much space is handed over
to cars at the risk of people’s lives.
Transportation Alternatives released
a progress report on Wednesday
that said the open streets plan, meant
to aid the city’s recovery has “lacks
ambition” with only about $37 New
Yorkers being within walking distance
of the nearest thoroughfare off-limits
to cars. Most average less than .22
miles in length and only 44 percent of
the promised 18 miles of dedicated bike
lanes have been implemented.
“We do see more activity in terms
of car traffic, but not as much, by any
stretch, as what we’re seeing with
mass transit – an increase of 23 percent
of the East River Bridges; 17 percent on
the Harlem River bridges. So, we definitely
recognize that real activity, real
progress is happening, and all of these
pieces have to come together for it to
work.”
As the mayor addressed the transportation
situation in the city on July
23, he made no elaboration on how said
progress would take place.
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