Amends chapter 746 of the laws of 1988 extending the effectiveness of provisions relating to civil liability of vehicle owners for traffic control signal violations

BILL NUMBER:S7703

Title of bill

An act to amend chapter 746 of the laws of 1988 amending the vehicle and traffic law, the general municipal law and the public officers law relating to the civil liability of vehicle owners for traffic control signal violations, in relation to extending the effectiveness thereof; and to amend local law number 46 of the city of New York for the year 1989 amending the administrative code of the city of New York relating to civil liability of vehicle owners for traffic control signal violations, in relation to extending the effectiveness thereof

Summary of provisions

Section one of the bill amends the effective date provision of chapter 746 of the laws of 1988 to extend the sunset provision of the authorization for the establishment of a local program for the operation of traffic-control signal photo violation-monitoring devices to December 1, 2019. Section two of the bill amends the effective dale provision of local law number 46 of the city of New York for the year 1989 to extend the sunset provision of the program for the operation of traffic-control signal photo violation-monitoring devices to December 1, 2019.

Justification

In 1988, the State Legislature enacted legislation that allowed cities with a population of one million or more to establish a demonstration program to install traffic-control signal photo violation monitoring devices to record vehicles going through red light signals at traffic intersections. Since that date, the State Legislature has extended the duration of the demonstration program six times, with the current program set to expire in 2014.

Since 1994, New York City's red light camera program (the "Red Light. Camera Program" or the "Program") has proven to be an enormously effective way to increase enforcement without requiring NYPD to divert additional resources, and has been shown to decrease injuries by 24%. Over 8 million vehicles have been cited through the Program for red-light running. In 2013 alone, 577,804 violations were issued to passenger vehicles, buses, trucks and taxicabs running through red lights where cameras were operating.

It is important to note that the use of these devices has dramatically reduced the number of such violations at the intersections being monitored. Violations have declined by as much as 40% to 60% at such intersections. The total number of violations issued through the Red Light Camera Program has declined from 8-22% every year since 2010.

New York City's Red Light Camera Program has proven to be a valuable instrument in the City's ongoing effort to enhance the overall safety of its roadways for motorists, passengers, pedestrians and bicyclists. It has proven to be an effective traffic safety initiative whose success has been recognized by the State Legislature in its repeated authorizations to extend the initial demonstration program. This legislation will affirm the Program's success by allowing the Program to operate for an additional five years.

Prior legislative history

Chapter 18 of 2009

Fiscal implications

Undetermined

Effective date

This act shall take effect immediately